Alhurra Nominated for AIB People’s Choice Award
The Association for International Broadcasting and Yahoo! Maktoob have selected Alhurra’s coverage of the Egyptian Revolution for a shortlist of the six entries for the 2011 People’s Choice Award for “Best Coverage of Democracy Uprisings.” The 2011 People’s Choice Award focuses on the events taking place in the Middle East and North Africa and the role of media in covering the movements for change in this vital part of the world. The public is invited to vote for the best entry and decide the first place winner for the 2011 People’s Choice Award.
Click here to view a sample of Alhurra’s coverage of the Egyptian Revolution and to vote for the network’s entry. Voting will end on Sunday, November 6th, 2011.
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The network’s correspondents were in the streets of Cairo and Alexandria providing viewers with firsthand accounts of the stories of the protesters and their unwavering desire for reform. Alhurra journalists interviewed activists, academics, party leaders, and politicians in Egypt and across the Arab World. Alhurra also offered its audience the American perspective on events – both the official Obama administration position as well as reactions from the diverse voices found throughout the public policy community.
Alhurra’s coverage of the January 25 Egyptian Revolution presented huge challenges for the network’s journalists and correspondents, as they worked to tell the news of the unfolding events in the heart of the Arab World. At the height of the demonstrations, pro-Mubarak protesters and thugs targeted international journalists, including Alhurra reporters. As a result of its correspondents’ courage and ingenuity, Alhurra was, at times, the only Arab-language network broadcasting live from Cairo.
Recent surveys by international research companies such as ACNielsen show that Alhurra has consistently averaged approximately 26 million weekly viewers for the last three years. Alhurra is operated by the non-profit corporation “The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc.” (MBN). MBN is financed by the U.S. Government through a grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency. The BBG serves oversight and as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.