BNP gets onto the BBC

Sad isn't it - that the BBC should have sunk so low as to give a platform for racism. Nick Griffin of the BNP believes that Hindus should be treated as guest workers and that Moslems should be encouraged to leave the UK. But the BBC has few standards these days - and the jury is no longer out - the BBC has truly lost its credibility with this invitation to Nick Griffin to appear on Question Time.

VOA and its attempts to silence the critics of the Islamic Republic

Voice of America Persian Service editors have refused to allow regular commentator Mohsen Sazegara to give advice on air that might have helped demonstrators to be more effective in resisting the government intelligence forces.

Sazegara, who was a founder of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and who joined the opposition against the regime in the 1990s, would have been an appropriate person to give useful advice to the Iranian people. However, VOA banned him from broadcasting. This is not the only time VOA has inexplicably refused prominent opposition figures air time. Roozbeh Farahanipour was refused an interview under similar circumstances in July this year.

So the question is, why is VOA refusing to allow the voices to be heard of those who appear best placed to further the organisation's stated mission??!!

Israel ignores Palestine

This is really something. For years Israel has been complaining about Palestinians ignoring the existence of Israel in schoolbooks etc. They have had a campaign about it. But now the Israel government slaps up a poster campaign on London Underground ignmoring the existence of Palestine. Bizarre really.

Talk about the pot and the kettle.

Bloggers and Journalists gather for the Annual International Media Awards at the London Athenaeum, Monday 11th May 2009.

Journalists and Bloggers from the across the Middle East and the West gathered on Monday evening for the 5th International Media Awards ceremony hosted by Lord Stone of Blackheath. The awards were founded by The Next Century Foundation which works principally to support peace initiatives across the Middle East. This year the Awards also included a category for bloggers to acknowledge the growing influence of the blogosphere on the reporting of events.

The Next Century Foundation established the awards in 2005 to publically recognise journalists whose work has contributed to a better understanding of conflict zones, in particular the Arab/Israeli conflict, and of the Middle East region as a whole. The awards recognise the work of journalists whose high standards of analysis and reporting have helped to break down barriers and promote understanding. They also recognise the efforts and courage of individual journalists and bloggers, who are often placed at risk when reporting stories from areas of conflict or political repression.

The categories were as follows:

Four Peace through Media Awards. Each winner received an olive tree for their individual outstanding contribution to understanding.

• Dr Badrakan Al-Sindi, Editor in chief of Al-Ta’akhi Newspaper ( Iraq )
• Mark Urban, Diplomatic Editor, Newsnight, BBC.
• Mick Fealty, Editor and writer of Slugger O’Toole Blog ( Ireland )
• Paul Staines, aka Blogger Guido Fawkes.

Two Peace Through Media Lifetime Achievement Awards.

• Khaled Kishtainy, Iraqi journalist of Sharq Al Awsat newspaper.
• Kamran Karadaghi, Iraqi journalist of Al Hayat newspaper.

Four Cutting Edge Awards. Each winner received a £1000 cash prize for their oustanding coverage of events in the Middle East .

• Oren Yakobovich of Israel's B'Tselem's "Shooting Back" programme.
• Shlomo Eldar of Israel's Channel 10 whose live broadcast many believe contributed to the end of Israel’s recent Gaza campaign.
• Faisal Abbas Saudi Arabian journalist of Sharq al Awsat and blogger for the Huffington Post.
• Jaafar al Ahmar Lebanese journalist of Al Hayat.

Two Breakaway Awards for most promising new talent.

• Abdulrahman Abdulla, Al Sharqiya Satellite TV.
• Potkin Azarmehr, Blogger for a secular democratic Iran .

It is with much regret, and for a second year running, that several award winners were unable to attend and receive their awards due to border closures. Four winners, all of whom were based in Gaza, received accolades for their work. It is hoped that next year they will be able to pick up their awards in person.

The awards are given by The International Council for Press and Broadcasting part of the Next Century Foundation. It has worked in cooperation with the International Communications Forum, St Brides Forum, and The Department of Journalism at City University.

The Award Patrons: The Patrons of the International Media Awards this year were: Mr Ribal Al Assad of ANN Satellite TV; Ms Dalia Salaam Rishani of Hood Hood Books; Mr Walid Issa Taha of Taha Associates in Baghdad ; Ms Annie Henschal of Olives et al.

For further information contact Ms Deborah Pout, the convenor of the awards ceremony, on d.pout@btinternet.com

VOICES ONLINE: BLOGGING CONFERENCE

Monday 11th May
Venue: City University, Northampton Square, London EC1V 4DB

The Next Century Foundation in association with the Department of Journalism at City University London is holding a one day conference on Monday 11th of May entitled Voices Online: Blogging Conference. The conference is looking at the role of blogging and micro-blogging and will bring bloggers from the Middle East to debate and interact with their Western counterparts in a series of panel discussions.

Speakers to include:

• Professor Adrian Monck - Head of Journalism and Publishing at City University.
• Guido Fawkes - Political blogger of the day - received wide recognition for breaking the news of leaked e-mails from Damian McBride.
• Karim Arafat - Co-founder of Watwet, the Arabic twitter and Tootcorp.
• Slugger O'Toole - Northern Ireland Politics Blog and Head of Political Blogs, Telegraph Group.
• Badrakhan Al-Sindi - Editor in Chief of Iraqi Al -Ta'akhi newspaper.
• Andrew Miller - Political Editor and Bagehot columnist, The Economist.
• Mark Jones - Reuters Global Community Editor.
• Mona Eltahawy - Egyptian/US Columnist, Analyst & Blogger.
• Andrew Sparrow - Senior Political Correspondent, Guardian website & Orwell Prize 2009 shortlisted Blog.
  
  Session 1 9.30am - 10.30am - State of the Art Technology.
  Session 2 10.45am - 11.45am - Blogger to Blogger - The Political Blog.
  Session 3 11.45am - 12.45pm - Journalist Bloggers.
  Lunch 12.45pm - 13.30pm
  Working Groups 13.30pm - 15.30pm
  
  The Conference is open to all but if you wish to secure a place please e-mail:
  ncfpeace@aol.com or PowellDR@state.gov or Deborah Pout at d.pout@btinternet.com
  
  Organised by The Next Century Foundation and held with support from The US Media Outreach Centre at the US Embassy.

New BBC Persian Channel a "threat" to Iran security

Iran voiced its "dismay" of the launching of the new BBC Persian service by claiming that it was "detrimental" to Iranian national security.

Information minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejeie told reporters that the launching of the BBC Persian would not be good for national security and Tehran would take “necessary measures” to thwart the plan.

The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad-Hossein Safar-Harandi, went one step further by brandishing the activity of the BBC Persian channel as "illegal" in Iran. Mohammad Karim Abedi, a member of the Foreign Policy and National Security Committee of the Iranian parliament, furthermore, added that the BBC was intent on setting up an intelligence network under the cover of journalistic activities to create potential "spies".

A BBC spokesman in London, England, said the corporation is breaking no laws in Iran.

But Safar-Harandi argued, “the BBC has a long history of sowing discord among nations and disturbing their national solidarity through its news programs,”. He added that the British news company had “no good reputation” among regional states. The minister also called on those working in Iranian media “to avoid cooperating with the BBC Persian.”

The BBC and Gaza

Ricard Burden MP contiues to campaign against the BBC decision not to publish the Gaza appeal. He sent us the text o his early day motion in parliment which goes:

‘That this House is astonished by the refusal of the BBC and Sky to broadcast the Disasters Emergency Committee Gaza Crisis Appeal; considers that the explanation given for this decision by BBC spokespersons are both unconvincing and incoherent; and draws attention to the fact that people wishing to contribute to the Gaza appeal can contact the DEC by visiting www.dec.org.uk.’

Mr Burden, a member of the International Development Committee and Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group, said:

‘The fact that well over 100 MPs from different parties have signed this Commons motion shows the breadth of concern about the position which the BBC and Sky are taking. The arguments that BBC managers have been putting forward in defence of their refusal to screen this appeal have shown themselves to be even more even unconvincing and contradictory as time has gone on.