Middle East Eye: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
m Reverted edits by Dean wilkinson79 (talk) to last version by Materialscientist |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
The '''Middle East Eye''' (MEE) is an online news portal covering events in the Middle East. The MEE website describes the organization as an independently funded online news organization founded in February 2014 which aims to be the primary portal of Middle East news.<ref>[http://www.middleeasteye.net/about-middle-east-eye About Middle East Eye] ''Middle East Eye''. Retrieved 23 September 2014.</ref> The MEE editor is [[David Hearst]], the former chief foreign leader writer for the British daily ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref>David Hearst. [http://www.middleeasteye.net/users/david-hearst Articles.] ''Middle East Eye''. Retrieved 23 September 2014.</ref> MEE is wholly owned by M.E.E. Ltd, a UK company that employs about 20 full-time staff in its London offices and also has a network of freelance journalists. The sole director of M.E.E. Ltd is Jamal Bassasso who was a former director of planning and human resources at [[Al Jazeera]]. |
The '''Middle East Eye''' (MEE) is an online news portal covering events in the Middle East and which has been cited by major media publications. The MEE website describes the organization as an independently funded online news organization founded in February 2014 which aims to be the primary portal of Middle East news.<ref>[http://www.middleeasteye.net/about-middle-east-eye About Middle East Eye] ''Middle East Eye''. Retrieved 23 September 2014.</ref> The MEE editor is [[David Hearst]], the former chief foreign leader writer for the British daily ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref>David Hearst. [http://www.middleeasteye.net/users/david-hearst Articles.] ''Middle East Eye''. Retrieved 23 September 2014.</ref> MEE is wholly owned by M.E.E. Ltd, a UK company that employs about 20 full-time staff in its London offices and also has a network of freelance journalists. The sole director of M.E.E. Ltd is Jamal Bassasso who was a former director of planning and human resources at [[Al Jazeera]].David Hearst has said that his staff came from varied backgrounds saying that “some were activists but this doesn't effect their professional journalism”. Hearst confirmed that MEE is not linked to any government or movement. |
||
Middle East Eye has been used as a reference in several well known news websites such as [ |
Middle East Eye has been used as a reference in several well known news websites such as the [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29797087 BBC News].,<ref>BBC on Saudi Arabia. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29797087]. Retrieved 28 October 2014.</ref> the [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-dorsey/brits-disappearance-casts_b_5770114.html Huffington Post].,<ref>Huffington Post on Qatar world cup. [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-dorsey/brits-disappearance-casts_b_5770114.html]. Retrieved 5 September 2014.</ref> the [http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/08/arab-gulf-states-silent-on-gaza Guardian].<ref>The Guardian on the Gulf's silence on Gaza. [http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/08/arab-gulf-states-silent-on-gaza]. Retrieved 8 August 2014.</ref> and the [http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/09/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-strip-conflict.html?_r=0 New York Times].<ref>The New York Times on Gaza. [http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/09/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-strip-conflict.html?_r=0]. Retrieved 8 August 2014.</ref> |
||
==Columnists== |
|||
[[Peter Oborne]], associate editor of ''[[The Spectator]]'' and former chief political columnist at ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''; Australian American author, critic of the Christian Right and New Atheists, [[CJ Werleman]];<ref>http://thedailybanter.com/2014/10/c-j-werlemans-pitiful-dishonesty-goes-beyond-plagiarism-allegations/</ref> Basheer Nafi, Senior Research Fellow at Al Jazeera Centre for Studies; American lawyer and professor [[Faisal Kutty]]; Award-winning British investigative journalist [[Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed]]; Israeli academic and historian [[Ilan Pappe]]; and former award-winning BBC journalist Bill Law. |
|||
== Associations == |
|||
=== Al Jazeera === |
|||
Middle East Eye has come under widespread criticism since its launch. While the news portal claimed to have “no political master, movement or country” there have been reports of connections to [[Qatar]]i state-run TV network [[Al Jazeera]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thenational.ae/uae/al-jazeera-executive-helped-to-launch-controversial-uk-website|title=Al Jazeera executive helped to launch controversial UK website {{!}} The National|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref> The Middle East Eye, however, does not list funding information on its site and its editor and former foreign correspondent for [[The Guardian]], David Hearst, has previously refused to provide details about the site’s funding. Mr. Hearst stated that the news portal was created with “start-up money.”<ref name=":0" /> |
|||
[[The National (Abu Dhabi)#Controversies and allegations of skewed coverage|''The National'']] claimed that Al Jazeera employee Jonathan Powell spent “up to six months” in [[London]] in 2013 in order to advise the Middle East Eye on its launch. According to the report, Mr. Powell also registered alternative websites for the Middle East Eye to a [[Doha]] address, but the sites are not active. Mr. Powell was assigned to “special projects” in Al Jazeera’s chairman’s office.<ref name=":0" /> The chairman of the board of the Al Jazeera Media Network is [[Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani]], cousin of the previous emir of Qatar, [[Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/09/201192012481969884.html|title=Al Jazeera director general steps down|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref> |
|||
The sole director of MEE Ltd., the company that owns Middle East Eye, is Jamal Bassasso, a former director of planning and human resources at Al Jazeera.<ref name=":0" /> His son, Ayoub Bessasso, works for Noon Visual Creatives, a London-based media company who has worked with Al Jazeera.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://gulfnewsjournal.com/stories/510965181-qatar-uses-media-to-take-on-its-own-allies-at-arm-s-length|title=Qatar uses media to take on its own allies, at arm’s length|last=|first=|date=2016-07-21|work=|access-date=2016-12-09|via=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thewhitecanvas.co.uk/work/item/noon-visual-creatives|title=NOON Visual Creatives - The White Canvas|newspaper=The White Canvas|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref> |
|||
=== Controversies surrounding staff === |
|||
The staff of the Middle East Eye has been linked to the [[Muslim Brotherhood]] in a number of reports.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hudson.org/research/11530-the-brotherhood-divided|title=The Brotherhood Divided - by Samuel Tadros|last=Tadros|first=Samuel|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.commentarymagazine.com/foreign-policy/middle-east/arianna-huffington-muslim-brotherhood-media/|title=Huffington Empire Promotes Muslim Brotherhood Voices|date=2015-08-21|newspaper=Commentary Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref> Middle East Eye journalist and former editor [[Rori Donaghy]] worked for the Hamas-funded NGO [[House of Wisdom for Conflict Resolution & Governance|House of Wisdom]] and founded the [[Emirates Centre for Human Rights]] (ECHR).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/users/rori-donaghy|title=Rori Donaghy|website=Middle East Eye|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/rori-donaghy|title=Rori Donaghy|website=the Guardian|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/muslim-brotherhood-its-uk-connections-and-media-attacks-on-the-uae#full|title=Muslim Brotherhood, its UK connections and media attacks on the UAE {{!}} The National|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref> The staff of ECHR has had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and [[Hamas]]. Like the Middle East Eye, ECHR never publicly identified its financial supporters.<ref name=":1" /> |
|||
Jamal Bassasso, the director of MEE Ltd. Is a former director for Lebanon-based Samalink TV, associated with Hamas-run [[Al-Quds TV|Al Quds TV]].<ref name=":0" /> Mr. Bassasso previously worked for a [[Dubai]]-based property company alongside Anas Mekdad. Mekdad, the director of ECHR, supported Emirate members of [[Al Islah (United Arab Emirates)|Al Islah]], the UAE wing of the Muslim Brotherhood while living in the UAE. Mr. Mekdad is also the founder of the Islamist online forum AlMakeem Network. Jamal Bassasso is a contributor to the forum which has praised Hamas suicide bombers.<ref name="national" /> Rori Donaghy reportedly met with Anas Mekdad in 2012.<ref name="national" /> |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 12:19, 14 January 2017
The Middle East Eye (MEE) is an online news portal covering events in the Middle East and which has been cited by major media publications. The MEE website describes the organization as an independently funded online news organization founded in February 2014 which aims to be the primary portal of Middle East news.[1] The MEE editor is David Hearst, the former chief foreign leader writer for the British daily The Guardian.[2] MEE is wholly owned by M.E.E. Ltd, a UK company that employs about 20 full-time staff in its London offices and also has a network of freelance journalists. The sole director of M.E.E. Ltd is Jamal Bassasso who was a former director of planning and human resources at Al Jazeera.David Hearst has said that his staff came from varied backgrounds saying that “some were activists but this doesn't effect their professional journalism”. Hearst confirmed that MEE is not linked to any government or movement.
Middle East Eye has been used as a reference in several well known news websites such as the BBC News.,[3] the Huffington Post.,[4] the Guardian.[5] and the New York Times.[6]
References
- ^ About Middle East Eye Middle East Eye. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ David Hearst. Articles. Middle East Eye. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ BBC on Saudi Arabia. [1]. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ Huffington Post on Qatar world cup. [2]. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ^ The Guardian on the Gulf's silence on Gaza. [3]. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ The New York Times on Gaza. [4]. Retrieved 8 August 2014.