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The Public Diplomacy Blog is intended to stimulate dialog among scholars, researchers, practitioners and professionals from around the world in the public diplomacy sphere. The opinions represented here are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School.
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY’S MID-YEAR REPORT CARD
JUL 5, 2006 - 10:46AM PDT
Posted by Alvin Snyder
All posts by this author
It's mid-year report card time! Sadly, there are some failing "F" grades thus far this year for international media, but others show improvement. Sir David Frost knows the "F" grade first-hand, as he continues to await his long overdue breakfast, which he ordered many months ago. The British TV star of yester-year was to debut his breakfast show on Al-Jazeera's International English service early in 2006, but there is speculation that Sir David's pancakes may not flip until year's end, if then. The reason: Al-Jazeera has yet to secure a major domestic U.S. cable or satellite-to-home carrier to transmit its program. So it’s an "F" thus far for Al-Jazeera International, whose parent channel touts itself as "free from the shackles of censorship and government control," although it's funded by the tiny, gas-rich Gulf state of Qatar, which has not held a democratic election for over 35 years. If Al-Jazeera produced a sound journalistic piece on that, it might peak the interest of Cox Cable or DirecTV, and succeed in getting the channel into American homes, while leaving the channel without any Qatari Riyals for Sir David's meals. But America is also failing to communicate abroad, as the polls suggest. And this is especially bothersome to those who remember when America was getting straight A's by effectively reaching into the global psyche through the now-defunct U.S. Information Agency. This recollection for many prompts the publication of at least one article per week entitled "Bring Back the Old USIA." I do not wish to be disrespectful, but I must react by saying, "Will you please get a life! The USIA is kaput! It would take 10 years to write and enact legislation to re-create a USIA, and to get it up and running again. And you may not recognize it. The time is now." An "F" goes to the idea for bringing back the old USIA, one part of which -- its publications -- were sent packing to the State Department in the 1990s. This included the USIA's Internet magazines. So let's take a look at how those are doing, several years later. Today, the State Department includes the publication of 12 monthly Internet magazines per year under the "eJournal USA" masthead. EJournal USA is targeted to young people abroad, with a typical issue describing "a little of how Americans think about their country and the world." Issues contain original essays, such as last month's piece in which "five young Americans (write) about what they want international readers to know about the United States," and an essay from a recent college graduate describes "her perception of the American dream." A Department spokesperson said eJournal USA is based on the original USIA model of targeting elite opinion-makers abroad, and especially young people. But because the Internet can be accessed from practically everywhere, we are informed that a sizable number of eJournal USA's monthly readers come from the U.S. One recent issue for which a breakdown of readers was made available to us showed…... FULL TEXT
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munir mawari on July 5, 2006 @ 7:12 pm:
Why Did Alhurra Fail?
By Magdi Khalil
In March 2004, the United States launched the Arabic language satellite network Alhurra, the biggest news media project aimed at the Middle East since "Voice of America" was first launched in 1942. At that time, Norman J. Pattiz, chairman of the BBG's Middle East Committee who spearheaded development of AlHurra declared, "Alhurra will present fresh perspectives for viewers in the Middle East that we believe will create more cultural understanding and respect", adding, "a key part of our mission is to be an example of a free press in the American tradition, and we will stand out like a beacon of light in a media market dominated by sensationalism and distortion." Mouafac Harb, the news director, has also stated with much confidence: "We are working to establish the gold standards that the other guys will want to rip off, the best technology, the finest professionals, the most innovative programming, the most eye-catching sets", adding, "Our motto is freedom and democracy". He was excitedly proclaiming Alhurra's groundbreaking advent
Now that almost two years have passed, it is time to verify whether these promises were fulfilled or not. Did Alhurra manage to offer exceptional American media coverage in Arabic? Did it further the Arab - American understanding, challenge the fierce campaign against the U.S. and restore America's image? Did it foster democracy in the Middle East? Did it manage to work independently from the Arab regimes, the security services and intelligence agencies, and did it hold its own against Arab networks such as Al-Jazerra and Al-Arabia?
Unfortunately, the answers to all of these questions appear to be negative; the network achieved none of its objectives. If Mr. Pattiz's noble dream failed to materialize, it is mostly the fault of the Arab management team led by Mouafac Harb. The Americans put their faith in the Arab team and gave them free reign to run the network; unfortunately, it turned out that their faith was sorely misplaced. The mismanagement and blatant abuse of power have cost Alhurra greatly, and have raised doubts about the United States' ability to create a successful news media and maintain a competitive edge against the established Arab channels. Alhurra is not as much American as it is Arab - with the typical flaws and mediocrity of an Arab news media.
To quote Dr. Mamoun Fandi, a researcher at the Baker Institute, "Alhurra seems to be in league with the typical Arab media. What did Alhurra offer the Arab viewer? Nothing more than what he usually gets from an Arab news media; he was not introduced to American culture or values, and all he got was a reflection of his own sad reality."
To be honest, Alhurra didn't offer "more" but rather "less" than the usual, as the Arab media specialists in the Middle East seem to concur. Their comments include, "Alhurra is dull, dry and bland, lacking spirit and rhythm, a pale imitation of Al-Jazeera but without its professional flair and elegance". No one would guess the American identity of the channel given its poor performance, and the lack of exclusive scoops or unique coverage, a fact which is not surprising considering the ineptitude of most of its reporters. Alhurra sounds more like a local Lebanese channel, and indeed it has fallen in the hands of a leftover group from the civil war, with attitudes and ideologies typical of that era, along with a group that worked under Safwat el-Sherif in Egypt's state-controlled television--an uninspired media that took its every cue from the government and the security services. Tariq el-Hamid, the editor-in-chief of "Asharq al-Awsata" newspaper had labeled Alhurra "Washington's sin". He believes the Arab management team to be responsible for the network's failure, explaining: "the decision to leave the "Al-Hurra" Channel in the hands of a supervising Arab team was a wrong decision much like what Paul Bremer did when he discharged the Iraqi army after the collapse of Saddam's regime. To leave such a significant media institution in Arab hands is like giving 'Mohamed Atta' control over a modern airplane, he would only use it to crash into the nearest skyscraper. People familiar with the American media and who have previously worked in Washington are shocked by the poor performance of the Virginia-based satellite; the last thing we expected was for Washington to actually sell us back our poor Arab-made merchandise through Alhurra".(1)
Salama Ahmed Salama, a political commentator in Al-Ahram Egyptian newspaper, found Al-Hurra to be "boring", as he told Reuters agency, adding that he has yet to meet anyone pleased with the channel's performance.
William Rugh, a former ambassador and public diplomacy expert told the Financial Times newspaper that the viewers describe Alhurra as a bland, poor-quality Lebanese station with a Lebanese slant that reflects the ethnic make-up of its staff. (2)
Saad Eddin Ibrahim, the chairman of Ibn Khaldun center points out "Those who were biased against the channel since the very beginning were relieved when it failed to hold the public's interest, while those who had high hopes for Alhurra as an American, liberal channel felt disappointed. The Arab team that has been running Alhurra did not succeed. I was hoping for a performance level matching that of CNN, given that most of CNN. staff in the management and planning department are Americans, though it employs non-Americans when needed. I was expecting Alhurra to follow the same track, especially that it is well-funded, and has its base in Washington - the nerve center of American politics - where news stories come up almost every minute of the day, the kind of significant news that the world ought to see, and that the Arabs wish to know. For instance, it is obvious that "Al-Jazeera" and "Al-Arabia" channels have done a much better job in covering the American elections than Alhurra, despite the fact that Al-Hurra has all kinds of resources and advantages. Even the folks in my hometown in rural Egypt think that Alhurra is dull, dry and uninspiring".(3)
So, why exactly did Al-Hurra fail to live up to those expectations?
Reasons Related to the Network's Staff
First: Incompetent Arab Employees:
The majority of Arab employees are under-qualified in comparison to their peers in the successful Arab news channels. Given their noticeable lack of experience, very limited political knowledge -- particularly in regards to American affairs, and their poor grasp of the English language, it is not surprising that they did such a poor job relaying America to the Arab World. It goes without saying that they are so far behind their American peers. Mouafac Harb, the news director and the one who took full charge of the hiring process, is directly responsible for this blunder. "There is no oversight", says Hishem Melham, the Washington bureau chief of the Lebanese daily newspaper Al-Safir. "This guy [Harb] hires and fires and sets salaries on his own, and he'll continue to do it as long as he feels protected by Norman Pattiz and Kenneth Tomlinson".(4) An incompetent man wielding that kind of authority is a recipe for disaster, and the end result was a network standing on a shaky foundation, unable to hold its own against the fierce competition. To quote Salameh Nematt, the political analyst, "Harb is a third-rate journalist who has hired fourth-rate journalists, Most of them don's speak English well, and they don's know much about the Middle East, let alone America. No serious journalist from the Middle East works there".(5)
This sentiment is confirmed by Mamoun Fandy, a senior fellow in Middle East policy at Rice University's Baker Institute, who says that the rules governing the network have made little difference, and that MBN is operating "runaway stations that need to be brought under control", adding "Al-Hurra looks like the Middle Eastern states we want to change: It's run by a small dictator who is totally corrupt".(6)
Samir Douaihy, the former managing news director of Radio Sawa in its Dubai Center, who helped Harb launch the network, confirms that Harb wasn't at all interested in real professional qualifications.
The truth of the matter, as I can personally confirm, is that Harb never appeared to be in favor of hiring qualified or well-known characters; perhaps because he might consider them a potential threat. I have worked in the network for a year, as an anchor of a political show, and it took little time for me to realize the seriousness of this problem. A month later, I shared my misgivings with an official in the Broadcasting Board, specifically telling him that I believe Al-Hurra will be heading towards imminent failure if the management style doesn't change, and if it continues to rely on an under-qualified staff. When I first met Harb, a month after the channel was launched, he told me that I was a well-known figure in Washington and an accomplished political analyst, stating that I would be a worthy addition to Al-Hurra. Words were not followed by action; not immediately, and not for six months during which Harb kept stalling; I was finally assigned a program thanks to the intervention of an American official.
Naturally, a channel operated by an under-qualified staff would fail - as Saad Eddin Ibrahim points out - "to offer an exceptional Arab-American dialogue and inspiring debates or to provide a first-rate coverage of American events".
Salameh Nematt, Washington Bureau chief of the international Arab daily Al-Hayat, expected the channel to initiate an honest and free debate about the violations of human rights suffered by Arab citizens, the oppressive practices in the Arab countries, the corruption and the governments' plunder of public funds, saying, "I was expecting Alhurra to break through taboos and forbidden topics, and was disappointed when it turned out that the channel is readily bowing to the pressure of public relations and seeking the approval of the regressive Arab regimes".(7)
All things considered, Alhurra seems to have given us nothing more then a bland, unappealing version of the Arab satellite channels.
Second: Cronyism
When competence, vision, accountability and sound management are lacking, it becomes easy for cronyism, personal interests and nepotism to overwhelm the work environment - as indeed indicated in the State Department Inspector General's report about Alhurra's first year which mentioned "a lack of uniform quality control over hiring and reporting standards".
Ironically, a channel that is supposed to foster democracy in the Middle East, was run in a rather dictatorial fashion! Harb assigned the key positions in the channel to handpicked friends regardless of their lacking professional competence, and kept tight control over the network's operations including programs, guests, annual salaries and recruitment. In the absence of an American supervisory role, he took full charge of the hiring process and showed a blatant disregard for professional hiring criteria. It is hard, for example, to imagine that the position of programs' director was accorded to a person whose credentials in politics are somewhat lacking; and whose main qualification was working as a director of a Lebanese television channel. But stranger things have happened at Alhurra, where someone is being paid $80,000 a year to talk for just ten minutes per week; minutes that he invests in a shallow, unoriginal analysis, and a passionate criticism of all things American. Even stranger, is that a number of broadcasters from Beirut and Dubai were being regularly paid considerable salaries without having made a single appearance on the channel for more than six months.
Equally shocking is Harb's blatant discriminatory policy: "We know Harb was discriminating in the hiring, promotion, and treatment of experienced Arabic radio broadcasters -- all U.S. citizens -- in favor of inexperienced young workers, many of whom were Lebanese", said Stephen Spitz - an American attorney - to "The American Prospect Magazine".
In addition, plenty of talk has been circulating about outrageous sexual comments, harassment, sexual relations and power abuse, something which imagination in a country where even the President himself would not dare tell a junior female employee that she has got "great legs" -- an allegation which, if true, would lend credence to the existence of an unacceptable situation in this regard.
You would never believe that you're actually still in the United States if you happen to visit Radio "Sawa" or "Alhurra" network. It feels like you have somehow landed yourself in a typical corrupt Arab country, and everything would remind you of that fact; even the selection of guests for a talk show becomes a painful process as Mouafac's black list - which included Mamoun Fandi, Foad Agami, Shebli Talhami, Walid Phares, Daniel Pipes. I had managed, after considerable effort, to remove Walid Phares from that list and he appeared a few times on the show . I could only get Harb's approval for Daniel Pipes to appear for just a few minutes on a program about Islamic movements, but completely failed in persuading him to have "Fandi" participate in any talk show. Oddly, an Egyptian intellectual made a five hour appearance on a single talk show in less than a year, just because he was recommended by an Arab staffer in Liz Cheney's office, without any regard for the channel's actual broadcasting substantive requirements -- even the infamous media owned by the Princes in the Gulf states would not make such allowances.
Third: Did the Arab Intelligence Services Infiltrate Alhurra?
After Alhurra was launched, I wrote an English article(8) where I discussed, among other things, the potential danger posed by the Arab regimes' attempts to exercise a covert control over the network agenda and programs, through the channel's staff. Recently, Hala Mustafa, a well-known researcher, wrote the following in The Washington Post: "In Egypt, The media are subjected to the control of the security services, and that goes for TV stations -- including Alhurra, the U.S.-sponsored satellite channel, which is supposed to be providing uncensored news from an American point of view. From the beginning, Alhurra's operation in Egypt was subject to the covert control of the security services, a fact that is not always apparent to those who oversee the station from Washington. State security forces have close ties to some of the station's directors and hand-pick many correspondents. They even have final say over which guests appear on programs. As a result, anyone who has paid careful attention to the tone and opinions of the regular programming will notice that liberal, progressive, open-minded views are presented almost apologetically. While Alhurra is supposed to be a vibrant, fresh forum for freedom, it has failed to provide a real space for balanced views, and so it has been incapable of competing with the "Islamic" Al-Jazeera and "pan-Arabist" Al-Arabiya channels".(9)
Along the same lines, Art Levine wrote the following: "Friendly connections between Harb and certain Arab regimes have also distorted the news on Alhurra, with particularly soft coverage reserved for Qatar and Tunisia, as Paula Yaacoubian, Harb's wife, was doing public relations work for the Tunisian government's information service".(10)
The strange thing, as Levine says, is that Harb has managed to fabricate a story of success that has impressed major officials in Congress, as well as both the Democratic and Republican parties. He seems to have an appreciative audience in official Washington, where the Americans who do not speak Arabic are convinced that he has done an excellent job. Stranger yet is the fact that Deidre Kleine, the communications director of the US government's Middle East Broadcasting networks, is highly praising the channel, and speaking in its defense to the reports, though she speaks no Arabic and has no knowledge of what has been going on in Alhurra.
Harb, however, is clinging to his own version of the truth as he claimed in a congressional hearing recently that the network was above the Arab conflicts, and is carrying out its mission impartially and independently of those conflicts, and that's why it outdid both "˜Al-Jazeera" and "Al-Arabeya" in its coverage of the Egyptian elections!
Speaking of the coverage of Egyptian elections, here is an incident that can speak for itself: The correspondent of Radio "Sawa" in Cairo happens to be a former state-security officer and a broadcaster in "Alhurra", residing in Washington. He sent a letter to the Egyptian newspaper "Al-Ahram", where he expressed his extreme displeasure at the way Saad Eddin Ibrahim has criticized President Mubarak for not allowing the Egyptians living abroad to vote in the elections. The letter stated: "I was thinking about renting a few buses (and getting people into them) and heading to the Egyptian embassy, just to say one word in favor of Mubarak who has devoted his life to serve Egypt, I say 'Yes for Mubarak .. Yes for Egypt.. Yes for the man who has raised Egypt's status high for all to see' .. We should be making our country's future instead of damaging it in the name of demands of reform and change, especially that we are living abroad and we know what some people have in mind for Egypt".(11) It is beyond my imagination why anyone would think of such an individual to be a suitable candidate to defend the United States' plan of reform in the Middle East, but, apparently, someone did!
The majority of the channel's staffers were selected from the Middle East and brought to the States, and they are more loyal to the Arab World than they are to American values, and to the American vision, which is the reason this channel was created in the first place. There are several indications for that alarming trend: For instance, in a news bulletin a broadcaster in Alhurra when referring to "terrorism" used an _expression borrowed from Al-Jazeera: "what the United States deems as terrorism, which is typical of Al-Jazeera". Salameh Nematt has recorded a news bulletin in Radio "Sawa", where suicide bombers of Hamas, who carry out attacks against civilians, were described as "Hamas activists." Mamoun Fandi confirms that "there are people in Alhurra and Sawa who shed tears when Saddam Hussein fell".(12) And considering the fact that more than 50% of the political programs are being recorded in or broadcast from the Middle East, would it be possible for an Arab reporter living in that region to stand up for Alhurra's objectives and the United States' vision for the Middle East?
But more alarming is Harb's apparent biased attitudes and how these reflected on the channel. To cite just a few examples:(13)
The first day the channel went on the air, Harb called the Libyan President Khadafi "a terrorist" on a live program. He later prevented me from interviewing Khadafi though I had already made the necessary arrangements with the Libyan President. Presumably, the reason for this hostile attitude could be that Harb (a Shiite himself) might have considered Khadafi to be behind the kidnapping of the Shiite Imam Moussa el-Sadr. On the other hand, Harb had rejected my request to interview the Syrian President Bashar el-Assad. My feeling was that he probably didn’t want to subject el-Assad, a known ally of Hizballah, to tough questioning.
While I was preparing for an episode about the Islamic movements in the Arab World, Harb refused that I refer to Hizballah as a "terrorist organization", and rejected another reference to the Iranian revolution's key role in spreading terrorism in the Middle East.
He did not allow me to complete an episode about the phenomenon of the unconstitutional passage of the office of the presidency by fathers to their sons in non-monarchic Arab states (otherwise known as "power inheritance" in Arab republics), though I had already recorded a number of interviews with nine international experts, some of whom were Arabs, and was planning to meet with a total of twenty-five experts to discuss the issue. Am I right to think that Harb did not wish to embarrass some Arab regimes?.
There are four producers of political programs on Alhurra who are in charge of preparing questions, and recruiting Arab guests. Three out of them are from South Lebanon, who deny that Hizballah is a terrorist organization; in contradiction to American laws.
Mr. Harb has personally told me that he cannot openly criticize the autocratic Arab regimes because he expects them to report him to the American Secretary of State, thereby putting his job on the line. To the best of my knowledge, no reporter of Alhurra has ever been arrested in an Arab country, and the Arab regimes have never issued a protest against the network. Nothing surprising there, since Alhurra has erred on the side of caution, not tackling taboo subjects or hot issues that hold the interest of Arab citizens such as corruption, oppression, freedoms and democracy. In fact, the channel has been receiving very little attention or criticism from the Arab media as a whole lately. On the one hand, the channel hasn't offered anything particularly worthy of attention, and on the other hand, the media in the Arab world takes its cue from the regimes that have no reason to censure the "tame" channel. It seems like the regimes and the Arab media are both conspiring to maintain that miserable status.
Mr. Harb appears to be a master of the art of double talk. When in the presence of American officials, he is a passionate defender of American values and interests, but that zealous attitude seems to be reserved just for these occasions, and a careful examination of his actions would prove that his loyalties lie elsewhere. Each time he goes to visit a Middle Eastern state, Harb puts in a request for special protection from the American embassy to give the impression that his life is in danger, as part of the image he has created for himself. The truth is, Harb has never been committed to building up the channel's capacity, and had no vision or plans in that respect, being rather busy marketing himself to Congress and the American administration.
Harb's supporters in Washington have managed to create a lobby that speaks in defense of the channel, and tries to thwart any attempt to evaluate the channel's performance or investigate the reported lapses, as if Alhurra is off limits, and its officials are not to be touched. Furthermore, they have been very vocal in praising Harb, caring nothing for the negative comments and reactions he has elicited.
Reasons Related to Mismanagement
First: Corruption
Following months of investigations, the journalist Art Levine published a detailed report in "The American Prospect Magazine", where he revealed different aspects of corruption, wasteful extravagance, and mismanagement in Alhurra channel and Radio Sawa. So far, these two have cost the American tax payers around $200 million, and are expected to get another $80 million for the coming fiscal year.
As Levine indicated in his report: "The dubious expenditures involve a host of companies, staffers, and contractor; that ranges from inflated salaries and bonuses paid to cronies, including Shia fundamentalists, with little broadcast experience and English skills; to millions in questionable sole-source contracts given to Harb's friends in Washington and Beirut. On top of that, the start-up Alhurra network spent $10 million for a bungled computer - and software -installation project that violated standard procurement practices and has led to repeated crashes. Critics have also questioned the annual salaries of top network executives, which have reached $250,000, or more than the annual amount earned by the vice president of the United States".(14)
The figures mentioned in Levine's report are truly shocking: an $80,000 annual salary for a Makeup artist and a hair stylist -- Hanan -- who is reportedly a friend of Harb's wife; Eli Khouri, a friend of Harb and a partner in Quantum Communications company, produced promotional and "branding" commercials for Alhurra at a cost of $125,000 or more per spot (another company got nearly $250,000 for developing a Web site that still lacks streaming audio or video clips of Alhurra news shows. Quantum Communications got a contract worth $500,000 last year alone for providing the vaguely defined job of "production coordination" for shows that are ready to air, and require no coordination; a million and a half dollar contract for live interpreting services was granted to the Capital Communications Group, a Washington firm managed by a Lebanese American named Akram Elias. I noticed when I first started working in Alhurra that the guests signed a payment receipt in Arabic and that the receipt was not issued by the channel but under this company's name; one of the producers explained that this was their company in Lebanon, but I still have no idea what was done with those Arabic receipts and how they were integrated into the accounting system. Levine's report brings up the issue of the executive director of Alhurra TV's Iraqi division, who has limited experience, poor grasp of the English language and gets $110,000 per year. A strict Shiite, the man is known to frequently make religious quotes, and has allegedly caused Nahar Ramadan, an experienced broadcaster, to quit, after criticizing her for having cohabitated with her boyfriend before marrying him.
Art Levine's report indicates that Alhurra has fallen victim to corruption, mismanagement, cronyism, and an agenda that serves the Arab regimes instead of the United States. According to William Rugh, the former ambassador and public diplomacy expert, "the issues of alleged irregularities and partiality in programming stem from the lack of proper oversight from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), a federal agency responsible for overseas US broadcasts funded by Congress".(15)
Financial corruption and political deviation are not the only irregularities; the private company that conducts polls and audience surveys on behalf of the network may have manipulated poll and viewership results to give the impression that Alhurra has a substantial audience in the Middle East.
As Alvin Snyder points out, the numbers released by the network paint a much more optimistic picture of its viewership than do those calculated by outside sources. The survey released by the network showed 44% viewed Alhurra in Iraq, compared with 14% by an independent survey. The surveys basically followed the same process; the question that led to the differing results was whether the viewer watched the channel during the past week (44%) or during the day before (14%).(16)
In any case, a viewership percentage can tell us that an audience is watching a particular channel, but it does not rate the channel's reliability and credibility as a source of news and analysis, and does not indicate how it fares in comparison with other channels.
For instance, while Alhurra claims that 35 million Arab citizens view its programs, the Coalition Provisional Authority conducted a comparative study among news networks, which indicated that Alhurra ranked as low as No. 14, and that only 1% of the viewers chose Alhurra as their preferred network.
Shibley Telhami of the Brookings Institution, who conducts Middle East research for the polling firm of Zogby International, is convinced that the Arabic networks "certainly don't connect with the public." His surveys found that only 0.02 percent of Arabic audiences named Alhurra as their first choice for news. "So few people are watching," says the respected scholar, "that I'd be shocked if it's making a difference".(17)
The network's management sent a detailed copy of the surveys and opinion polls to Saad Eddin Ibrahim who, after reviewing a number of performance evaluation studies, reached the following conclusion: "I noticed that the methodology used was neither strict nor entirely objective, but rather lax; there is an evident lack of pertinent questions, the study poses primary questions, but do not follow up on those questions to gain a profound insight .. it looked like a custom-made study".(18)
Second: Lack of Planning
The word that would best describe what has been happening in Alhurra is "chaos", with no plans in place, no regular performance evaluation or coordination of programs, manifested in the fact that each staffer was working in his own remote island, separately from others. There were no weekly, monthly or annual plans, but above all, the vision that the channel was created to fulfill was completely overshadowed.
The program producers and anchors had to consult with Mouafac Harb regarding the topic and the guests, coming back with a list of instructions. Harb would not meet on a regular basis with producers or anchors to discuss network affairs. I had to insist, quite adamantly, to get him to agree to hold a meeting with anchors, myself included. Two anchors of weekly programs hadn't had a single meeting with him for a year, and believed he only agreed to that one because of my persistent demands. Insisting on retaining complete control in the work environment, Harb obviously thought it convenient to skip the planning process. I wish an American official would catch him by surprise and inquire about his monthly or annual plans. When Harb anticipates questions, whether during meetings with American officials or in congressional hearings, he seeks the help of a public relations company to prepare a list of possible questions and answers. I have in my possession a full copy prepared for Harb with some of those anticipated questions and the kind of "right" answers. Harb probably needs all the help he can get to avoid saying the wrong thing, or appear confused, given that t he hasn't managed to develop a profound vision for the channel or for his own duties.
Third: An Uneven Geographical Distribution
At this point in history, the Arab region can be divided into 5 zones, according to American interests: Syria and Lebanon; Iraq; Gulf area; North Africa from Libya to Morocco; Egypt, Sudan, Palestine and Israel.
The network should have accorded each of those zones a fair share of space, as regards the coverage of news and issues, guests, staffers, and the particular relationship of each zone with the United States. Obviously, significant events and hot issues should be given special consideration. If that balanced pattern were followed, we would have had a channel that reflects both the main stream in the Middle East and in the United States as the channel's sponsor. In reality, the balance was clearly tilted in favor of Lebanon and the Shiia in Iraq. More than 30% of the guests are from Lebanon, (thus disproportionately representing both the population and agenda/issues of a very small country in the region), six programs are broadcasted from the same country and the majority of broadcasters are either Lebanese or Shiia from Iraq, in addition to the obvious uneven geographic distribution of the network's staff.
Fourth: The Absence of an American Role (Influence)
The absence of an American influence is one more thing that can be clearly felt in Alhurra channel and Radio Sawa, whether we're talking about mission and strategies, financial audit, or program coordination. The American members of the staff may serve the Arab objectives without being aware of what really goes on, since they neither speak the language nor understand typical intricacies. Americans naturally expect the Arab executives to tell them the truth; unfortunately they are not always told the truth. There are definitely many Americans who speak the Arabic language, particularly the former ambassadors in the State Department, and I am not sure why the Broadcasting Board of Governors has not considered getting their help to monitor, evaluate and manage the network. I am also not sure how an American accountant can deal with financial records written in Arabic; it would be difficult to keep track of large amounts of money in this fashion, unless this task is given to a trustworthy financial firm with Arabic speaking staff. The prevalent impression is that the American employees - executives included - feel somehow lost in an environment that is almost entirely controlled by Arabs.
Lack of transparency is another issue.
Experts seem to concur that Alhurra did not succeed in its mission; some even say that it has failed, as reported in the Financial Times: "It seems that the US-funded channel Alhurra that was created to counter the effect of al-Jazeera, and attract its audience, has somehow failed to achieve its purpose".(19)
Mr. Harb should be held accountable for each American tax-dollar that went into the network; he should be questioned about what's going on in Cairo, Dubai and Beirut, and answer for the network's failure to accomplish its mission.
Suggestions and Solutions
"I suggest outsourcing by CNN, as a quick and short term solution", says Saad Eddin Ibrahim: "An adept and more academic solution would be to create an independent board to manage the channel as is the case with the B.B.C. The Board has to include media experts, intellectuals and retired ambassadors who have previously worked in the Arab region; this combination of academics, media-men, diplomats, and perhaps businessmen as well is the right one for Alhurra. The board of directors will monitor the channel, conduct regular public opinion surveys which will provide guidelines for restructuring, implementing seasonal and semi-annual changes in programs, introducing new faces, etc..".(20)
Salameh Nematt recommends a reassessment of the network's project as a whole, "to revise the political and media strategies that govern the channel and ensure its success within the Arab world. The people in charge of the channel should believe wholeheartedly in the values of democracy and freedom, refuse to be manipulated by the Arab regimes, and be ready to wage a war against oppression and corruption at any price".(21)
The decision to create Alhurra was well founded, and the channel possesses great potential as a means of American diplomacy, cultivating international relations and fostering understanding among cultures. However, the channel will not fulfill its potential unless it undergoes a restructuring of its objectives, human resources, programs and management. I propose the following approach:
A joint team of Arab and American media specialists such as Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Salameh Nematt, Hala Mustafa, Abdel Rahman Rashed, Othman el-Omeir, Ahmed el-Rabei, along with American specialists working in major networks - should carry out a professional evaluation of the network in order to detect the major flaws, identify the means to remedy them and devise a development plan. As part of that evaluation process, I have volunteered to make this study, and present it to all who have concerns regarding Alhurra.
To speed up the investigations conducted by the State Department and the Congress that aim to examine the network's expenditures, and the allegations of corruption and undisclosed private deals. The assistance of a reputed audit bureau with Arabic-speaking staff will be required to determine if the Arabic records have been authentic.
More than one congressional hearing is required to study the channel's current situation, propose urgent solutions, and formulate future strategies. It would be important, in Alhurra's case to seek the input of Arab experts, as they are more aware of the happenings in the network. I personally disagree with the claim made by the Arab management team that the negative publicity surrounding Alhurra reflects the Arab World's hostile feelings toward the United States itself. The fiercest of America's enemies cannot deny the merit of newspapers such as "The New York Times", "Washington Post", "Wall Street Journal", "The New Yorker", etc., or news channels such as CNN and MSNBC.
As I wrote back in April 2004, in order for Alhurra to achieve its stated purpose, it must adhere to certain strategic principles:(22)
First and foremost, Alhurra must remain true to the fundamentals of journalistic integrity and independence. It must uphold the highest standards of broadcast journalism such as accurate reporting, diligent research, fair and balanced perspective, and multiplicity of viewpoints, including tolerance of opposing viewpoints.
Second, one of the goals of Alhurra, as an American media channel, should be to advance American and Western values and objectively introduce them into the homes of a turbulent part of the world. This will mean educating, enlightening (and perhaps empowering) the viewer about the ideals of political and economic freedom, democracy, free markets, and transparency; as well as the importance of human rights, and the acceptance of diversity, whether intellectual, ethnic, or religious.
Third, as an American channel, Alhurra should reflect US political and cultural values through interviews with American icons, including politicians, academics, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, and intellectuals. Televising thought provoking discussions of current political and cultural events could serve the dual purpose of disseminating information and promoting Western ideals. Programming on American art and culture would be of interest to Arabic viewers, particularly if it includes interviews with famous American performers. In brief the channel should transmit a genuine and comprehensive image of American life.
A simple suggestion, that may actually give Alhurra a considerable boost in the Arab World, is to broadcast a recent American movie that hasn't aired in the Middle East yet, and intercept it with a short, 15 minute news bulletin. The audience can be notified, as the movie airs, that an interview with the movie stars will follow shortly. The movie is to be followed first by a political program, and then by the interview. The idea here is to offer attractive material that is guaranteed to capture and keep the attention of the Arab viewer, and intercept it with political programs.
Alhurra is supposed to "explain" America to the Arabs, and bridge the gap that exists between the two; if it mostly acts like a mirror for the Arab viewer to see the reflection of his own image, then it has lost its purpose. Unfortunately that's what Alhurra has been doing, joining the same league as the Arab news channels. Therefore, I think that the majority of the programs should be broadcasted from the headquarters of the network in Washington, which would also remove it from the potential influence of the Arab regimes and safeguard it against the infiltration of intelligence services.
N.B.: This study was made at the request of some members of Congress and senior executives who wish to steer the network back to its original course.
Magdi Khalil
Writer and Political Analyst -- Washington
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
References:
Al-Shark Al-Awsat, 12 July 2004 (Alhurra .. Washington sin)
Financial Times, Nov. 7, 2005
Interview with Saad Eddin Ibrahim about Alhurra Channel
Art Levine, The American Prospect, Nov. 7, 2005
Bad Reception, The American Prospect, Nov. 7, 2005
The American Prospect, Ibid.
Interview with Salameh Nematt about Alhurra Channel
Magdi Kahlil: What do we want from Alhurra, Watani, 25 April 2004
Ending the Silent War in Egypt, Washington Post, Dec. 24, 2005
Art Levine, Ibid
Al-Ahram Newspaper, Letter to the Editor, Oct. 2, 2005
Interview with Mamoun Fandi about Alhurra Channel
Magdi Khalil: Why didn't Alhurra Succeed, Watani, Oct. 30, 2005
Art Levine, Ibid
Financial Times Ibid
Alvin Sayder, Middle East Times, Dec. 9, 2005
Bad Reception Ibid
Saad Eddin Ibrahim, previous reference
Financial Times, Oct. 30, 2005
Saad Eddin Ibrahim, previous reference
Salameh Nemat, previous reference
Magdi Khalil Ibid
John Ferguson on July 5, 2006 @ 10:46 pm:
I agree that State is failing in its Public Diplomacy initiatives and have seen budgets dwindle dramatically over the past three years in particular. I have been working in the Cultural Diplomacy field with USIA and now State in over 85 countries since 1991. My rich experience in contributing to Public Diplomacy through cultural programs, American music and dance specifically (http://www.americanvoices.org for the curious) leaves me with the opinion that outreach through mass media is good, but we need much more exchange, cultural and speaker programs to be truly effective.
In my line of work , we encounter rapturous receptions for our jazz, hip hop, country western, Broadway and classical programming in countries like Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon and Syria. During our programs, one would never suspect that the U.S. is not admired.
I lobby for more labor-intensive programs bringing artistic, cultural and academic exchanges to all countries where the U.S. feels it needs to create dialogue with the larger public. Such contact between artists and audiences through workshops, joint performances and public events reminds audiences of the human values of not only our nations, but our common humanity and shared experience. It is hard work, does not come cheap, but ultimately has an important ripple effect in communities, countries and in both disadvantaged and influential segments of the communities where we teach and perform.
When we performed our Jazz Bridges program bringing together an American jazz quartet with 8 Afghan traditional and pop musicians, we had television coverage by every channel in the country. Press and radio were unanimous in their praise of the first such collaboration for Afghan audiences in over 25 years. The comment that I heard over and over was 'this concert makes us feel normal again in Afghanistan'.
It may have been a drop in the bucket as far as the U.S. Public Diplomacy program in Afghanistan is concerned, but it was a drop that generated quite a ripple effect.
Culture and the performing arts may not be the manna that most Americans live and breathe, but these programs are hugely effective in countries where the performing arts play a bigger roled in daily life (former USSR) or are rarely offered (Afghanistan, Syria). We should not underestimate their value in communicating essential information about the U.S. and our culture.
John Ferguson
Pianist and Executive Director
American Voices
http://www.americanvoices.org
AJ Pegues on July 10, 2006 @ 12:36 am:
Thanks for the report card, Mr. Snyder. You do what academics should do to the real world, make us think and speak up. Last times I checked, too, those 9/11 hikjackers had more than a few Western European links. I can only suppose that this is an oversight in "transformational diplomacy," or that someone influential at State has concluded that the Hamburgs of the Muslim world don't mattter.
Re: a reconstituted USIA. You are probably right about the time necessary to work up legislation, if just these pages are any indication. Still, we got Homeland Security, an immensely greater undertaking, in less time than you can say GOP control. Put the White House, Karen Hughes, and Congress together, and you might be surprised at the speed of the process. Charlie Wick's accomlishments would pail by comparison. But all that would take willpower and leadership, traits that doen't seem to remain at this point in this administration.
Bruce Gelb on July 10, 2006 @ 3:44 pm:
Alvin, you must be an old Washington bureaucratic hold over who has never seen how an effective organization can be created if the desparate need is there. Have you never heard of the Can Do spirit that made the U.S. wartime miracle possible?? Ask any of the public diplomacy professionals, the stars who are still, though aging, at the top of their form in terms of conceptualizing and they will if not quoted tell you that all the "transformational" BS and the rejiggering of the half man half beast organization that purports to be the 21st century upgrade of the once effective USIA just doesn't work and cannot work period. Sure it will take lots of additional money and people who have P.D. skills but that is what decision making is all about and what facing facts ultimately means. Cut 2 billion$ from our Defense budget with a 1% across the board knife(so no- ones pet project has to be eliminated) and then you have a fair chance of having the horsepower to do the job properly. In your view bringing back the USIA is a grade of F because you think what is meant by this is literally going back to an exact copy. That is not it at all. The issue was stated clearly years ago by the dean of management practitioners, Peter Drucker, namely, "Put a half a man on a job and you will get half of a job done". Think about it.
Bruce Gelb, former director
AJ Pegues on July 11, 2006 @ 12:44 am:
Mr. Gelb, as a one-time USIA director, I hope you're speaking tongue in cheek about Al Snyder; if you're serious, you betray a hands-off -- or at least politically ineffective -- managment style that certainly prevailed under your tenure at USIA, something Peter Drucker would recognize immediately. We can date the final decline of USIA back to 1989 when, to be polite, it was once again relegated under your watch to the back benches of foreign affairs.
Joe B. Johnson on July 11, 2006 @ 8:07 pm:
You are ignoring that the eJournals are distributed through nearly 200 embassies in print, CD-ROM and online locally. By the way, I understand that large numbers of computer owners listening to Radio Sawa appear to come from the Detroit area.
1 on July 19, 2006 @ 12:27 pm:
a million and a half dollar contract for live interpreting services was granted to the Capital Communications Group, a Washington firm managed by a Lebanese American named Akram Elias...AKRAM RAFI ELIAS IS #3 MAN IN THE GRAND LODGE OF FREEMASONS IN WASHINGTON D.C....let's talk about the strange (not conspiratorial) connections in Washington
Alan Simpson on July 20, 2006 @ 5:31 pm:
Alvin is right, and wrong, about the need and technological hurdles of again launching an effective global "Image" network that would grab the "Hearts and Minds" of the world. With new digital technologies it could be done pretty quickly.
But PLEASE, PLEASE don't put political appointees with absolutely no knowledge of global broadcasting in charge. I appreciate the background of successors to Charlie Wick, but they have been unmitigated disasters. I agree with Mr. Pegues.
The quickest way to get us out of this mess is to create a public/private partnership in a third country. Anything out of Washington, run by the "Usual Suspects" will be shunned by the growing anti-American publics around the world.
Read carefully the post by John Ferguson for as we also found "Bands and BBQ" is proving the surprising formula to recreate what WorldNet originally tried to achieve. People today get enough of lying politicians from the news networks. Show them the popular side of America, then slowly add the political message.
A global network could be up and on TV stations around the world much quicker than most people think, and the technological window of opportunity is open. Pity if it is seized by the Chinese!
I did it once, against all advice from the "Doomsayers in DC" for Wick, it is easier these days for the requirement to fight governments and corporations around the world no longer is an issue. All it takes is political will, but Charlie Wick dealt with President Reagan, not Karen Hughes.
For the real background how WorldNet began look at:
http://www.ComLinks.com/global/wnet.htm
MARK HIRST on February 20, 2007 @ 2:52 pm:
Dear Friend,
I introduce myself as Mark .H. Wildman, Global Head of Offshore Banking at Deutsche Bank. A contracted staff of Perez and Hamilton contacted you earlier concerning Mr. Moser Arrington and an investment placed under our banks management 9 years ago.
I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I contact you independently of our investigation and emphasize the reason of this communication. I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you.
In 1996 the subject matter; Moser came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of Nineteen million United States dollars, which he wished to have us turn over (invest) on his behalf. I was the officer assigned to his case, I made numerous suggestions in line with my duties as the de-facto global head of the Offshore banking sector, especially given the volume of funds he wished to put into our bank.
We met on numerous occasions prior to any investments being placed. I encouraged him to consider various growth funds with prime ratings. The favored route in my advise to customers is to start by assessing data on 6000 traditional stocks and bond managers and 2000 managers of alternative investments popularly known as hedge Funds based on my advice, We spun the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest stood at this point at over 19.37 million United States Dollars, this margin was not the full potential of the fund but he desired low risk guaranteed returns on investments.
In mid 1997, he asked that the money be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Antwerp. He directed that I liquidate the funds and had it deposited with a firm in Spain. I informed him that Deutsche Bank would have to make special arrangements to have this done and in order not to circumvent due process, the bank would have to make a 2.5 % deduction from the funds to cater for banking and statutory charges. He complained about the charges but later came around when I explained to him the complexities of the task he was asking of us, he was more worried about the heavy taxation the European Union might impose and also to avoid dual taxation from European member countries.
Cash movement across borders has become especially strict since the incidents of 9/11. I contacted my affiliate in Spain and had the funds available in mainland Europe. I undertook all the processes and made sure I followed his precise instructions to the letter and had the funds deposited at the Madrid based security consultancy firm, Imperial Asset Management Company. Imperial Asset Management Company is a private firm that accepts deposits from high net worth individuals and blue chip corporations that handle valuable products or undertake transactions that need immediate access to cash. This small and highly private organization is familiar especially to the highly placed and well-connected organizations. In Line with instructions, the money was deposited with Imperial Asset Management Company.
Moser told me he wanted the money there in anticipation of his arrival from Norway later that week. This was the last communication we had, this transpired around 27th September 1997. In June last year, we got a call from Imperial Asset Management Company informing us of the inactivity of that particular portfolio. This was an astounding position as far as I was concerned, given the fact that I was still in the Offshore banking sector I'm the only one other than Tony Dupan who himself is on a year's leave of absence and is now a visiting lecturer at the London School Of Economics still works for the bank as we both served on the sub-committee on Mr. Moser's portfolio initially who knew about the deposit at Imperial Asset Management Company, and I could not understand why Moser had not come forward to claim his deposit. We made futile efforts to locate Moser.
I immediately passed the task of locating him to the internal investigations department of Deutsche Bank. Four days later, information started to trickle in, apparently Moser was dead. A person who suited his description was declared dead of a heart attack in Canne, South of France. We were soon enough able to identify the body and cause of death was confirmed. The bank immediately launched an investigation into possible surviving next of kin to alert about the situation and also to come forward to claim his estate. If you are familiar with Offshore banking affairs, those who patronize our services usually prefer anonymity, but also some levels of detachment from conventional processes.
In his bio-data form, he listed no next of kin. In the field of offshore banking, opening an account with us means no one will know of its existence, accounts are rarely held under a name; depositors use numbers and codes to make the accounts anonymous. This bank also gives the choice to depositors of having their mail sent to them or held at the bank itself, ensuring that there are no traces of the account and as I said, rarely do they nominate next of kin. Offshore Banking clients apart from not nominating next of kin also usually in most cases leave wills in our care, in this case; Moser died interstate. In line with our internal processes for account holders who have passed away, we instituted our own investigations in good faith to determine who should have right to claim the estate.
This investigation has for the past months been unfruitful. We have scanned every continent and used our private investigation affiliate companies to get to the root of the problem. It is this investigation that resulted in my being furnished with your details as a possible relative of the deceased. My official capacity dictates that my department supervises the eventual outcome of the investigation. You had unfortunately declared that you are in no way affiliated with this individual. What this means, you being the last batch of names we had considered, is that our dear late fellow died with no known or identifiable family member. This leaves you as the only person with the full picture of what the prevailing situation is in relation to the deposit and the late beneficiary of the deposit.
According to practice, Imperial Asset Management Company will by the end of this year broadcast a request for statements of claim to Deutsche Bank, failing to receive viable claims they will most probably revert the deposit back to Deutsche Bank. This will result in the money entering the Deutsche Bank accounting system and the portfolio will be out of my hands and out of the Offshore banking division. This will not happen if I have my way. What I wish to relate to you will smack of unethical practice but I want you to understand something. It is only an outsider to the banking world who finds the internal politics of the banking world aberrational.
The world of offshore banking especially is fraught with huge rewards for those who occupy certain offices and oversee certain portfolios. You should have begun by now to put together the general direction of what I propose. There is US$ 19,370, 000.00 deposited in Madrid, I have the deposit details and they will release the deposit to no one unless under directives from my office, as far as Deutsche Bank is concerned, the transaction with Moser concluded when the funds were sent to Spain, All outstanding interactions in relation to the file are just routine and due process. Imperial Asset Management Company has no single idea of what's the history or nature of the deposit.
They are simply awaiting instructions to release the deposit to any party that comes forward as the beneficiary this is the situation. This bank has spent great amounts of money trying to track this manna family; they have investigated for years and have found no family. The investigation had been concluded and closed a while back not until our recent search.
My proposal; you share similar details to the late fellow; I am prepared to place you in a position to instruct Imperial Asset Management Company to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am prepared to share the money with you as the beneficiary that is: I will simply nominate you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you.
You will get 30% of $19.37 million while I take 70%. I would have gone ahead to ask the funds be released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my involvement in claiming the deposit. But on the other hand, you with the same name as the original depositor would easily pass as the beneficiary with right to claim. I assure you that I could have the deposit released to you within a few days no later than 10 business days. I will simply inform the bank of the final closing of the file relating to Moser. I will then officially communicate with Imperial Asset Management Company and instruct them to release the deposit to you. With these two things: all is done.
The alternative would be for us to have Imperial Asset Management Company send the funds to another bank with you as account holder. This way there will be no need for you to think of receiving the money from Imperial Asset Management Company.
We can fine-tune this based on our interactions. I am aware of the consequences of this proposal. I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should reconsider your position. I ask that you do not be too hasty to draw up conclusions as I have put in a lot of effort into this and your role will be only that of a benefactor.
You may not know this but people like myself who have made tidy sums out of comparable situations run the whole Offshore sector and in my profession this is not an uncommon practice as one might think I do not find against good conscience, this may be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics of my industry dictates that I make this move. Such opportunities only come ones way once in a lifetime. We should not let this chance pass us by, for once I find myself in total control of my destiny. I am a family man and this is an opportunity to provide them with new opportunities.
There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth undertaking. I have evaluated the risks and the risks on your side is barely minimal because hundreds of claims are filed everyday at the claims and deposits departments so it's not an unusual practice that may raise eye-brows I am the only one who knows of this situation, good fortune has blessed you with a name that has planted you into the center of relevance in my life.
Let's share the blessing. If you find yourself able to work with me, contact me through this same email account. I do not particularly know you so I would wait on your response to judge your level of transparency and honesty need not you disappear after the money gets into your coffers with a level of understanding between us I will start the initiation of this process towards a conclusion. I do not want you contacting me through my official phone lines nor do I want you contacting me through my official email account, as this transaction will not be done under the clock of my employer.
Contact will be through my personal numbers and also through this email address; same could apply to you if you wish. My official lines are not secure lines as they are periodically monitored to assess our level of customer care in line with our Total Quality Management Policy. A very dear friend of mine and university classmate Mr. Michael Soden of Bank Of Ireland had to quit his job in May when unethical material was found on his office computer during a routine maintenance of his machine and the results of the internal investigation were leaked to the local press seriously denting his career after all the service, good work and sacrifice he had given the industry.
Please observe this instruction religiously. Please, Again, note I am a family man. I have wife and children. I send you this mail not without a measure of doubt as to what the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learnt from my private banking clients.
Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should plan a meeting soon.
I await your response.
Please kindly get to me true my Private contact
+44 702 406 9752
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Mark.
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