New Ramallah News Station Tries to Be Balanced

I didn’t believe it from the headline either. The San Fransisco Chronicle did a story on a new Ramallah based television station that tried to broadcast real news on Wattan TV.

Wattan TV does not focus on how good the politicians are and how bad the Israelis are. They focus on what is actually going on in the world. Wattan, or “Homeland” in English, defines itself as a secular, commercial television station. The director, Mumar Orabi, works hard to keep the station balanced. The Chronicle quotes Orabi: “We like to focus on internal political news, cultural events, success stories. It’s very important to raise the voices of marginalized people, and to make the government accountable for them.”

Rather than run 24 hour anti-Israel, anti-American religious leaders and news clips, Wattan is closer to a local news channel you see in Anytown, USA. It covers politics, events, and even traffic.

Rather than shy away from criticism of local officials, Wattan tries to get at the truth. A story on corruption that cited PA President Mahmoud Abbas as a not so transparent leader led Orabi to jail. Nonetheless, he is continuing running the station.

Orabi said that the entire life of the Palestinians is not defined by the conflict with the Israelis. Palestinians wake up, go to work, cook for their family, and read bed time stories just like everyone else. When the conflict is the news, they discuss it. When it is not, they don’t. It is a big step up from Hamas TV in Gaza.

Do you think a secular station like this can lead to peace in the region? I don’t think it can hurt.