JEDDAH, 1 May 2004 — Saudi newscaster Ali Al-Dhafeery, 28, who recently signed a contract with the Doha-based Al-Jazeera television, has urged more Saudis to join the channel to project their country’s views.
“I hope qualified Saudi media personnel flood to Al-Jazeera,” Dhafeery was quoted as saying. “Experience in any media organization in the world has proven that those who work inside them contribute to making the news,” he said.
He pointed out that Al-Jazeera had appointed media personnel from different Arab countries, adding that they were instrumental in clarifying the views of their respective countries.
“It is high time for Saudis to work with this channel,” he added. Dhafeery’s statement came at a time when many Lebanese and Palestinian TV artists have started influencing satellite channels across the region.
The Kingdom’s newly established Al-Ekhbariya channel is in the process of training young media staff including newscasters and reporters to export them in the future to other channels.
