US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI3583

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003583 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IRAQ/PPD; NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; ECA; IIP/G/NEA; 
IIP/G/IR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, TC, OIIP, KIRC 
 
SUBJECT: Embassies Abu Dhabi and Baghdad Join Forces to Train 
Iraqi Journalists on Effective Use of the Internet, September 
25th to 30th, 2004. 
 
REF: ABU DHABI 2895 
 
1. Summary: Embassy Abu Dhabi's Public Affairs Section combined 
forces with Embassy Baghdad to host 10 Iraqi journalists, (8 men 
& 2 women) in a workshop entitled Effective Use of the Internet 
for Journalists, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, September 
25th to 30th, 2004.  Embassy Baghdad Public Affairs Section 
selected journalists from Baghdad, Basra, Hilla, Mosul, and 
Kirkuk, all of whom were senior editors, writers, and television 
producers.  Information Resource Center Director, and former 
Fulbrighter, Helmi Noman and Information Resource Officer Henry 
Mendelsohn led the workshop.  It focused on effective use of the 
Internet and covered topics such as smarter surfing, how to find 
USG information, evaluating web sites, legal and copyright 
issues, and blogging.  By the end of the workshop each 
participant had self-published on the 'net.  The participants 
visited several UAE media organizations and made many local 
contacts. 
 
Digital Video Conferences Showcase Technology and Bring Officials 
Into the Classroom: 
 
2. In addition to the skills training the workshop included two 
Digital Video Conferences.  The first featured Deputy 
Spokesperson Adam Ereli who spoke in Arabic about responsible 
reporting, and gave an on the record interview.  In the second, 
Mofid Deak, a senior Bureau of International Information Programs 
writer/editor, spoke in Arabic about how the State Department 
publishes electronically official policy texts and speeches, and 
works to ensure accuracy and authority. 
 
Networking Benefits Local Media as well as Iraqi Participants 
 
3. The Iraqis also met with major media organizations in Abu 
Dhabi and Dubai including the Emirates News Agency, the official 
news agency of the UAE, Al Ittihad newspaper, Al Arabiya TV, 
Dubai TV, and the Dubai Press Club.  They met with section heads 
who explained how media organizations operate and establish 
editorial policies, and also discussed operational issues.  This 
gave them an opportunity to network with UAE based news directors 
who asked the Iraqis if they were willing to report stories from 
Iraq in order to improve reporting because often non-Iraqi 
reporters are unable to gain access to dangerous locations. 
 
Both sides discussed the need for balanced reporting and the 
Iraqis were quick to point out that much of the reporting done in 
Iraq by Arab media organizations was biased and did not reflect 
ground realities, nor the progress that was being accomplished in 
Iraq by both coalition forces and the Iraqi government.  They 
provided many specific examples of inaccurate reporting by Arab 
media organizations. 
 
Small Focused Programs Yield Many Results 
 
4. Result: Al Arabiya offered to host the Iraqis for free 
internships in the future. 
 
5. Result: The Dubai Press Club, the most developed press club in 
the Middle East, invited the Iraqis to become members and 
welcomed them to use the press club on return visits.  Membership 
in the press club also entitles them to use constituent press 
clubs including the National Press Club in Washington. 
 
6. Result: Press Placement: The program was extensively covered 
in the UAE press with coverage appearing in Arabic dailies Al 
Ittihad, (cir.: 85,000) Al Bayan, (cir.: 40,000) and Akhbar al 
Arab, (cir.: 20,000.)  The participants published stories in Iraq 
upon their return. 
 
7. Result: Blogging: One participant developed his own blog web 
site upon returning to Iraq, http://alaaghazala.blogs.com/. 
 
Heartfelt Gratitude 
 
8. The same participant emailed U.S. Ambassador to the UAE 
Michele J. Sison to say: "Dear Ambassador: It is my great honor 
to present my deepest regards to you, and to the UAE Embassy 
staff, for your generous and kindness for us during the training 
course on Internet last week.  It was a wonderful opportunity to 
me and to other Iraqi journalists to take the lessons and then 
visit media institutions in Abu-Dhabi and Dubai.  This experience 
was very useful to me in opening new horizons.  May God keep you 
safe! . Hope to see you again one day.  Ala'a K. Ghazala, Iraqi 
Journalist, Babil." 
 
9. Another participant emailed to say: "Dear Helmi: Thank you 
very much indeed for everything you have done for us.  Your 
patience & knowledge will be kept deeply in our mind and 
thoughts. We are back home safe.  I'll keep in contact.  Please 
convey my regards for everybody. Regards, Adil Hameed." 
 
Integrating Iraqi Journalists into the Larger Middle East 
 
10. Conclusion: Post believes small, focused, cost-effective 
programs like this help to integrate Iraqi journalists into the 
larger Middle East, and that bringing them to the UAE is 
particularly important because it demonstrates a Middle East 
country that works, has a mobile and international corps of 
Arabic and English-speaking journalists, and has successfully 
developed a vibrant and relatively open press. 
 
The importance of this type of training cannot be over stated. 
Information and communications literacy training empowers those 
who receive it and the less access the participants have to state 
of the art training the more they appreciate it.  Internet 
accessibility in Iraq is neither widespread nor affordable for 
most.  State of the art training for specific user groups on how 
to use Internet effectively in Arabic is even more rare.  Such 
training generates an enormous amount of good will and 
establishes partnerships with participants and employers of the 
participants.  Post thanks Embassy Baghdad and Iraq Public 
Diplomacy for enabling a successful program.    . 
 
SISON