Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TUNIS1922
2006-07-28 13:16:00
SECRET
Embassy Tunis
Cable title:  

ANATOMY OF THE MOST POPULAR TUNISIAN NEWSPAPER:

Tags:  PREL PGOV KPAO TS 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #1922/01 2091316
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 281316Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1408
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
S E C R E T TUNIS 001922 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/MAG (HARRIS),NEA/PPD FERNANDEZ, FINVER

E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 07/19/2031
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO TS
SUBJECT: ANATOMY OF THE MOST POPULAR TUNISIAN NEWSPAPER:
ASH SHOUROUQ

Classified By: CDA David Ballard, for reasons 1.4 (c) and (d)

S E C R E T TUNIS 001922

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/MAG (HARRIS),NEA/PPD FERNANDEZ, FINVER

E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 07/19/2031
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO TS
SUBJECT: ANATOMY OF THE MOST POPULAR TUNISIAN NEWSPAPER:
ASH SHOUROUQ

Classified By: CDA David Ballard, for reasons 1.4 (c) and (d)


1. (S) Summary: With a circulation of 80,000, Ash
Shourouq is Tunisia,s most widely read, most anti-American,
and most irresponsible Arabic language daily newspaper.
Nominally private, Ash Shourouq receives direct editorial
input from GOT officials in both the presidential palace and
the MFA. The anti-American editorial line of the newspaper
appears to serve GOT interests in permitting anti-American
sentiment to be a distraction from public attention to local
issues. End Summary.

History of the Paper
--------------


2. (S) Ash Shourouq was originally founded as a weekly
newspaper in 1984 by Slaheddine Amri. Targeted at Tunisian
youth, Ash Shourouq became a daily newspaper in 1988, at
which point its daily circulation was only 20,000. Following
the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Ash Shourouq adopted a very
clear pro-Iraq and Arab nationalist editorial line that
proved popular with Tunisians. The circulation rose to
140,000. From then and up to the fall of Saddam Hussein, it
was widely rumored that Ash Shourouq received financing from
the Iraqi government; what was unclear was whether this
financing was direct financial support or other kinds of
perks such as automobiles, and paid vacations to Baghdad.
(NOTE: Current Iraqi ambassador to Tunisia believes funding
was direct and is trying to prove it to protest to the GOT.
Foreign funding of the media is illegal in Tunisia. END NOTE)


3. (U) Amri died in 2002, at which time his widow took
over the de-facto management of the newspaper, in
contravention of Tunisian press laws that require a de-jure
change in ownership upon the death of the founder. The
circulation currently stands at 80,000 (although some say
that 10 people read each copy sold),and the editorial line
remains staunchly Arab nationalist, pro-Baathist, pro-Saddam
Hussein and anti-American. Ash Shourouq remains the single
most visible newspaper in Tunisia, as it is the newspaper
most likely to be in the hands of the common person. Embassy
personnel who travel around Tunisia have noted that Ash
Shourouq is sometimes the only newspaper available on the

newsstands, particularly in remote areas of the country.

A Look Inside
--------------


4. (U) Ash Shourouq prides itself on its anti-American
stance and daily publishes front page photos and headlines,
followed by pages of articles (many of which contain
misinformation or disinformation),that portray US policy and
actions in a negative manner. As the newspaper does not
subscribe to any of the wire services, the editors and
journalists rely on the Internet or reports from Arab
television, such as Al Jazeera, for their stories. And, in
fact, many of the articles are actually credited to
"listening" to Al Jazeera. Ash Shourouq features daily
articles and photos of wounded American military personnel,
with headlines assuring that the "resistance" is winning in
Iraq and praising Saddam Hussein as the "President" and
"hero" of Iraq. The newspaper has seized upon the Abu Ghraib
scandal, the alleged Haditha massacre, the Guantanamo
detention facility, and other such stories as excuses to
print and reprint the same bloody and inciteful photos to
prove American cruelty and contravention of human rights in
Iraq and elsewhere. Headlines trumpet: "Resistance
triumphs...brutal attack by Marines on civilians."


5. (U) Ash-Shourouq's editorial policy is predictable and
formulaic in its treatment of regional and international
issues: illogical praise for both Iran and Zarqawi (both are
good because they defy Americans, even though Zarqawi wanted
to eliminate Shia); admiration for Hugo Chavez; Saddam is a
hero; the Iraqi resistance will win, the Shia in Iraq are
enemies (unless they are killing Americans); and, the
Americans, no matter what they are doing, are against "us."
Stories and information ferreted out from unknown websites,
unidentified "Agencies," and unnamed sources are used to
bolster and prove the allegations in editorials and
front-page articles. Photos from three years ago of US
Marines and bloodied civilian Iraqi corpses are used to
illustrate stories today and yesterday without date or
attribution. Headlines are twisted to fit the line of the
paper, even if the contents of an article contradict them.
The sole unifying editorial principle seems to be
anti-Americanism.


6. (C) Ash Shourouq dedicates the bulk of its newspaper to

international news, so local coverage remains sparse but very
loyal to the GOT. In addition to its anti-Americanism, Ash
Shourouq has also become known as the newspaper that prints
brutal attacks on Tunisian human rights activists and others
who are out of favor with the GOT. In 2005, Ash Shourouq
published an unsigned editorial on Tunisian activist Sihem
ben Sedrine which equated her to a prostitute. This year,
the newspaper took on activist Neila Hachicha, criticizing
her for her outreach to foreign governments.


7. (S) Ash Shourouq is also known for its sports coverage,
which many locals cite as the reason they read the newspaper.
Tunisian journalists note, however, that the sports coverage
is no better than that presented in other media, and suggest
that it is the combination of anti-Americanism and sports
that create the market for Ash Shourouq.

The Role of the GOT
--------------


8. (S) Information on direct GOT control of Ash Shourouq is
abundant. Ash Shourouq journalists have confirmed (including
publicly in an article published on alarabiya.com) that
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdelwaheb Abdallah (who spent
years in the presidential palace prior to his 2004 MFA
appointment) is in daily contact with Abdelhamid Riahi (the
editor-in-chief) and Fatma Karray (the editor-in-chief of
international news),directing the editorial content of the
domestic coverage. This fact was separately confirmed by a
Tunisian journalist close to the APAO, who informed us that
he had been invited to take over the editorial direction of
Le Quotidien, Ash Shourouq's tamer French language sister.
He reported that he asked Riahi directly if this would mean
daily interaction with Abdallah. When Riahi answered in the
affirmative, the journalist declined the promotion offer. A
source at the newspaper also informed the APAO that it is
rumored that Amri pays Abdallah TD2500 each month as a
kick-back for the continued existence of a newspaper that
remains illegal.


9. (S) Ash Shourouq journalists (many of whom we have
gotten to know through their participation in Iinternational
Visitor programs) also report that they routinely receive
unsigned editorials from the Palace that they include in the
newspaper as part of their editorial line. These editorials
attack human rights activists and oppositionists and
underline the wisdom of GOT policy.


10. (S) Abderaouf Mkadmi, Ash Shourouq editor-in-chief of
local news and a moderate Sufi, explained that his recent
temporary removal as editor in chief of domestic issues was a
direct decision by Abdallah who, according to Mkadmi, did not
appreciate the fact that Mkadmi was spending time at the
palace with Mkadmi,s political patrons: Presidential
Political Advisor Mahmoud Mhiri and Presidential Special
Advisor and Spokesman Abdalaziz Ben Dhia. Mkadmi was
temporarily assigned to cover cultural news. Mkadmi reported
that Karray and Riahi became nervous at the possibility that
Mkadmi might be gaining political strength to take over the
reigns of Ash Shourouq and therefore asked Abdallah to step
in. According to Mkadmi, Abdallah made a few phone calls,
including to the widow Amri, who then informed Mkadmi of his
change in status.

What this Means for Us
--------------


11. (U) Ash Shourouq's inciteful and irresponsible coverage
is not unique in the region. However, its reporting increases
distrust and dislike of American policy, and by extension
American people, and its Arab nationalist, pro-Saddam
rhetoric encourages Tunisian youth to participate in
terrorist actions in Iraq and around the world.


12. (U) The Embassy has raised this issue consistently with
Ash Shourouq editors (both in private discussions and in
letters to the editor, many of which the newspaper refuses to
print) and with GOT officials, including Abdallah. The
former insist publicly on their right to their own editorial
line and privately explain that anti-Americanism is the key
to their financial success. The latter insist that freedom
of the press in Tunisia bars them from interfering with Ash
Shourouq's editorial line.

Future of the Newspaper
--------------


13. (C) Most Tunisian intellectuals and journalists assure
Embassy staff that Ash Shourouq,s future is dim, citing the

fact that, once the Americans leave Iraq, the newspaper will
have little to write about. Others argue that just as many
Tunisians are now switching from Al Jazeera to more moderate
news commentary and/or entertainment issues (however, we have
no evidence of this) and the Tunisian public will soon grow
disillusioned with Ash Shourouq's predictions of a
"resistance" victory in Iraq and the fulfillment of the dream
of Arab nationalism. Some even assure us that the reported
circulation of Ash Shourouq is inflated and that the numbers
are actually falling. (Comment: We would like to believe
this, if only we did not continue to see the newspaper being
read at every bus stop and market stall in Tunis.)

Comment
--------------


14. (S) What is clear is that the normal press work of
responding to the most egregious of articles, writing letters
to the editor, and sending journalists on exchange programs
will not change Ash Shourouq's editorial line and policies in
the short term. Direct pressure brought to bear on those GOT
officials who support and encourage this editorial line by
the USG may also undermine our support for freedom of the
press in Tunisia. Ash Shourouq also performs an important
function for the GOT. Given Abdallah,s direct control over
the newspaper (both its personnel and its contents),it is
obvious that the GOT prefers that popular sentiment be
focused on American policy in the region and not on domestic
themes of human rights, unemployment, and corruption that
could cause more local discontent. The GOT's manipulation of
the press to support its own domestic policy by criticizing
US policy further strengthens our MPP priority of sustained
and active engagement for greater freedom of expression in
Tunisia.

Ballard




BALLARD