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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, November 2006, page 61 Arab-American Activisms Arab-Jewish Comedy Highlights Journalists ConFab
THE HOLY LAND Comedy Tour performances of Jewish-American comedian Aaron Freeman and Palestinian partner Ray Hanania were featured this year at the annual convention of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) held in Chicago Aug. 24 to 27. Hanania also manned a booth at the convention on behalf of the National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA) and worked with a handful of Arab and Muslim journalists to lobby mainstream reporters to “report smart” on the American Arab and Muslim communities. “If we want to correct the flaws that exist in American mainstream journalism,” Hanania told Arab- and Muslim-American journalists who visited the booth, “we have to be at the frontline in every way, from addressing serious issues to also engaging in more subtle ways to change negative perceptions that are written in American stories.” More than 600 professional journalists from around the country attended the four-day convention at Chicago’s Hyatt Regency Hotel. NAAJA’s booth featured fact sheets on the Middle East, Arabs, Muslims and political issues, and distributed copies of the best Arab-American newspapers and magazines, including the Washington Report, from around the country. NAAJA volunteers also provided copies of résumés to editors and publishers on behalf of about 15 Arab American journalists. NAAJA, which has several chapters in formation, works closely as a caucus with the Asian American Journalists Association. Hanania serves on the AAJA Media Monitoring Committee, which challenges unprofessional references to Asians, Arabs and Muslims in the mainstream media. NAAJA remains in contact with about 147 Arab Americans working full-time in either mainstream American journalism positions or in Arab-American newspaper or magazines—of which there are about 70, according to NAAJA records that are updated each month. SPJ convention attendees were very interested in obtaining contact information for editors and publishers at Arab-American media because these editors and publishers can be their best and most reliable sources. “The biggest complaint I heard from mainstream journalists is that they cannot find reliable resources, sources or community representatives,” Hanania said, “and no one is more representative or reliable than the publisher, editor or reporter for a quality Arab-American newspaper or magazine. “The biggest complaint I heard from Arab American journalists who attended the SPJ conference,” Hanania continued, “is that they are targeted by hate groups like Little Green Footballs, MilitantIslam.com, Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), Daniel Pipes and other anti-Arab hate-mongers, simply because they happen to be Arab American or Muslim. They have very few resources to turn to in order to counter the pressure often exerted on their media employers. “Arab-American journalists need support,” he stated. “The reason we are targeted is that these anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate groups know that if we enter the mainstream journalism system and press for true professionalism, the coverage of the Middle East will change from the one-sided bias that it is today.” Now celebrating his 30th year in journalism, Hanania has won two SPJ Chicago writing awards and two Chicago Newspaper Guild column writing awards. He entered stand-up comedy after Sept. 11 and performs for Arab, Jewish and mainstream American audiences across the country. He has appeared on the “Today” show, “Good Morning America,” CNN and NPR, and at such clubs as Carolines on Broadway and the New York Comedy Club. Hanania partnered with Aaron Freeman and Sandy Shea to perform the hit comedy show “The Holy Land Comedy Tour.” Information on the show is available at <www.AaronFreeman.com> or <www.hanania.com>. —Courtesy National Arab American Journalists Association |
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