Media

While walking in to meet her for coffee at the lounge of the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus, I saw young girls peeping in from a distance, trying to see if their eyesight was failing them, too shy to walk up and introduce themselves. Excited, they were speaking to each other in Arabic, saying, “It’s Barbara Walters!” I smiled to myself, pleased that Walters was recognized by such a young generation of Syrians, who were never officially exposed to American television. I offered to introduce them to her; they declined, and confessed that they would look bad with their poor English. These young girls had grown up, however, at a time when satellite television and the internet were part of day-to-day life in Syria. They instantly recognized the face of Barbara Walters, a strong-minded and determined woman who has claimed a place for herself in the media world, with talent and character, since 1962. She is best known for morning television shows like Today, ABC’s evening news magazine 20/20, on which she worked as co-host for 25 years, “ABC World News Tonight,” and on her daily program “The View.”

From the wonders and spectacles of the Middle East, Hala Gorani brings the humane side of every story to light and puts the world’s greatest events in perspective. Based in Atlanta and endlessly lying from one place to another, 37- years old Gorani coanchors CNN International’s ‘Your World Today’ with Jim Clancy and hosts ‘Inside the Middle East’, a half-hour monthly program that features stories on the most important social and cultural is-sues in the region. She has lived and breathed the journalistic scene for well over a decade, making a name for herself through her neutral coverage of stories in a way that always touched viewers on different levels. From Beirut to Gaza, from Baghdad to Mecca, Gorani has reported from almost every country in the Middle East, and was one of the first television reporters on the air when al-Qaeda suicide bombers attacked hotels in Jordan in November 2005.

The latest reliable data show the number of Syrians accessing the World Wide Web has jumped by more than 1,500% over the past six years. The way the internet is connecting Syrians with information about the world and each other is practically too good to be true. Just ask young bloggers in Damascus.

 Hunting for fame, bigger audiences and better salaries, some of the potential stars of Syrian television have left for competing satellite channels. In order to keep their talented employees, the Syrian state owned channel faces challenges similar to those of the rest of the Syrian society.

“Out of 100 people employed, only 10% are really good” says Nour Atassi, an anchor from programs on social affairs, economics and movies. “This is why people watching Syrian television might get the impression that we don’t have any good presenters. You don’t distinguish them among the rest.” Applicants for Syrian television have to go through a selection process where their education is looked upon as well as their appearance in front of the camera. Still, personal connections are important and those who are hired might not always be the best ones for the job. Atassi feels that, in general, people working for Syrian television might see it as an academy where they can get the experience they need to move on when a better offer presents itself. For her personally, this is not the case.

“We offer full advertising services by internationally trained, locally ingrained staff who are now 25 strong,” says Krayem. “Our staff is entirely Syrian, and through mere chance, the company is a diverse blend from all over Syria. It really gives us a deeper insight into the Syrian psyche.”