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| Arabia |
| Saudi Manipulating World Media with Petro-Dollars: Report |
| 2015-07-11 |
| [ALMANAR.LB] Riyadh has been paying media across the globe as well as setting plans to ban news hounds critical of the government from working in the country in a bid to project a positive image of the kingdom, Reporters Without Borders concluded, citing newly leaked Saudi diplomatic documents. The so called 'Saudi Cables' were revealed by the whistle-blower website, WikiLeaks, with most of them dating back to between 2010 and 2015. The non-governmental organization cites numerous examples including Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... looking to fund media publications from around the globe -- from Iran to Senegal ... a nation of about 14 million on the west coast of Africa bordering Mauretania to the north, Mali to the east, and a pair of Guineas to the south, one of them Bissau. It is 90 percent Mohammedan and has more than 80 political parties. Its primary purpose seems to be absorbing refugees... "While it is not always clear from the cables what was actually done, they expose the extraordinary initiatives that were at least considered by the Saudi government in an attempt to improve its image abroad," Reporters Without Borders (RSF) wrote on their website. The report highlighted methods used by Riyadh to promote its own interests, among them channeling funds to media organizations all over the world, as was the case in 2011 with the Wesal Farsi TV (now called Tawhid), a London-based Persian-language television station with anti-Iran agendas. "In 2011, for example, the Saudi embassy in London suggested funding Wesal Farsi TV (now called Tawhid), a London-based, Persian-language TV station owned by a Sunni Iranian citizen opposed to his country's government. In return for monthly funding and allowing Saudi Arabia to appoint a representative to its board of governors, the TV station would respond to Iranian media criticism of Saudi Arabia," the report said. The cables also highlight how some media organizations would actually approach the Saudi's themselves for funding. Reporters Without Borders cites the example of the Afghan media center Spogmai. Its head requested funding in 2009 for the creation of a news website, a daily newspaper, a magazine and a TV station that would act as counterweights to Afghan media outlets, which were funded by rivals Iran. Not all media outlets are willing to be bought, but the Saudi government seems to have a solution for those not interested in petrol dollars, RSF said. It also went on to say that another practice applied by Riyadh was to ban news hounds critical of the government from working in the country. The report cited what happened recently to the London-based Financial Times newspaper, which had to withdraw its correspondent and close its Riyadh bureau for publishing what the Saudi government called "lies" about the kingdom. Touching on the role of Saudi missions in Riyadh's dictated media coverage, the report concluded, "The embassies play a dynamic role in organizing and maintaining active pro-Saudi propaganda abroad. As they are familiar with the local media, they are best placed to monitor what the media are saying and to make suggestions to the Saudi government." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Soros anyone? Can't bribe the reporters or own the TV/radio/cable/print media without money. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2015-07-11 09:02 |
| #2 Shale oil is oil. So LOL @ these MFers. I so wish .com was here to comment. Wait a sec, my Oujia board is the active! It sez FUCK RIYAD THERE IS A SMALL STRIP OF LAND THAT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT IS FILLED WITH SHIA End of transmission |
| Posted by: Shipman 2015-07-11 07:58 |
| #1 That's news? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-07-11 02:35 |