I read with interest the article “The new politics: Lies, hacking and fake news” (Dec. 5) by Baria Alamuddin. The writer has raised an important issue that needs to be tackled tactfully. As a matter of fact, the phenomenon of manipulating public opinion by spreading lies through the mainstream media is not new. Observers may recall how reports about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq were circulated and how people in the West were made to believe that invading Iraq was the only viable option to nip the “evil” in the bud.
In the post-9/11 era, the mainstream western media played a very negative role and it is responsible for many global problems that we are facing today like growing Islamophobia. The biased reporting of the events taking place in the Muslim or Arab world is no longer a secret. I think that journalistic standards have plunged mainly due to the commercialization of the media industry. Of course, there is no harm in earning money but it should not be done at the expense of journalistic standards.
The Arab world needs to counter this situation by launching strong media organizations. There is a great need to highlight the other side of the story. It is not an uphill task. The Arab world does have the means to launch such initiatives. It is true that the situation is grim but we should not lose hope.
— Haider Al-Sahfi, Riyadh
Countering propaganda
