When Al Hurra was launched in 2004, I was living in Syria amongst journalists and activists, fighting for freedom and human rights. With great conviction, we believed that this American channel would provide a platform for voices seeking freedom as well as an independent and daring media presence for those who were oppressed in countries lacking a free and independent press. Governments of these countries impose a culture of subordination and silence based on a general ideology that rejects change, freedom, and democracy, while supporting a single prevailing dominant culture.
In the beginning, Al Hurra succeeded in distinguishing itself with its unique programming and news broadcasting. While presenting a positive image of American culture and society to the Middle East, the U.S. was portrayed as the ideal model of democracy and freedom with media that upholds freedom of expression and opinion. By harnessing these ideologies, Al Hurra intended to promote a culture of democracy, human freedoms, and monitoring human rights violations. In doing so, they were met with the countering ideas of authoritarian Arab regimes, who stated that Al Hurra promotes the U.S. agenda to overtake the Arab region. As enemies of democracy and transparency, intellectuals from the Arab regimes propagated this idea. Likewise, religious movements and political Islam spread the same message.
This article presents excerpts from an extensive report on the prospects of Al Hurra in the Middle East according to key voices from the region. This study aims to improve Al Hurra’s performance in order to achieve its mission of democracy and human rights.
Culture of Tyrants
In the Middle East, accepting other’s opinions and respecting opposing perspectives has not been a prevalent part of the culture. The culture of radicalism and authoritarianism has comprised a system which is limited to one narrow point of view that all people are expected to live by. All segments of society are condensed into a single template, whereby culture, intellectuals, and the media all stem from the authority of the person in power, the ruling family, or the military. Consequently, this creates major obstacles for the media that are difficult to break. Given the harsh punishment placed on free speech and democratic views, Al Hurra faced a wall of distorted culture.
How can Al Hurra overcome these obstacles? Writer George Kuten says that Al Hurra should be allowed to operate with more freedom and independence in order to properly convey its messages and gain a following. Writer Kefah Kareem believes that Al Hurra has fallen into the typical style of Arab media. However, journalist Amira Al-Tahawi highlights Al Hurra’s good quality, with periodic coverage of issues concerning public freedoms, economic and social rights, sectarian demonstrations, and protests. Additionally, she spoke highly of the diversity of sources, which enrich the coverage with first-hand accounts rather than what is usually published by traditional media.
Al Hurra’s Programming on Democracy and Human Rights
Al Hurra aims to reflect the humanitarian side of communities and the rights abuses they experience at the hand of regimes and individuals. Thus, the channel outrages governments and their state-sponsored media. Many hidden files, including prison records, torture methods, and cases of exiled individuals, have been exposed to the public, while the daily struggles of the people have been brought to light. Al Hurra also conveys the people’s dreams of freedom and democracy.
In an interview with Syrian activist Ammar Abdulhamid, he suggests that Al Hurra adopts a liberal identity, acting as a platform for liberals:
"There are good programs with positive viewer reception like ‘An Eye on Democracy,’ however, these remain an exception. Al Hurra producers wanted to act as a competitor news network to Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, and other news programs currently operating in official Arab media outlets. However, [Al Hurra was] unable to rely on a clear strategy or vision for the channel, coupled with multiple changes in their administrative structure. In addition, an unprecedented environment of competition was born due an increase in the number of Arabic language news channels with a variety of strategies and frameworks. The Arab citizen is inundated with many options, so unless the channel attracts the right audience and presents a clear perspective—the liberal one in particular—the channel will remain without an identity in an area that has no tolerance for ambiguity."
During its program “Free Hour,” which is an hour-long program devoted to digesting and facing ongoing events in the region, Al Hurra aims to act as a platform for freedom. Despite its great value, the length of the program is insufficient.
Human rights activist Nael Georges Bunni believes that the channel needs to be a source of knowledge to promote a culture of human rights against all forms of tyranny, while addressing all types of regional issues.
Viewers complain about the channel’s lack of depth into communities and their demands for freedom and democracy. Moreover, viewers don’t think the channel meets a high enough standard, considering that it is being broadcasted from a democratic country where freedom of expression is sacred. They had hopes that the channel would serve as a mirror of transparency, reflecting the voices of the people in moments of darkness.
Minority issues
In the Middle East, many minority groups have greatly suffered, have been excluded, and have been denied basic rights under unjust systems that do not recognize their existence. Thus, minority issues have remained absent in Arab media. Al Hurra offers a window of light to minorities.
Novelist Fadila Farouk considers Al Hurra to be a high caliber channel of high quality and standards. She says: “The Arab public is young and exploited by the Islamic and authoritarian media. Al Hurra has to link itself to a larger sector of society by touching on the problems of the Arab street and giving opportunities to real journalists who understand their communities in depth. The channel cannot be a voice for minorities like the Kurds & Amazighs simply because Arabic is the language of Arabs. In the Middle East, Al Hurra faces a hostile attitude toward Americans in general. Arab channels will not give way to an American channel to achieve success in their own backyard. Additionally, some of those responsible for dish cable networks shut down Al Hurra broadcasting according to the desires of certain political movements. This means that Al Hurra is confronting a public that is controlled by political movements that have no desire to understand the simple and gentle American person. If those struggling for freedom are distanced from Al Hurra, how can the concept of freedom and liberty spread amongst people and be promoted in such closed-off communities? People follow Al Manar day and night with non-stop exposure to religious channels during the day and sex channels at night.”
Alternatively, rights activist Azad Diwani rejects the attitude of Al Hurra towards the Kurdish issue for its lack of coverage of human rights issues in the Kurdish regions of Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. The channel, he states, needs courageous cadres with a deep belief in the democratic rights of oppressed minorities and a willingness to build close ties with human rights defenders. However, there are some programs that deserve recognition such as “From Inside Washington: An Eye on Democracy,” which is broadcast in Iraq and “Equality: the Documentary Hour.” Furthermore, Azad adds that it is important to increase the number of episodes about American history and its democratic experience, which will attract more followers, particularly episodes that are aired in English with Arabic subtitles.
Al Hurra and the Arab Spring
As people in the Middle East rose up for freedom and democracy, we found Al Hurra competing with the media for coverage of the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, and trying to be the voice of the Syrian revolution. According to the Kurdish journalist Sirwan Kajjo, “Al Hurra was the leader in broadcasting accurate news, but remained captive to the traditional media. It lacked development and needed the professionalism of western news channels; however, it attracted journalists who were experienced in politics and civil issues.”
Researcher Randa Kassis finds that the power of the media played a vital role in expressing revolutionary voices by exposing the democratic world to the reality of human suffering and the loss of basic rights to life and freedom. Randa states that “the media was like a mirror reflecting the revolutions of oppressed people, to the extent that it succeeded in breaking all taboos and putting an end to the culture that was upheld by tyrannical Arabs who viewed Arab dictators as eternal gods. While [Al Hurra] was considered a platform for revolutionaries, it did not position itself in the same way with regards to the Syrian revolution. In this case, the channel did not try to be the great media vessel of the revolution; instead, it contributed to the development of freedoms. It should overcome all obstacles in its way in order to be a channel for people aspiring for freedom by offering free and transparent programming. It should convey events according to the American media standards.”
Al Hurra can succeed in creating free societies and an independent press and media if it bases its message on a humanitarian mission with transparency and boldness coupled with experienced journalists and press, while becoming the most watched channel in each house in the Middle East and the Arab world. Despite its faults, Al Hurra is an eye on democracy. However, people in the Middle East need it as their eyes to a broader range of words, images, and news stories. They need it to touch on their suffering with professionalism and credibility with more depth into the spirit of the communities that do not trust the politicized Arab media of regimes that are anti-democratic and against the freedom of expression.
Jehad Saleh is a Syrian freelance journalist based in Washington, DC.
In the beginning, Al Hurra succeeded in distinguishing itself with its unique programming and news broadcasting. While presenting a positive image of American culture and society to the Middle East, the U.S. was portrayed as the ideal model of democracy and freedom with media that upholds freedom of expression and opinion. By harnessing these ideologies, Al Hurra intended to promote a culture of democracy, human freedoms, and monitoring human rights violations. In doing so, they were met with the countering ideas of authoritarian Arab regimes, who stated that Al Hurra promotes the U.S. agenda to overtake the Arab region. As enemies of democracy and transparency, intellectuals from the Arab regimes propagated this idea. Likewise, religious movements and political Islam spread the same message.
This article presents excerpts from an extensive report on the prospects of Al Hurra in the Middle East according to key voices from the region. This study aims to improve Al Hurra’s performance in order to achieve its mission of democracy and human rights.
Culture of Tyrants
In the Middle East, accepting other’s opinions and respecting opposing perspectives has not been a prevalent part of the culture. The culture of radicalism and authoritarianism has comprised a system which is limited to one narrow point of view that all people are expected to live by. All segments of society are condensed into a single template, whereby culture, intellectuals, and the media all stem from the authority of the person in power, the ruling family, or the military. Consequently, this creates major obstacles for the media that are difficult to break. Given the harsh punishment placed on free speech and democratic views, Al Hurra faced a wall of distorted culture.
How can Al Hurra overcome these obstacles? Writer George Kuten says that Al Hurra should be allowed to operate with more freedom and independence in order to properly convey its messages and gain a following. Writer Kefah Kareem believes that Al Hurra has fallen into the typical style of Arab media. However, journalist Amira Al-Tahawi highlights Al Hurra’s good quality, with periodic coverage of issues concerning public freedoms, economic and social rights, sectarian demonstrations, and protests. Additionally, she spoke highly of the diversity of sources, which enrich the coverage with first-hand accounts rather than what is usually published by traditional media.
Al Hurra’s Programming on Democracy and Human Rights
Al Hurra aims to reflect the humanitarian side of communities and the rights abuses they experience at the hand of regimes and individuals. Thus, the channel outrages governments and their state-sponsored media. Many hidden files, including prison records, torture methods, and cases of exiled individuals, have been exposed to the public, while the daily struggles of the people have been brought to light. Al Hurra also conveys the people’s dreams of freedom and democracy.
In an interview with Syrian activist Ammar Abdulhamid, he suggests that Al Hurra adopts a liberal identity, acting as a platform for liberals:
"There are good programs with positive viewer reception like ‘An Eye on Democracy,’ however, these remain an exception. Al Hurra producers wanted to act as a competitor news network to Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, and other news programs currently operating in official Arab media outlets. However, [Al Hurra was] unable to rely on a clear strategy or vision for the channel, coupled with multiple changes in their administrative structure. In addition, an unprecedented environment of competition was born due an increase in the number of Arabic language news channels with a variety of strategies and frameworks. The Arab citizen is inundated with many options, so unless the channel attracts the right audience and presents a clear perspective—the liberal one in particular—the channel will remain without an identity in an area that has no tolerance for ambiguity."
During its program “Free Hour,” which is an hour-long program devoted to digesting and facing ongoing events in the region, Al Hurra aims to act as a platform for freedom. Despite its great value, the length of the program is insufficient.
Human rights activist Nael Georges Bunni believes that the channel needs to be a source of knowledge to promote a culture of human rights against all forms of tyranny, while addressing all types of regional issues.
Viewers complain about the channel’s lack of depth into communities and their demands for freedom and democracy. Moreover, viewers don’t think the channel meets a high enough standard, considering that it is being broadcasted from a democratic country where freedom of expression is sacred. They had hopes that the channel would serve as a mirror of transparency, reflecting the voices of the people in moments of darkness.
Minority issues
In the Middle East, many minority groups have greatly suffered, have been excluded, and have been denied basic rights under unjust systems that do not recognize their existence. Thus, minority issues have remained absent in Arab media. Al Hurra offers a window of light to minorities.
Novelist Fadila Farouk considers Al Hurra to be a high caliber channel of high quality and standards. She says: “The Arab public is young and exploited by the Islamic and authoritarian media. Al Hurra has to link itself to a larger sector of society by touching on the problems of the Arab street and giving opportunities to real journalists who understand their communities in depth. The channel cannot be a voice for minorities like the Kurds & Amazighs simply because Arabic is the language of Arabs. In the Middle East, Al Hurra faces a hostile attitude toward Americans in general. Arab channels will not give way to an American channel to achieve success in their own backyard. Additionally, some of those responsible for dish cable networks shut down Al Hurra broadcasting according to the desires of certain political movements. This means that Al Hurra is confronting a public that is controlled by political movements that have no desire to understand the simple and gentle American person. If those struggling for freedom are distanced from Al Hurra, how can the concept of freedom and liberty spread amongst people and be promoted in such closed-off communities? People follow Al Manar day and night with non-stop exposure to religious channels during the day and sex channels at night.”
Alternatively, rights activist Azad Diwani rejects the attitude of Al Hurra towards the Kurdish issue for its lack of coverage of human rights issues in the Kurdish regions of Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. The channel, he states, needs courageous cadres with a deep belief in the democratic rights of oppressed minorities and a willingness to build close ties with human rights defenders. However, there are some programs that deserve recognition such as “From Inside Washington: An Eye on Democracy,” which is broadcast in Iraq and “Equality: the Documentary Hour.” Furthermore, Azad adds that it is important to increase the number of episodes about American history and its democratic experience, which will attract more followers, particularly episodes that are aired in English with Arabic subtitles.
Al Hurra and the Arab Spring
As people in the Middle East rose up for freedom and democracy, we found Al Hurra competing with the media for coverage of the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, and trying to be the voice of the Syrian revolution. According to the Kurdish journalist Sirwan Kajjo, “Al Hurra was the leader in broadcasting accurate news, but remained captive to the traditional media. It lacked development and needed the professionalism of western news channels; however, it attracted journalists who were experienced in politics and civil issues.”
Researcher Randa Kassis finds that the power of the media played a vital role in expressing revolutionary voices by exposing the democratic world to the reality of human suffering and the loss of basic rights to life and freedom. Randa states that “the media was like a mirror reflecting the revolutions of oppressed people, to the extent that it succeeded in breaking all taboos and putting an end to the culture that was upheld by tyrannical Arabs who viewed Arab dictators as eternal gods. While [Al Hurra] was considered a platform for revolutionaries, it did not position itself in the same way with regards to the Syrian revolution. In this case, the channel did not try to be the great media vessel of the revolution; instead, it contributed to the development of freedoms. It should overcome all obstacles in its way in order to be a channel for people aspiring for freedom by offering free and transparent programming. It should convey events according to the American media standards.”
Al Hurra can succeed in creating free societies and an independent press and media if it bases its message on a humanitarian mission with transparency and boldness coupled with experienced journalists and press, while becoming the most watched channel in each house in the Middle East and the Arab world. Despite its faults, Al Hurra is an eye on democracy. However, people in the Middle East need it as their eyes to a broader range of words, images, and news stories. They need it to touch on their suffering with professionalism and credibility with more depth into the spirit of the communities that do not trust the politicized Arab media of regimes that are anti-democratic and against the freedom of expression.
Jehad Saleh is a Syrian freelance journalist based in Washington, DC.
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