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The Satellite Dish - A Midwife for Democracy?

(Ha'aretz) Danny Rubinstein - There are now some 10 Arab television stations using new-generation satellites to broadcast news and current affairs programs 24 hours a day. The totalitarian regime's monopoly over the media and over the information that reaches citizens has totally collapsed. According to journalist Uriya Shavit, who published a study on the subject in Hebrew, Dawn of an Old Day (Keter, 2003), the modern media did not bring a new day to the Middle East; rather it is the same dawn of an old day. He describes the methods used by Arab regimes to cope successfully with the threats of freedom of information. However, Yigal Carmon at the Middle East Media Research Institute says he sees the social and political changes caused by Arab satellite broadcasts. The competition is leading to a huge abundance of news reports and current events programs, and the result is that the public at large is getting to know the weaknesses of the regimes. It encourages opposition elements who see that their voice is being heard, and that they are not alone and have a chance to have an impact. Nearly every Arab home in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has a satellite dish, and residents are exposed to dozens of local radio and television stations. The PA's ability to control the information reaching the residents has been drastically curtailed. The large Palestinian newspapers, Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam, are publishing reports about corruption, rivalries at the top, and demands for reforms.
2005-03-18 00:00:00
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