A community is only as strong as its ethnic media
August 29th, 2007In the United States, you measure the strength and effectiveness of an ethnic community by the quality and “presence” of its ethnic American newspapers. The more newspapers that exist and the more of them that reflect professional journalism, the stronger the ethnic community. The fewer the newspapers and the more the newspapers reflect divisions and political infighting, the weaker the community. In the Arab American community, there are about 79 newspapers including 11 magazines. I would say about half are professionally done, created by individuals who have some or extensive experience in professional journalism. Some of the others are “cut-and-paste” products manufactured by business people with no experience in journalism or political activists who file down the essence of journalism principle to advocate their issues. That’s not journalism, but that’s what we often have, folks.
Which are the best Arab American newspapers in America? Here are just a few: The Arab News in Dearborn, Aramica in New Jersey, the News Circle in Los Angeles, the Independent Monitor in Los Angeles, the Future News in Chicago (tied with another of my personal favorites, al-Offok al-Arabi, also in Chicago), Al-Nashra in Washington D.C., An-Nour in Atlanta, The Muslim Observer in Michigan, and al-Sahafa in Cleveland. Islamic Magazine and Azizah are among the tops when it comes to Muslim issues, the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs offers a professionally created journalism product that is very pro-Arab, and there is ALO Hayati, which is absolutely the finest magazine in the Arab American community.
A study I completed recently for the National Arab American Journalists Association (www.NAAJA-US.com) shows that the 79 publications have a solid base in 22 of the nation’s 48 continental states. Yet, these 22 states only account for about half of all the Arabs living in America. What do the people of the other 28 states do? Many of the regional newspaper distribute some papers by subscription or bundles to some spots in other states. But there are 28 states that have absolutely no access to newspapers. And I believe that had to change.
This week, I decided to dust off one of my favorite pasttimes, publishing an Arab American newspaper. I published the first Chicago Arab American English-Arabic newspaper, the Middle Eastern voice, between 1975 and 1977. It got me an honorable mention in the eyes of the Chicago FBI office during those two years when they opened an investigation into who I was — beginning a 40 page report that I later obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by asserting that I might be involved in “terrorism,” but concluding I was someone concerned only with advancing my community. What a waste of taxpayer money, and an example of the FBI’s poor anti-terrorism track record, at the time.
In 1999, when the Chicago Tribune and the then racist Chicago Sun-Times (owned by the racist and anti-Arab convicted felon Conrad Black) refused to cover Arab American events in Chicago — imagine, newspapers refusing to cover positive news stories in an ethnic community and only covering stories of alleged terrorism and hate — I launched the Arab American View newspaper, which ran until 2002. We had seven Arab American newspapers in Chicago on Sept. 10, 2001. Withine 14 months, all but one folded (including my own). Racists telephoned advertisers, distributors and writers accusing them of being terrorists. Only al-Offok al-Arabi remained publishing, and only after the web press that printed the newspapers refused to print because the newspaper included “Arabic printing” they believed represented a “terrorist language.”
It is amazing how ignorant and naive Americans can be. They miss the terrorists who are hanging onto the trees because Americans see all Arabs as a forrest of terrorists. (Which means the terrorists manage to succeed thanks in a large part to American ignorance.)
Now, this week, I launched the National Arab American Times. 61,000 newspapers (certified audit) distributed to 605 Arab American stores in 48 American states. Here’s the link to the distribution list by city and state (minus proprietary addresses). And the distribution will increase. Publishing a newspaper is not easy. There really is very little money in it. But there is a need to take the existing network of newspapers and magazines in the 22 states and add another layer, a national web that reaches Arab Americans in many states who purchase Arabian foods but have not seen a community newspaper in years.
There is a divide that exists between Arab American journalists and Arab World journalists. The latter focus on reporting news in the Arabic language, and often with a political slant reflecting the political agenda of their TV, radio or newspapers. Lebanon’s newspapers are notorious for their political partisanship. That’s not journalism. Yet, they continue to dominate the Middle East coverage.
Slowly, though, Arab American newspapers that offer English and Arabic and taking control of the market and speaking to a larger and larger audience. There is no real competition among the Arab American newspapers because there are still not enough to cover the more than 4.5 million Arabs living in the United States.
If you visit the NAAJA journalism web site, you will find a five-page breakdown of the latest Arab American newspapers and their locations by city and state. It’s a fascinatingf statement on the potential growth that exists out there that has yet to be tapped and the struggle that many brave and admirable publishers of Arab American newspapers and magazine face each and every day.
If you live in a city where there is an Arab American newspaper, you should be lucky. But more importantly, you should subscribe to that paper. Support it. Distribute it. Give it strength. When we show pride in ourselves, Americans will eventually be forced to respect us, too.
– Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com
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That’s very interesting Ray. One of my goals has always been to publish a newspaper at some point in my life. Good luck with your new paper, hopefully this time you won’t have to fold because of ignorance.
[...] folks. Which are the best Arab American newspapers in America? Here are just a few: —> http://www.mideastyouth.com/2007/08/29/a-community-is-only-as-strong-as-its-ethnic-media/ [...]
Role of Ethnic Media
Aref Assaf, PhD
American Arab Forum
http://www.aafusa.org
I recently engaged the chief editorial board and chief editor of a leading New Jersey paper. The topic was part of our continuing efforts to mainstream the main issues of our community. Chief among these concerns was the paper’s involvement, position, and response to a vicious and smear-laden campaign by a State Senator against Arab Americans and their organizations. After two hours of ’frank and constructive talks’, we agreed on certain tasks to be worked on. Within a few days, the paper came out with a major column, a leading editorial, and a letter from us on the subject of fear-mongering and the abuse of the terror card to win votes. A small success story that needs to be emulated nationwide.
Among the minor issues I raised was to gauge the relevance of the Arabic ethnic media in mainstream media’s news and story gathering. I wanted to know the extent to which our Arabic-owned papers impact news and opinions about our community. To my astonishment, one editor stated that for a large newspaper, it rarely relies or seeks out ethnic media outlets. Pressing the editor to further explain his rather startling assessment, he believed that most ethnic media is biased because it is generally speaking to an audience that through subscriptions or advertising controls the editorial content.
I shared my thoughts with an associate and he similarly argued that, with few expectations Arab owned media ‘is not worth the paper it is printed on.” He further stated that if it was not for the fact that these papers are distributed free, he would never bother to read let alone pay money to read them.”
I too have my own misgivings about Arabic owned media in this country. Generally speaking, of the seven weeklies that are distributed in the NJ/NY area, and except for one notable exception, all I see in these papers are ads and more ads. You rarely see original articles and feature stories. Most content is ‘borrowed ‘from other sources. And when English is used, it is often butchered to an extreme.
The only shining star in the Arabic owned media is by far the Brooklyn, NY based Aramica. For the last six year, I have followed its phenomenal growth, unmatched coverage of our community and consistent editorial maturity. Aramica stands alone in breaking many taboos about what can and should be said about our people and their issues. It is not afraid to ruffle feather or just as willingly to bestow accolades.
I had had my differences with Aramica on one recent and important topic and have expressed my strong reservations about their article on the now deposed principal of the Khalil Gibran Arabic Academy. But my core position about Aramica’s integrity remains unshaken.
Back to my original quest: Are Arab owned papers and Arab American journalist’s main objective to ”embellish” and promote the Arab American community? Are they to never criticize failures and missteps by our leaders? Is the role of ethnic media to be a PR machine, questioning everybody else’s motive and remaining silent about our own shortfalls and omissions? I recently spoke to an owner and editor of an NJ-based Arabic weekly and he offered the following justification: “We should not criticize our people or their organizations because the rest of the media is doing a good job at that.”
If this is how we perceive the role of our media, then is it a shock that mainstream media pays no respect to the integrity of our news or the justice of our causes? What do you think?