DEARBORN — The U.S. government-run AlHurra satellite television network visited The Arab American News office in Dearborn on Monday to film a segment for an upcoming show about Arab newspapers in America.

Correspondent Naser Abudiab (left) of the U.S. government’s AlHurra satellite television network interviews The Arab American News Publisher Osama Siblani about the operations and influence of the paper in his office. PHOTO: Rached ElMasri/TAAN

AlHurra broadcasts all over the Middle East from their station in Fairfax, Virginia. The camera crew on hand interviewed TAAN publisher Osama Siblani and executive editor M. Kay Siblani about the day-to-day operations of the newspaper.
“We are here to talk about the challenges Arab American publishers are facing and how come Arab newspapers in Europe are more popular than in the states, where they are still small in most cases,” said Naser Abudiab, who works as a correspondent for AlHurra.

The interview will air on the Today on AlHurra show, which is expected to officially launch in February 2009.

Abudiab said that the European newspapers have an easier time finding seasoned journalists who are fluent in both Arabic and English and also that they receive more funding from Arab nations because of their closer proximity to them.

He also said that The Arab American News is the largest Arab newspaper in the country that he has seen, including publications in New York and California.

Abudiab’s interview with Osama Siblani focused on the resources on hand and also the challenges TAAN deals with each day and the challenges it has overcome in the past.

The second interview with M. Kay Siblani discussed the paper’s role as a voice for the Arab community.

“It’s very unlikely that you get a true story in the mainstream media in the United States about Arabs,” she said.

“Papers like ours are a good way to bring the community to mainstream culture in America.”

M. Kay Siblani also added that it was a good idea for U.S. government-run organizations to continue to explore the various traits of the Arab community in order to foster better relations.

“It is very important for our government, which doesn’t have much knowledge of different ethnic communities, to continue to learn about them,” she said.

Osama Siblani was pleased that the paper was selected as one of just a handful of stops for the show in the country.

“We are proud as a newspaper to featured in the Arab American media,” he said. “I was happy the newspaper has been picked because of its history and its integrity.”