The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis is hopeful that changes are underway at Alhurra after the U.S. government-funded Arabic-language news network repeatedly aired the views of terrorists or terror supporters.
The media watchdog told JNS that “there are grounds to be optimistic about real change” at the network following the appointment of Jeffrey Gedmin as president and CEO of its parent organization in October.
“We have had a fruitful meeting and email exchanges with Gedmin and his main team, so there has been actual follow through from them,” a CAMERA spokesman told JNS.
Gedmin agreed to hold periodic meetings with CAMERA in an effort to counter anti-Israel and anti-American bias in the newsroom.
“CAMERA’s deep experience in media oversight will be crucial in ensuring that Alhurra’s programming reflects the values of American taxpayers,” said Andrea Levin, CAMERA’s president and executive director.
“As CAMERA and Alhurra editors may understandably come from different perspectives, it’s natural that we will not always agree on every single topic. But an ongoing dialogue that is open and friendly is a welcome indication that Alhurra is on the right track,” Levin said. “The recent leadership changes signal a new era for the network and we are excited to work together.”
Founded in 2004, Alhurra is a sub-entity of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also runs Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel, the network has brought on guests who have described the attacks as a “heroic military miracle come true” and who have accused Israel of committing genocide.
One contributor, Ismat Mansour, appeared on Alhurra’s website as a political analyst and Israel affairs expert, despite his 1993 conviction for killing a Jewish man in a terror attack.
Levin said that other Arabic-language outlets should engage with critics over their anti-Israel and anti-American biases.
“It is unfortunate that other publicly funded, Arabic-speaking media outlets in the West, such as BBC Arabic, choose not to engage with us in the same well-meaning, transparent manner that Alhurra does,” Levin said.
