YEMEN: Editor jailed for one year over Prophet cartoons
Committee to Protect Journalists
New York, November 28, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the one-year jail sentence handed down to a Yemeni editor for reprinting Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. A court in the capital Sana’a sentenced Kamal al-Aalafi, editor-in-chief of the Arabic-language weekly Al-Rai Al-Aam, on November 26. It also banned him from practicing journalism for six months after he leaves prison, and it suspended his newspaper for six months.
Three other Yemeni journalists are on trial for reprinting the cartoons in February.
Al-Aalafi was taken to prison after the hearing but released eight hours later on bail pending
appeal.
“We are deeply troubled by this harsh sentence,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said.
“Journalists should never be imprisoned for what they publish. While we recognize these cartoons may have caused offense, there can be no justification for jailing a journalist because of what he published. We trust that the court of appeals with dismiss this conviction of Kamal al-Aalafi.”
According to CPJ research and local news reports, al-Aalafi published the cartoons to accompany articles saying how offensive the caricatures were to Muslims.
The cartoon controversy began in September 2005 when the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten published 12 caricatures of Muhammad, one of them depicting the Prophet wearing a bomb-shaped turban with a lit fuse. The publication caused anger in the Muslim world, where many consider depictions of Muhammad to be blasphemous. The cartoons gained increased attention after they were reprinted in the January 10 edition of Magazinet, a small Christian evangelical weekly based in Norway.
Yemeni authorities filed criminal charges against three other journalists in February for republishing the drawings: Abdulkarim Sabra, managing editor and publisher of Al-Hurriya Ahliya; Yehiya al-Abed, a journalist for Al-Hurriya Ahliya; and Mohammed al-Asaadi, editor-in-chief of the English-language Yemen Observer. A Sana’a court is expected to issue its verdict in the Yemen Observer case on December 6 and a decision in the Al-Hurriya case is expected mid-December, according to local news reports.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Committee to Protect Journalists330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.orghttp://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
CPJ Criticizes Yemen Daily
YEMEN: Official daily smears award-winning editor
Committee to Protect Journalists
New York, November 28, 2006—Yemen’s leading state-run newspaper Al-Thawra attacked independent editor Jamal Amer upon his return from the United States where he received the Committee to Protect Journalists 2006 International Press Freedom Award.
The daily ran a front-page article on November 26 suggesting that he was a U.S. agent and warning of possible legal action in response to his critical coverage of neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The article accused Amer and his independent weekly Al-Wasat of harming Yemen’s ties with Saudi Arabia and accused him of collaborating with U.S. intelligence. The attack appeared to be in response to Al-Wasat’s republication earlier this month of an article by former CIA case officer Robert Baer in Atlantic Monthly. Baer wrote that the ruling House of Saud was in danger of collapse.
The Al-Thawra article, titled “In whose interest the targeting of Yemeni-Saudi relations?” said that “The bad intention behind the publication of such an article and who is likely to benefit from it are no secret to anybody; particularly when we know that the editor of Al Wasat is currently visiting the USA and enjoying the care of …some Americans known for their closeness to the intelligence services.”
Al-Thawra accused Amer of working on behalf of unnamed individuals to undermine Saudi-Yemeni relations. The paper also appeared to threaten legal reprisals against Al-Wasat. “What you are doing is being denounced and disapproved by the Yemeni people because it stems from frivolous, extremist, and irresponsible behavior. This kind of behavior would lead you to be accountable before the law because you are breaking the law and hurting the interests of the nation,” the paper stated.
“We are concerned by this verbal assault in a state-run newspaper on our colleague Jamal Amer,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Given the political reality in Yemen publishing these unsubstantiated allegations and innuendo is tantamount to a threat.”
Established by Amer in 2004, Al-Wasat has aggressively reported on corruption, religious militancy, and other sensitive political issues in Yemen. In August 2005, Amer was seized by four men believed to be security agents and held for six hours. The assailants beat him, accused him of being paid by the U.S. and Kuwaiti governments, and warned him about defaming "officials." The men drove a blindfolded Amer to the top of a mountain, where they threatened to kill him. The attack followed an explosive Al-Wasat’s expose which fingered a number of government officials who had misused state scholarships to send their children to study abroad.
Amer has previously run afoul of Yemeni officials because of his criticism of Saudi Arabia. Before establishing Al-Wasat in 2004, Amer worked as a journalist for the opposition weekly Al-Wahdawi and was convicted of harming the public interest, offending King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and damaging relations between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. A court once banned Amer from working as a journalist altogether.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Committee to Protect Journalists330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.orghttp://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
Committee to Protect Journalists
New York, November 28, 2006—Yemen’s leading state-run newspaper Al-Thawra attacked independent editor Jamal Amer upon his return from the United States where he received the Committee to Protect Journalists 2006 International Press Freedom Award.
The daily ran a front-page article on November 26 suggesting that he was a U.S. agent and warning of possible legal action in response to his critical coverage of neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The article accused Amer and his independent weekly Al-Wasat of harming Yemen’s ties with Saudi Arabia and accused him of collaborating with U.S. intelligence. The attack appeared to be in response to Al-Wasat’s republication earlier this month of an article by former CIA case officer Robert Baer in Atlantic Monthly. Baer wrote that the ruling House of Saud was in danger of collapse.
The Al-Thawra article, titled “In whose interest the targeting of Yemeni-Saudi relations?” said that “The bad intention behind the publication of such an article and who is likely to benefit from it are no secret to anybody; particularly when we know that the editor of Al Wasat is currently visiting the USA and enjoying the care of …some Americans known for their closeness to the intelligence services.”
Al-Thawra accused Amer of working on behalf of unnamed individuals to undermine Saudi-Yemeni relations. The paper also appeared to threaten legal reprisals against Al-Wasat. “What you are doing is being denounced and disapproved by the Yemeni people because it stems from frivolous, extremist, and irresponsible behavior. This kind of behavior would lead you to be accountable before the law because you are breaking the law and hurting the interests of the nation,” the paper stated.
“We are concerned by this verbal assault in a state-run newspaper on our colleague Jamal Amer,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Given the political reality in Yemen publishing these unsubstantiated allegations and innuendo is tantamount to a threat.”
Established by Amer in 2004, Al-Wasat has aggressively reported on corruption, religious militancy, and other sensitive political issues in Yemen. In August 2005, Amer was seized by four men believed to be security agents and held for six hours. The assailants beat him, accused him of being paid by the U.S. and Kuwaiti governments, and warned him about defaming "officials." The men drove a blindfolded Amer to the top of a mountain, where they threatened to kill him. The attack followed an explosive Al-Wasat’s expose which fingered a number of government officials who had misused state scholarships to send their children to study abroad.
Amer has previously run afoul of Yemeni officials because of his criticism of Saudi Arabia. Before establishing Al-Wasat in 2004, Amer worked as a journalist for the opposition weekly Al-Wahdawi and was convicted of harming the public interest, offending King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and damaging relations between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. A court once banned Amer from working as a journalist altogether.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.
Committee to Protect Journalists330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.orghttp://www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
TIKKUN Magazine seeks Managing Editor
Managing Editor Job at Tikkun
Job: Managing Editor at Tikkun MagazineThe Managing Editor is a major player in shaping Tikkun magazine and the Network of Spiritual Progressives/Tikkun Community, working closely with the editor in chief and C.E.O. of the magazine, Rabbi Michael Lerner.
Tikkun began as a “progressive alternative Commentary magazine and the voices of Jewish conservatism,” but it has evolved toward a culturally inclusive interfaith expression of spiritual politics, and we are seeking to strengthen that interfaith aspect. Our readers and our writers are not only Jewish. We are looking for someone whose interests include the Christian world and Christianity, as well as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and various other worldviews (e.g. Marxism, psychoanalysis, feminism, etc.).
We need someone who is extremely educated, motivated, interested in the study and practice of religions, progressive social theory, and culture, talented both as an editor and in working with others, and someone committed to the vision of Tikkun articulated in Rabbi Lerner’s book The Left Hand of God. You should also read the Core Vision at www.tikkun.org/core_vision and Rabbi Lerner’s editorial about Tikkun in the current issue (Nov/Dec, 2006).
Prior experience in magazine publishing would be very useful, though we’ve also over the twenty years of existence found excellent editors who were formerly college professors, lawyers, writers, psychologists, and even once we hired someone very good who had only been a graduate student previously. Our ideal candidate should be well-versed in both the editorial and business management of an independent periodical, and can seamlessly multitask between these responsibilities. But someone absolutely brilliant, well versed in contemporary social theory/politics/religion/spirituality/and contemoporary intellectual debates and significant writers, someone talented, and with unlimited energy, charm and sense of humor and commitment to the vision of The Left Hand of God could do this work very well—even if that person had not previously done this specific kind of work—might be able to convince us that s/he was the best candidate.
The Managing Editor’s position requires a full energy commitment that includes activist work, specifically, building Tikkun as a major intellectual force and building the Network of Spiritual Progressives as a force for social change and healing. You will be required to represent and promote the magazine and to widen our impact in the intellectual, political, academic and religious worlds. A person seeking to become known as a public intellectual would be fine, as long as s/he is fully aware that this work involves also tedious line editing and outreach, work in developing each issue with a part-time designer, work in coordination with our printer and distributor, an ability to see the big picture and come up with innovative and smart ways to advance our ideas, the magazine, and our organization. Working with Tikkun is not just a job—it is a life commitment, a cause, a movement, a way of actualizing one’s highest values, so people who want a normal job or who have strong commitments outside of work that would make it hard to attend evening meetings, weekend conferences, or travel for the magazine should not bother to apply.This job is an amazing opportunity to serve God and advance the cause of building a world of love and kindness, generosity aand love, ecological sanity and ethical vision--and to develop your capacity for compassion (because none of us at Tikkun fully lives up to our own highest values, and all of us are flawed in various ways that are at once both exciting and heart-breakingly disappointing because wouldn't it be great if people were able to be as wonderful as their own ideals? So compassion is the key to surviving in this kind of work.)
The Managing Editor must live in the San Francisco Bay Area and appear each day at our office in Berkeley. The pay is good for the sphere of non-profit publishing (though you could make a lot more in the private sector), and includes benefits. Salary depends on years of relevant experience.
Please send a self-revealing letter talking about your own intellectual and spiritual development, your strengths and weaknesses, your professional experience and your educational background, why this job would be perfect for you and what about it might be difficult as well. Please also include a page about your own relationship to the ideas and approach of the Network of Spiritual Progressives (www.spiritualprogressives.org ) including the Q&A about our organization, the Spiritual Covenant with America, and your reaction to the vision in The Left Hand of God.
Also send a normal curriculum vita and a list of people (and phone numbers/email addresses) to whom you invite us to turn for recommendations.
If you wish to send a dvd or video tape of yourself, do it by addressing the questions raised above, and also give five-ten minutes of a talk in which you are speaking to a room full of people who have never heard of Tikkun or the Network of Spiritual Progressives and your task is to convince them that there is something exciting here that they should check out, or even consider joining or subscribing. But this video or dvd is not necessary at this stage in the process, and in any event cannot be a substitute for writing a self-revealing letter, since we need to know how you write and see that aspect of your competence.
Applications To: Adina@tikkun.org or to Adina c/o Tikkun, 951 Cragmont Ave, Berkeley, Ca. 94708.
Job: Managing Editor at Tikkun MagazineThe Managing Editor is a major player in shaping Tikkun magazine and the Network of Spiritual Progressives/Tikkun Community, working closely with the editor in chief and C.E.O. of the magazine, Rabbi Michael Lerner.
Tikkun began as a “progressive alternative Commentary magazine and the voices of Jewish conservatism,” but it has evolved toward a culturally inclusive interfaith expression of spiritual politics, and we are seeking to strengthen that interfaith aspect. Our readers and our writers are not only Jewish. We are looking for someone whose interests include the Christian world and Christianity, as well as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and various other worldviews (e.g. Marxism, psychoanalysis, feminism, etc.).
We need someone who is extremely educated, motivated, interested in the study and practice of religions, progressive social theory, and culture, talented both as an editor and in working with others, and someone committed to the vision of Tikkun articulated in Rabbi Lerner’s book The Left Hand of God. You should also read the Core Vision at www.tikkun.org/core_vision and Rabbi Lerner’s editorial about Tikkun in the current issue (Nov/Dec, 2006).
Prior experience in magazine publishing would be very useful, though we’ve also over the twenty years of existence found excellent editors who were formerly college professors, lawyers, writers, psychologists, and even once we hired someone very good who had only been a graduate student previously. Our ideal candidate should be well-versed in both the editorial and business management of an independent periodical, and can seamlessly multitask between these responsibilities. But someone absolutely brilliant, well versed in contemporary social theory/politics/religion/spirituality/and contemoporary intellectual debates and significant writers, someone talented, and with unlimited energy, charm and sense of humor and commitment to the vision of The Left Hand of God could do this work very well—even if that person had not previously done this specific kind of work—might be able to convince us that s/he was the best candidate.
The Managing Editor’s position requires a full energy commitment that includes activist work, specifically, building Tikkun as a major intellectual force and building the Network of Spiritual Progressives as a force for social change and healing. You will be required to represent and promote the magazine and to widen our impact in the intellectual, political, academic and religious worlds. A person seeking to become known as a public intellectual would be fine, as long as s/he is fully aware that this work involves also tedious line editing and outreach, work in developing each issue with a part-time designer, work in coordination with our printer and distributor, an ability to see the big picture and come up with innovative and smart ways to advance our ideas, the magazine, and our organization. Working with Tikkun is not just a job—it is a life commitment, a cause, a movement, a way of actualizing one’s highest values, so people who want a normal job or who have strong commitments outside of work that would make it hard to attend evening meetings, weekend conferences, or travel for the magazine should not bother to apply.This job is an amazing opportunity to serve God and advance the cause of building a world of love and kindness, generosity aand love, ecological sanity and ethical vision--and to develop your capacity for compassion (because none of us at Tikkun fully lives up to our own highest values, and all of us are flawed in various ways that are at once both exciting and heart-breakingly disappointing because wouldn't it be great if people were able to be as wonderful as their own ideals? So compassion is the key to surviving in this kind of work.)
The Managing Editor must live in the San Francisco Bay Area and appear each day at our office in Berkeley. The pay is good for the sphere of non-profit publishing (though you could make a lot more in the private sector), and includes benefits. Salary depends on years of relevant experience.
Please send a self-revealing letter talking about your own intellectual and spiritual development, your strengths and weaknesses, your professional experience and your educational background, why this job would be perfect for you and what about it might be difficult as well. Please also include a page about your own relationship to the ideas and approach of the Network of Spiritual Progressives (www.spiritualprogressives.org ) including the Q&A about our organization, the Spiritual Covenant with America, and your reaction to the vision in The Left Hand of God.
Also send a normal curriculum vita and a list of people (and phone numbers/email addresses) to whom you invite us to turn for recommendations.
If you wish to send a dvd or video tape of yourself, do it by addressing the questions raised above, and also give five-ten minutes of a talk in which you are speaking to a room full of people who have never heard of Tikkun or the Network of Spiritual Progressives and your task is to convince them that there is something exciting here that they should check out, or even consider joining or subscribing. But this video or dvd is not necessary at this stage in the process, and in any event cannot be a substitute for writing a self-revealing letter, since we need to know how you write and see that aspect of your competence.
Applications To: Adina@tikkun.org or to Adina c/o Tikkun, 951 Cragmont Ave, Berkeley, Ca. 94708.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Broadcast job announcement Oakland, CA
Institute for Middle East Understanding
Broadcast Media Specialist Job Announcement
BackgroundThe Institute for Middle East Understanding (www.imeu.net) is anindependent, Oakland, CA-based, non-profit organization formed to address asignificant gap in Americans' understanding of Palestine, the Palestiniansand related events. The IMEU works closely with journalists to supplyarticulate sources, reliable information and compelling experts.
The IMEU was formed by a team of business, communications and mediaprofessionals who are using the skills they honed in the corporate world tomake the IMEU as professional, efficient and effective as any for-profitcompany.IMEU Seeks Broadcast Media Specialist
The IMEU seeks a bright, articulate, and dedicated Broadcast MediaSpecialist to help the Institute become the most respected resource forjournalists covering Palestine, the Palestinians and related events. This position will work closely with IMEU's Communications and Development Director. Approximately 25 percent of this person's time will be devoted to fundraising support.The responsibilities of the Broadcast Media Specialist include:Broadcast Media Efforts:* Coordinate media requests* Proactively suggest stories* Monitor broadcast media coverage* Maintain an accurate media list* Assist in cultivating sources* Maintain IMEU media results portfolio* Assist with the development of media and communications plansFundraising Activities:* Assist in ongoing fundraising work, including newsletter productionand dissemination, mail appeals, events planning and organization, thank youletters and donor recognition* Coordinate the submission of foundation proposals* Maintain an error-free donor database* Assist with the development of fundraising plansRequired Qualifications* Bachelor's degree or above* Knowledge of Palestinian history, politics and culture* Excellent written and oral communication skills* Keen attention to detail* Ability to juggle multiple projects* Effective at both team and self-directed work* Proficient in Microsoft Office* Positive attitude and a sense of humor
How to Apply
Please send resume and writing sample to:
IMEU436 14th Street, #1312Oakland,
CA 94612
or by email to: info@imeu.
Broadcast Media Specialist Job Announcement
BackgroundThe Institute for Middle East Understanding (www.imeu.net) is anindependent, Oakland, CA-based, non-profit organization formed to address asignificant gap in Americans' understanding of Palestine, the Palestiniansand related events. The IMEU works closely with journalists to supplyarticulate sources, reliable information and compelling experts.
The IMEU was formed by a team of business, communications and mediaprofessionals who are using the skills they honed in the corporate world tomake the IMEU as professional, efficient and effective as any for-profitcompany.IMEU Seeks Broadcast Media Specialist
The IMEU seeks a bright, articulate, and dedicated Broadcast MediaSpecialist to help the Institute become the most respected resource forjournalists covering Palestine, the Palestinians and related events. This position will work closely with IMEU's Communications and Development Director. Approximately 25 percent of this person's time will be devoted to fundraising support.The responsibilities of the Broadcast Media Specialist include:Broadcast Media Efforts:* Coordinate media requests* Proactively suggest stories* Monitor broadcast media coverage* Maintain an accurate media list* Assist in cultivating sources* Maintain IMEU media results portfolio* Assist with the development of media and communications plansFundraising Activities:* Assist in ongoing fundraising work, including newsletter productionand dissemination, mail appeals, events planning and organization, thank youletters and donor recognition* Coordinate the submission of foundation proposals* Maintain an error-free donor database* Assist with the development of fundraising plansRequired Qualifications* Bachelor's degree or above* Knowledge of Palestinian history, politics and culture* Excellent written and oral communication skills* Keen attention to detail* Ability to juggle multiple projects* Effective at both team and self-directed work* Proficient in Microsoft Office* Positive attitude and a sense of humor
How to Apply
Please send resume and writing sample to:
IMEU436 14th Street, #1312Oakland,
CA 94612
or by email to: info@imeu.
Friday, November 17, 2006
CPJ awards Media honors
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
Web: www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright E-mail: awright@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x105
CPJ INTRODUCES 2006 PRESS FREEDOM AWARD WINNERS IN WASHINGTON
Washington, November 17, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists introduced its 2006 International Press Freedom Award winners at a press conference at the National Press Club today. The journalists, from Colombia, Yemen, and the Gambia, will be honored along with a slain colleague from Iraq at an awards ceremony on Tuesday in New York. The event also marks CPJ’s 25th anniversary.
Jesús Abad Colorado of Colombia, Jamal Amer of Yemen, and Madi Ceesay of the Gambia have risked their lives to report the news, withstanding attacks, harassment, and imprisonment. CPJ will posthumously honor Atwar Bahjat, correspondent for Al-Arabiya satellite television and former reporter for Al-Jazeera, who was gunned down while covering a bombing near Samarra in February.
Ceesay, Amer, and Colorado spoke today about the difficulties they face in their home countries. The media in the tiny West African country of the Gambia have endured a spate of arson attacks, detentions, and intimidation, Ceesay said. “We have gone through what I would call hell,” he added.
Colorado, the first photographer to receive CPJ’s award, said “photography can be a way of speaking in a country where the word can be dangerous.” Even so, Colorado has been abducted twice by guerrillas.
“These reporters are an inspiration to all who practice journalism,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “In an era when foreign correspondents face terrible risks, local journalists like our award winners face an even higher level of danger. They are driven by a powerful and innate desire to know, to understand, and to tell. In that sense, they are serving not only their countries but all of us who care about the world.”
Jesús Abad Colorado, is a freelance photographer who has witnessed some of the most violent clashes in Colombia’s civil war, capturing powerful images of human rights abuses perpetrated by all sides in the conflict. As a provincial journalist, Colorado knows the adversity faced by colleagues in strife-ridden areas outside the capital, where journalists routinely face threats of reprisal from guerrillas, paramilitaries, and local authorities. Colorado, whose work is widely published in Colombia, has displayed great bravery and determination in reporting from the front line. He was kidnapped twice by leftist guerrillas; in one case, in October 2000, guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) abducted Colorado at a roadblock and held him for two days.
Colorado won acclaim for his work in the aftermath of a massacre in the town of San José de Apartadó in February 2005. His news account and photographs, published in the national daily El Tiempo, pointed to military involvement in the massacre and a pattern of close military-paramilitary cooperation in the region. Colorado says his photographs tell a story of despair and serve as witness to people’s resilience.
Jamal Amer is the courageous editor of one of Yemen’s most independent weeklies, Al-Wasat. His reporting on corruption, religious militancy, and sensitive political issues has triggered a number of frightening threats and attacks. In August 2005, he was seized by four men believed to be security agents and held for six hours. The assailants beat him, accused him of being paid by the U.S. and Kuwaiti governments, and warned him about defaming "officials." The men drove a blindfolded Amer to the top of a mountain, where they threatened to shoot him. His abduction shocked Yemeni journalists, who took it as an explicit warning against the sort of enterprising journalism that had been a mark of Al-Wasat. Just days before Amer’s kidnapping, the paper ran a daring story alleging that several government officials were exploiting state scholarships to send their own children to study abroad. This year, pro-government newspapers have accused Amer of being an agent of the West, and his family has been subjected to government surveillance.
Madi Ceesay is a veteran independent journalist from the Gambia who has suffered attacks and imprisonment for his work. He is also a leading press freedom activist, serving as president of the Gambia Press Union, which has headed efforts to fight impunity in attacks on the press, including the unsolved December 2004 murder of prominent newspaper editor Deyda Hydara.
In 2006, Ceesay took over as general manager of The Independent, a leading private paper that has suffered frequent official harassment and two unsolved arson attacks. In March, security forces sealed off The Independent’s offices and detained staff after the paper published critical articles about a purported coup attempt. Ceesay and Editor Musa Saidykhan were held for three weeks without charge by the National Intelligence Agency. Before joining The Independent, Ceesay worked for 10 years for the respected independent weekly Gambia News and Report, first as a reporter and then as its deputy editor.
Atwar Bahjat, correspondent for Al-Arabiya and one of the best known war reporters in the Arab world, was murdered in Iraq in February along with her freelance cameraman, Khaled Mahmoud al-Falahi, and engineer, Adnan Khairallah. Her bullet-riddled body was found near Samarra a day after the station lost contact with the crew. At the time of her death, Bahjat was on the outskirts of Samarra covering the bombing of the Shiite shrine Askariya, known as the Golden Mosque. A witness said her murderers drove up suddenly and sought out the television “presenter” to be killed.
Bahjat, a 30-year-old Iraqi, had just joined Al-Arabiya after working as a correspondent for Al-Jazeera since 2003. She had previously worked for Iraqi TV under Saddam Hussein. She was known as a dogged street reporter who knew well the hardships endured by Iraqi reporters. In the course of her work, Bahjat received several death threats and survived a roadside bomb that destroyed her car, none of which deterred her from reporting. “She always liked to be a reporter in the field,” recalled Al-Jazeera news anchor M’hamed Krichene who worked with her in Baghdad.
The awards will be presented at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York on Tuesday, November 21. Robert A. Iger, president and chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company, and John S. Carroll, Knight visiting lecturer at the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University, are co-chairmen of the black-tie event. CNN Chief International Correspondent and CPJ board member Christiane Amanpour will be the host.
For more information about the award winners, and for information about CPJ’s work or CPJ, visit our Web site at www.cpj.org or call 212-465-1004 x105.
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
Web: www.cpj.org Contact: Abi Wright E-mail: awright@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x105
CPJ INTRODUCES 2006 PRESS FREEDOM AWARD WINNERS IN WASHINGTON
Washington, November 17, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists introduced its 2006 International Press Freedom Award winners at a press conference at the National Press Club today. The journalists, from Colombia, Yemen, and the Gambia, will be honored along with a slain colleague from Iraq at an awards ceremony on Tuesday in New York. The event also marks CPJ’s 25th anniversary.
Jesús Abad Colorado of Colombia, Jamal Amer of Yemen, and Madi Ceesay of the Gambia have risked their lives to report the news, withstanding attacks, harassment, and imprisonment. CPJ will posthumously honor Atwar Bahjat, correspondent for Al-Arabiya satellite television and former reporter for Al-Jazeera, who was gunned down while covering a bombing near Samarra in February.
Ceesay, Amer, and Colorado spoke today about the difficulties they face in their home countries. The media in the tiny West African country of the Gambia have endured a spate of arson attacks, detentions, and intimidation, Ceesay said. “We have gone through what I would call hell,” he added.
Colorado, the first photographer to receive CPJ’s award, said “photography can be a way of speaking in a country where the word can be dangerous.” Even so, Colorado has been abducted twice by guerrillas.
“These reporters are an inspiration to all who practice journalism,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “In an era when foreign correspondents face terrible risks, local journalists like our award winners face an even higher level of danger. They are driven by a powerful and innate desire to know, to understand, and to tell. In that sense, they are serving not only their countries but all of us who care about the world.”
Jesús Abad Colorado, is a freelance photographer who has witnessed some of the most violent clashes in Colombia’s civil war, capturing powerful images of human rights abuses perpetrated by all sides in the conflict. As a provincial journalist, Colorado knows the adversity faced by colleagues in strife-ridden areas outside the capital, where journalists routinely face threats of reprisal from guerrillas, paramilitaries, and local authorities. Colorado, whose work is widely published in Colombia, has displayed great bravery and determination in reporting from the front line. He was kidnapped twice by leftist guerrillas; in one case, in October 2000, guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) abducted Colorado at a roadblock and held him for two days.
Colorado won acclaim for his work in the aftermath of a massacre in the town of San José de Apartadó in February 2005. His news account and photographs, published in the national daily El Tiempo, pointed to military involvement in the massacre and a pattern of close military-paramilitary cooperation in the region. Colorado says his photographs tell a story of despair and serve as witness to people’s resilience.
Jamal Amer is the courageous editor of one of Yemen’s most independent weeklies, Al-Wasat. His reporting on corruption, religious militancy, and sensitive political issues has triggered a number of frightening threats and attacks. In August 2005, he was seized by four men believed to be security agents and held for six hours. The assailants beat him, accused him of being paid by the U.S. and Kuwaiti governments, and warned him about defaming "officials." The men drove a blindfolded Amer to the top of a mountain, where they threatened to shoot him. His abduction shocked Yemeni journalists, who took it as an explicit warning against the sort of enterprising journalism that had been a mark of Al-Wasat. Just days before Amer’s kidnapping, the paper ran a daring story alleging that several government officials were exploiting state scholarships to send their own children to study abroad. This year, pro-government newspapers have accused Amer of being an agent of the West, and his family has been subjected to government surveillance.
Madi Ceesay is a veteran independent journalist from the Gambia who has suffered attacks and imprisonment for his work. He is also a leading press freedom activist, serving as president of the Gambia Press Union, which has headed efforts to fight impunity in attacks on the press, including the unsolved December 2004 murder of prominent newspaper editor Deyda Hydara.
In 2006, Ceesay took over as general manager of The Independent, a leading private paper that has suffered frequent official harassment and two unsolved arson attacks. In March, security forces sealed off The Independent’s offices and detained staff after the paper published critical articles about a purported coup attempt. Ceesay and Editor Musa Saidykhan were held for three weeks without charge by the National Intelligence Agency. Before joining The Independent, Ceesay worked for 10 years for the respected independent weekly Gambia News and Report, first as a reporter and then as its deputy editor.
Atwar Bahjat, correspondent for Al-Arabiya and one of the best known war reporters in the Arab world, was murdered in Iraq in February along with her freelance cameraman, Khaled Mahmoud al-Falahi, and engineer, Adnan Khairallah. Her bullet-riddled body was found near Samarra a day after the station lost contact with the crew. At the time of her death, Bahjat was on the outskirts of Samarra covering the bombing of the Shiite shrine Askariya, known as the Golden Mosque. A witness said her murderers drove up suddenly and sought out the television “presenter” to be killed.
Bahjat, a 30-year-old Iraqi, had just joined Al-Arabiya after working as a correspondent for Al-Jazeera since 2003. She had previously worked for Iraqi TV under Saddam Hussein. She was known as a dogged street reporter who knew well the hardships endured by Iraqi reporters. In the course of her work, Bahjat received several death threats and survived a roadside bomb that destroyed her car, none of which deterred her from reporting. “She always liked to be a reporter in the field,” recalled Al-Jazeera news anchor M’hamed Krichene who worked with her in Baghdad.
The awards will be presented at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York on Tuesday, November 21. Robert A. Iger, president and chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company, and John S. Carroll, Knight visiting lecturer at the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University, are co-chairmen of the black-tie event. CNN Chief International Correspondent and CPJ board member Christiane Amanpour will be the host.
For more information about the award winners, and for information about CPJ’s work or CPJ, visit our Web site at www.cpj.org or call 212-465-1004 x105.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Background on al-Jazeera TV's Listening Post segment
Al Jazeera International launches its English language news program Nov. 15. A major component will be "Listening Post" which features video blogs from independent journalists around the world.
Here's some background on it and its director, former ABC TV reporter Richard Gizbert:
(Qatar: Tuesday, April 04 - 2006 at 10:32 ) Al Jazeera International unveils media strand and announces Richard Gizbert as presenter
Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, today announced plans for their reporting world media review programme Listening Post and confirmed former ABC news journalist, Richard Gizbert as presenter.
Listening Post will bring viewers around the world a weekly insight into how the news is handled by the world's media. It will monitor and examine all forms of media, all over the world. From the biggest network to the most obscure web bloggers Listening Post will report critically on what they cover - and what they don't.
It will examine the big stories - and explain how and why coverage of them differs in different parts of the world. As with the channel's news reporting, Listening Post will look at all sides of the story from all parts of the world and assess how news reporting changes depending on where it is coming from. Gizbert joins Al Jazeera International's line-up of on-screen talent from ABC News where he worked since 1993. Starting as a correspondent in their London bureau Gizbert has reported abroad on many of the major international stories such as the conflicts in Iraq and the continuing unrest in the Middle East. Director of Programmes at Al Jazeera International, Paul Gibbs said, 'Listening Post is Al Jazeera International's eyes and ears on the world's electronic media. It's a fantastic addition to our line-up of extensive programmes.'
Speaking on the announcement Richard Gizbert said, 'I am thrilled to be part of Al Jazeera International and to be bringing Listening Post to the English speaking world. We will challenge the norm - Listening Post will analyse state-run television and question where news stops and propaganda begins.''We're also looking for new voices, and we're willing to give our viewers a try. We don't care if they are from the West Bank or Washington. Global Village Voices will be the platform to be seen and heard via webcams or camera-phones on any and all stories that we do, from anywhere and everywhere, ' Gizbert continued.
Listening Post is a fully commissioned jointly owned programme with Moonbeam Films Ltd. As a commissioning house Al Jazeera International's programmes will include material gathered from freelancers and independent companies all across the globe through a unique commissioning site: www.ajicommissioning.net Previously Gizbert worked as a correspondent-producer for CJOH-TV in Ottawa, where he produced in-depth features for Sunday Edition, the national current affairs programme. Prior
to that, Gizbert was CJOH's parliamentary correspondent for five years, responsible for national political coverage. For his reporting of a bus hostage situation on Parliament Hill, Gizbert received the National Award for Breaking News Coverage. From 1983 to 1985, Gizbert was a correspondent and political editor for CFTO-TV in Toronto, covering federal politics and co-anchoring special events coverage.
Gizbert is a graduate of Algonquin College in Ontario.
END
Here's some background on it and its director, former ABC TV reporter Richard Gizbert:
(Qatar: Tuesday, April 04 - 2006 at 10:32 ) Al Jazeera International unveils media strand and announces Richard Gizbert as presenter
Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, today announced plans for their reporting world media review programme Listening Post and confirmed former ABC news journalist, Richard Gizbert as presenter.
Listening Post will bring viewers around the world a weekly insight into how the news is handled by the world's media. It will monitor and examine all forms of media, all over the world. From the biggest network to the most obscure web bloggers Listening Post will report critically on what they cover - and what they don't.
It will examine the big stories - and explain how and why coverage of them differs in different parts of the world. As with the channel's news reporting, Listening Post will look at all sides of the story from all parts of the world and assess how news reporting changes depending on where it is coming from. Gizbert joins Al Jazeera International's line-up of on-screen talent from ABC News where he worked since 1993. Starting as a correspondent in their London bureau Gizbert has reported abroad on many of the major international stories such as the conflicts in Iraq and the continuing unrest in the Middle East. Director of Programmes at Al Jazeera International, Paul Gibbs said, 'Listening Post is Al Jazeera International's eyes and ears on the world's electronic media. It's a fantastic addition to our line-up of extensive programmes.'
Speaking on the announcement Richard Gizbert said, 'I am thrilled to be part of Al Jazeera International and to be bringing Listening Post to the English speaking world. We will challenge the norm - Listening Post will analyse state-run television and question where news stops and propaganda begins.''We're also looking for new voices, and we're willing to give our viewers a try. We don't care if they are from the West Bank or Washington. Global Village Voices will be the platform to be seen and heard via webcams or camera-phones on any and all stories that we do, from anywhere and everywhere, ' Gizbert continued.
Listening Post is a fully commissioned jointly owned programme with Moonbeam Films Ltd. As a commissioning house Al Jazeera International's programmes will include material gathered from freelancers and independent companies all across the globe through a unique commissioning site: www.ajicommissioning.net Previously Gizbert worked as a correspondent-producer for CJOH-TV in Ottawa, where he produced in-depth features for Sunday Edition, the national current affairs programme. Prior
to that, Gizbert was CJOH's parliamentary correspondent for five years, responsible for national political coverage. For his reporting of a bus hostage situation on Parliament Hill, Gizbert received the National Award for Breaking News Coverage. From 1983 to 1985, Gizbert was a correspondent and political editor for CFTO-TV in Toronto, covering federal politics and co-anchoring special events coverage.
Gizbert is a graduate of Algonquin College in Ontario.
END
Monday, November 06, 2006
American Occupation Forces close Iraqi stations that criticize kangaroo court system
Two Iraqi channels ordered closed in aftermath of Saddam verdict
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA
Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568
Web: http://www.cpj.org
Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
Two Iraqi channels ordered closed in aftermath of Saddam verdict
New York, November 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the Iraq Interior Ministry’s decision on Sunday to close two Sunni-owned satellite channels indefinitely. Security forces raided Al-Zawraa TV in Baghdad and Saleheddin TV in Tikrit on grounds they were inciting violence in the hours after former leader Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death, according to news reports and CPJ sources.
The privately-owned Saleheddin TV aired live broadcasts of pro-Saddam demonstrations and then opened its phone lines for callers to express their opinions, according to CPJ sources. Police were seeking the station’s owners, Sunni businessmen Hassan Khatab and Abdelrahman Dahash for questioning, a CPJ source said.
Al-Zawraa, which is owned by Mishaan al-Jubouri, a Sunni legislator from the Liberation and Reconciliation Party, had received several warnings from the government to change its political coverage or face closure, according CPJ sources. Those sources said the channel had sought to avoid a confrontation on Sunday by ignoring demonstrations that erupted after Saddam’s sentence.
Many broadcasters in Iraq have ties to political parties or organizations. Iraqi officials told The Associated Press that security forces closed the stations on broad grounds of undermining national stability and violating a government curfew by interviewing people on the street after the sentence. Al-Jubouri told the AP that Iraqi police raided his station in retaliation for its criticism of the verdict against Hussein.
The U.S.-backed government in Iraq has a record of banning news outlets. In July, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki threatened to shut down any television station deemed to incite sectarianism. On September 7, the government closed the Baghdad bureau of the Dubai-based satellite channel Al-Arabiya for one month. Al-Arabiya Executive Editor Nabil Khatib said the government accused the station of fomenting “sectarian violence and war in Iraq” but did not provide evidence.Al-Arabiya was targeted before. In November 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council, the provisional government appointed by the United States, banned the station from broadcasting in Iraq. Authorities accused the station of incitement after it aired an audiotape in which Saddam purportedly urged Iraqis to resist the U.S.-led occupation. The station was allowed to resume broadcasting in late January 2004.The government continues to enforce the closure of the Baghdad bureau of Qatar-based satellite channel Al-Jazeera. It was closed in July 2004 after former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi accused the station of incitement to violence and hatred. Iraqi officials alleged that Al-Jazeera’s reporting on kidnappings had encouraged Iraqi militants; a government statement also accused the station of being a mouthpiece for terrorist groups. Al-Jazeera now operates in the Kurdish-ruled area in northern Iraq.
In an unrelated development, Ahmad al-Rashid, a 28-year-old correspondent for the privately-owned Al-Sharqiya TV, was shot and killed Friday in north Baghdad’s Al-Aathamiya neighborhood, according to CPJ sources. Al-Rashid, who began working for Al-Sharqiya three months ago, was visiting family when he was stopped by gunmen, asked to exit his car, and shot in front of witnesses, CPJ sources said. CPJ is investigating the circumstances behind his murder.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.cpj.org/.
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA
Phone: (212) 4651004 Fax: (212) 4659568
Web: http://www.cpj.org
Contact: Abi Wright e-mail: info@cpj.org Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x-105
Two Iraqi channels ordered closed in aftermath of Saddam verdict
New York, November 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the Iraq Interior Ministry’s decision on Sunday to close two Sunni-owned satellite channels indefinitely. Security forces raided Al-Zawraa TV in Baghdad and Saleheddin TV in Tikrit on grounds they were inciting violence in the hours after former leader Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death, according to news reports and CPJ sources.
The privately-owned Saleheddin TV aired live broadcasts of pro-Saddam demonstrations and then opened its phone lines for callers to express their opinions, according to CPJ sources. Police were seeking the station’s owners, Sunni businessmen Hassan Khatab and Abdelrahman Dahash for questioning, a CPJ source said.
Al-Zawraa, which is owned by Mishaan al-Jubouri, a Sunni legislator from the Liberation and Reconciliation Party, had received several warnings from the government to change its political coverage or face closure, according CPJ sources. Those sources said the channel had sought to avoid a confrontation on Sunday by ignoring demonstrations that erupted after Saddam’s sentence.
Many broadcasters in Iraq have ties to political parties or organizations. Iraqi officials told The Associated Press that security forces closed the stations on broad grounds of undermining national stability and violating a government curfew by interviewing people on the street after the sentence. Al-Jubouri told the AP that Iraqi police raided his station in retaliation for its criticism of the verdict against Hussein.
The U.S.-backed government in Iraq has a record of banning news outlets. In July, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki threatened to shut down any television station deemed to incite sectarianism. On September 7, the government closed the Baghdad bureau of the Dubai-based satellite channel Al-Arabiya for one month. Al-Arabiya Executive Editor Nabil Khatib said the government accused the station of fomenting “sectarian violence and war in Iraq” but did not provide evidence.Al-Arabiya was targeted before. In November 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council, the provisional government appointed by the United States, banned the station from broadcasting in Iraq. Authorities accused the station of incitement after it aired an audiotape in which Saddam purportedly urged Iraqis to resist the U.S.-led occupation. The station was allowed to resume broadcasting in late January 2004.The government continues to enforce the closure of the Baghdad bureau of Qatar-based satellite channel Al-Jazeera. It was closed in July 2004 after former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi accused the station of incitement to violence and hatred. Iraqi officials alleged that Al-Jazeera’s reporting on kidnappings had encouraged Iraqi militants; a government statement also accused the station of being a mouthpiece for terrorist groups. Al-Jazeera now operates in the Kurdish-ruled area in northern Iraq.
In an unrelated development, Ahmad al-Rashid, a 28-year-old correspondent for the privately-owned Al-Sharqiya TV, was shot and killed Friday in north Baghdad’s Al-Aathamiya neighborhood, according to CPJ sources. Al-Rashid, who began working for Al-Sharqiya three months ago, was visiting family when he was stopped by gunmen, asked to exit his car, and shot in front of witnesses, CPJ sources said. CPJ is investigating the circumstances behind his murder.
CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.cpj.org/.
Friday, November 03, 2006
CWA Urges US Military to release AP Photo-journalist from illegal custody
Guild-CWA Calls for Justice for AP Photographer Held by US Military in Iraq
The Newspaper Guild-CWA is calling on the US military to take action in the case of Bilal Hussein, an Associated Press (AP) photographer who has been held for more than six months by US forces in Iraq on accusations that he is a security threat.
We need you to take action, and tell the military to either provide evidence that Bilal is a security threat or release him.
In a report, the AP said it was told by military officials that Hussein, an Iraqi citizen, was being held for "imperative reasons of security" under United Nations resolutions. AP executives said the news cooperative's review of Hussein's work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system.
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s): Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Sample letter:
We want justice for Bilal Hussein
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
E-mail: public@defenselink.mil
Fax: (703) 697-9080
November 3, 2006
Dear Secretary Rumsfeld,
The Newspaper Guild-CWA is deeply concerned by the more than six month detention of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, who has been held by US forces in Iraq on accusations that he is a security threat.
We urge you to either quickly produce evidence that Mr. Hussein is a security threat and send him to trial or to end his detention immediately. Holding him in limbo is unfair to him personally and sends a threatening message to Iraqi journalists that they may be subject to incarceration simply for doing their jobs.The lack of security in Iraq has led to extremely dangerous conditions for Iraqi media.
Four media workers were murdered in September, targeted by their killers because of their jobs. Since the start of the war in Iraq 139 media workers have been killed.The Iraqi government and the US and coalition forces must show that they are committed to a free press in Iraq by ensuring that journalists are no longer killed with impunity and by also ensuring that journalists are not being held by forces due to opposition to their work.
The Newspaper Guild-CWA supports the Associated Press' review of Mr. Hussein's work, which did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents. We also support their assertion that any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system. Mr. Hussein has also asserted his innocence.Iraqi journalists face extreme pressures as the try to provide an accurate picture ofevents in the country and they must be allowed to their jobs. We hope the Iraqigovernment and coalition forces focus on protecting their safety and legal rights, notdetaining them indefinitely.
We look forward to your immediate action on this matter.
The Newspaper Guild-CWA is calling on the US military to take action in the case of Bilal Hussein, an Associated Press (AP) photographer who has been held for more than six months by US forces in Iraq on accusations that he is a security threat.
We need you to take action, and tell the military to either provide evidence that Bilal is a security threat or release him.
In a report, the AP said it was told by military officials that Hussein, an Iraqi citizen, was being held for "imperative reasons of security" under United Nations resolutions. AP executives said the news cooperative's review of Hussein's work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system.
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s): Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Sample letter:
We want justice for Bilal Hussein
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
E-mail: public@defenselink.mil
Fax: (703) 697-9080
November 3, 2006
Dear Secretary Rumsfeld,
The Newspaper Guild-CWA is deeply concerned by the more than six month detention of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, who has been held by US forces in Iraq on accusations that he is a security threat.
We urge you to either quickly produce evidence that Mr. Hussein is a security threat and send him to trial or to end his detention immediately. Holding him in limbo is unfair to him personally and sends a threatening message to Iraqi journalists that they may be subject to incarceration simply for doing their jobs.The lack of security in Iraq has led to extremely dangerous conditions for Iraqi media.
Four media workers were murdered in September, targeted by their killers because of their jobs. Since the start of the war in Iraq 139 media workers have been killed.The Iraqi government and the US and coalition forces must show that they are committed to a free press in Iraq by ensuring that journalists are no longer killed with impunity and by also ensuring that journalists are not being held by forces due to opposition to their work.
The Newspaper Guild-CWA supports the Associated Press' review of Mr. Hussein's work, which did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents. We also support their assertion that any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system. Mr. Hussein has also asserted his innocence.Iraqi journalists face extreme pressures as the try to provide an accurate picture ofevents in the country and they must be allowed to their jobs. We hope the Iraqigovernment and coalition forces focus on protecting their safety and legal rights, notdetaining them indefinitely.
We look forward to your immediate action on this matter.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
New America Media names its National Award Finalists -- Includes Arab American journalist
New America Media Award Winners Spotlight Expanding Ethnic Media Lens
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- New America Media, the country's first and largest association of ethnic media, announces the winners of its First National Ethnic Media Awards, honoring the sector's contributions to American journalism.
Close to 600 ethnic media practitioners competed in 14 categories for recognition in 19 categories, ranging from Investigative Journalism to Best Community Talk Show. More than 50 judges nationwide, from universities, mainstream media and community based organizations, came together via teleconference to judge the entries over one week.
"Hurricane Katrina and immigration rights dominated news in ethnic media over the last year," says awards coordinator Sandip Roy. "Each of these complex stories reflects ethnic media' s unique role as an advocacy voice, as well as a vital source of news and information for their audiences."
Winners confound the conventional view of ethnic media as operating in a cultural silo. This year's winners demonstrate ethnic media's role in building understanding between America's ethnic communities while serving their communities' information needs.
This year NAM honors Pilar Marrero of La Opinion and ReShonda Billingsley of Houston Defender for reporting on black-brown relations and for their exceptional coverage of the immigration debate from the perspectives of both communities.
The New America Media awards will be presented at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.
New America Media
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_custom.html?custom_page_id=323
Commentary /Editorial Writing (English) Winner: Ray Hanania, Ynet News / Yedioth Ahronoth (Orland Park, IL), Three-Part Series: “Shedding Moonlight on Conflict,” “A new Language of Peace” and “Things Palestinians and Israelis share”
Runner-up: Ronault Catalani, The Asian Reporter (Portland OR), "Haditha"
Honorable Mention: Jerry Sullivan, Los Angeles Garment and Citizen (Los Angeles, CA), “Illegals Offer Lesson to Ill-advised Among Us”
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- New America Media, the country's first and largest association of ethnic media, announces the winners of its First National Ethnic Media Awards, honoring the sector's contributions to American journalism.
Close to 600 ethnic media practitioners competed in 14 categories for recognition in 19 categories, ranging from Investigative Journalism to Best Community Talk Show. More than 50 judges nationwide, from universities, mainstream media and community based organizations, came together via teleconference to judge the entries over one week.
"Hurricane Katrina and immigration rights dominated news in ethnic media over the last year," says awards coordinator Sandip Roy. "Each of these complex stories reflects ethnic media' s unique role as an advocacy voice, as well as a vital source of news and information for their audiences."
Winners confound the conventional view of ethnic media as operating in a cultural silo. This year's winners demonstrate ethnic media's role in building understanding between America's ethnic communities while serving their communities' information needs.
- Roy Lu, of Mandarin-language KSCI-TV in Los Angeles, traveled to the U.S. Mexican border to bring the issue of undocumented immigrants to Chinese audiences.
- Euy Hun Yi of The Korea Times became the first Korean-American journalist to report from Afghanistan, where he found many parallels with his home country after the Korean War.
As important as ethnic media are as community spokespersons, this year's awards also honors those unafraid to turn a critical eye on their own communities. - Dennis Romero of Tu Ciudad magazine won the Best In Depth Award for his vivid profiles of Latinos who staunchly oppose illegal immigration, and even volunteer with the Minutemen.
- Ray Hanania, an Arab-American columnist for a Jewish publication and website, won Best Commentary for his humorous take on some of the thorniest political issues of our time.
This year NAM honors Pilar Marrero of La Opinion and ReShonda Billingsley of Houston Defender for reporting on black-brown relations and for their exceptional coverage of the immigration debate from the perspectives of both communities.
The New America Media awards will be presented at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.
New America Media
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_custom.html?custom_page_id=323
Commentary /Editorial Writing (English) Winner: Ray Hanania, Ynet News / Yedioth Ahronoth (Orland Park, IL), Three-Part Series: “Shedding Moonlight on Conflict,” “A new Language of Peace” and “Things Palestinians and Israelis share”
Runner-up: Ronault Catalani, The Asian Reporter (Portland OR), "Haditha"
Honorable Mention: Jerry Sullivan, Los Angeles Garment and Citizen (Los Angeles, CA), “Illegals Offer Lesson to Ill-advised Among Us”
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
al-Jazeera International launches Nov. 15
AL JAZEERA INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES LAUNCH DATE
Doha, Tuesday 31st October 2006
The Al Jazeera Network today announced that it will launch Al Jazeera International, the new English-language news and current affairs channel on Wednesday 15th November 2006, with the inaugural broadcast starting from its Doha headquarters at 12 GMT.
As the world’s first international English-language news and current affairs channel headquartered in the Middle East, Al Jazeera International is uniquely positioned to reverse the information flow from South to North and to provide a voice to under-reported regions around the world. With broadcast centres strategically placed in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, and supporting bureaux worldwide, Al Jazeera International is a new force in the global English speaking media with the ability to seek out and cover different perspectives of news through on-the-ground reporting wherever news is made.
On 15th November Al Jazeera International will provide a fresh approach to news and current affairs to a worldwide audience with a combination of 12 hours of live news plus interview programmes and in-depth features and analysis from the world’s hot spots over a 24 hour day. Please click on the link below for a behind-the-scenes look at Al Jazeera International: http://www.beam.tv/beamreels/reel_player.php?jcgHfCnkhm
Wadah Khanfar, Director General of the Al Jazeera Network said: “We are extremely proud of what Al Jazeera has achieved over the past ten years. Al Jazeera today is an international media organisation. Al Jazeera International will build on the pioneering spirit of Al Jazeera and will carry our media model, based in the South, to the entire world. The launching of the English Channel offers the chance to reach out to a new audience that is used to hearing the name of "Al Jazeera" without being able to watch it or to understand its language. The new channel will provide the same ground-breaking news and impartial and balanced journalism to the English speaking world.”
“It has been a fantastic endeavour to build this TV channel over the last two years with the support of the Al Jazeera network. Everyone involved in the project deserves credit,” said Nigel Parsons, Managing Director, Al Jazeera International, “We will extend the Al Jazeera spirit into the English-speaking world.”
Al Jazeera International is part of the Al Jazeera Network and the sister channel to Al Jazeera. The announcement of the channel’s forthcoming launch on November 15th coincides with the 10-year anniversary of Al Jazeera Arabic language channel.
Al Jazeera’s English language website, aljazeera.net/english is being re-launched with the launch of the English language channel to reflect the channel’s look and feel and editorial content. It will showcase Al Jazeera International’s agenda setting editorial mission and will provide constantly updated coverage of news events from around the world, along with in-depth analysis and background. It will provide RSS feeds, live streams and downloadable clips from the channel, as well as interactive discussions and polling. Programme and presenter information as well as weather reports, live business data and sport will also be available via the website.
-Ends-
Notes to Editors
About Al Jazeera International
Al Jazeera International is the world’s first English language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. Broadcasting from within the Middle East, looking outwards, Al Jazeera International will set the news agenda and act as a bridge between cultures. With unique access as the channel of reference for Middle East events, and broadcast centres strategically placed around the world in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, Al Jazeera International will balance the information flow from South to North, providing accurate, impartial and objective news for a global audience from a grass roots level, giving voice to different perspectives from under-reported regions around the world.
Al Jazeera International is building on the ground-breaking heritage of its sister Arab-language channel – Al Jazeera, which was responsible for changing the face of news within the Middle East, now extending that fresh perspective from regional to global.
*A full list of our global bureaux & correspondents is available upon request.
*An electronic press kit (b-roll) will be made available prior to launch.
***
For further information please contact:
Doha: Charlotte Dent or Lana Khachan: +974 489 2320/1
Email: javascript:parent.ComposeTo('press.int@aljazeera.net', '');
UK: Katie Bergius or Deborah Coleman: +44 207 201 2819
Email: javascript:parent.ComposeTo('press.int@aljazeera.net', '');
US: Marc Smrikarov: +1 212 486 7070
Email : javascript:parent.ComposeTo('aljazeera_intl@brownlloydjames.com', '');
For information relating to the Al Jazeera Network or the 10th Anniversary please contact:Email: javascript:parent.ComposeTo('imr@aljazeera.net', '');
Tel: +974 489 6045Fax: +974-487-3577
Doha, Tuesday 31st October 2006
The Al Jazeera Network today announced that it will launch Al Jazeera International, the new English-language news and current affairs channel on Wednesday 15th November 2006, with the inaugural broadcast starting from its Doha headquarters at 12 GMT.
As the world’s first international English-language news and current affairs channel headquartered in the Middle East, Al Jazeera International is uniquely positioned to reverse the information flow from South to North and to provide a voice to under-reported regions around the world. With broadcast centres strategically placed in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, and supporting bureaux worldwide, Al Jazeera International is a new force in the global English speaking media with the ability to seek out and cover different perspectives of news through on-the-ground reporting wherever news is made.
On 15th November Al Jazeera International will provide a fresh approach to news and current affairs to a worldwide audience with a combination of 12 hours of live news plus interview programmes and in-depth features and analysis from the world’s hot spots over a 24 hour day. Please click on the link below for a behind-the-scenes look at Al Jazeera International: http://www.beam.tv/beamreels/reel_player.php?jcgHfCnkhm
Wadah Khanfar, Director General of the Al Jazeera Network said: “We are extremely proud of what Al Jazeera has achieved over the past ten years. Al Jazeera today is an international media organisation. Al Jazeera International will build on the pioneering spirit of Al Jazeera and will carry our media model, based in the South, to the entire world. The launching of the English Channel offers the chance to reach out to a new audience that is used to hearing the name of "Al Jazeera" without being able to watch it or to understand its language. The new channel will provide the same ground-breaking news and impartial and balanced journalism to the English speaking world.”
“It has been a fantastic endeavour to build this TV channel over the last two years with the support of the Al Jazeera network. Everyone involved in the project deserves credit,” said Nigel Parsons, Managing Director, Al Jazeera International, “We will extend the Al Jazeera spirit into the English-speaking world.”
Al Jazeera International is part of the Al Jazeera Network and the sister channel to Al Jazeera. The announcement of the channel’s forthcoming launch on November 15th coincides with the 10-year anniversary of Al Jazeera Arabic language channel.
Al Jazeera’s English language website, aljazeera.net/english is being re-launched with the launch of the English language channel to reflect the channel’s look and feel and editorial content. It will showcase Al Jazeera International’s agenda setting editorial mission and will provide constantly updated coverage of news events from around the world, along with in-depth analysis and background. It will provide RSS feeds, live streams and downloadable clips from the channel, as well as interactive discussions and polling. Programme and presenter information as well as weather reports, live business data and sport will also be available via the website.
-Ends-
Notes to Editors
About Al Jazeera International
Al Jazeera International is the world’s first English language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. Broadcasting from within the Middle East, looking outwards, Al Jazeera International will set the news agenda and act as a bridge between cultures. With unique access as the channel of reference for Middle East events, and broadcast centres strategically placed around the world in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC, Al Jazeera International will balance the information flow from South to North, providing accurate, impartial and objective news for a global audience from a grass roots level, giving voice to different perspectives from under-reported regions around the world.
Al Jazeera International is building on the ground-breaking heritage of its sister Arab-language channel – Al Jazeera, which was responsible for changing the face of news within the Middle East, now extending that fresh perspective from regional to global.
*A full list of our global bureaux & correspondents is available upon request.
*An electronic press kit (b-roll) will be made available prior to launch.
***
For further information please contact:
Doha: Charlotte Dent or Lana Khachan: +974 489 2320/1
Email: javascript:parent.ComposeTo('press.int@aljazeera.net', '');
UK: Katie Bergius or Deborah Coleman: +44 207 201 2819
Email: javascript:parent.ComposeTo('press.int@aljazeera.net', '');
US: Marc Smrikarov: +1 212 486 7070
Email : javascript:parent.ComposeTo('aljazeera_intl@brownlloydjames.com', '');
For information relating to the Al Jazeera Network or the 10th Anniversary please contact:Email: javascript:parent.ComposeTo('imr@aljazeera.net', '');
Tel: +974 489 6045Fax: +974-487-3577
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