WASHINGTON, April 7, 2008 – Accuracy in Media (AIM), the media watchdog group
that campaigned to keep Al-Jazeera English off American airwaves in 2006, said today
that Dave Marash’s decision to leave the channel confirms its warnings and
fears.  Marash, the top U.S. journalist
at Al-Jazeera English, says that anti-American bias at the network was a factor
in his decision to leave.  “We have been
vindicated,” said AIM editor Cliff Kincaid.  “Marash’s departure will make it even more
difficult for the channel to get U.S. media access.”

In a
Fox News Channel debate with Kincaid prior to the channel’s launch in 2006, Marash had claimed
Al-Jazeera English would be editorially autonomous and independent from the
original and pro-terrorist Arabic Al-Jazeera, based in Doha, Qatar.  But AIM produced a report, “The Al-Jazeera Hall of
Shame,” citing evidence that key Al-Jazeera English personnel had come from
Al-Jazeera Arabic.  AIM also produced a
DVD, “Terror Television,”
documenting the channel’s pro-terrorist and anti-American bias, and
commissioned a public
opinion poll which found that most Americans didn’t want the channel to
have access to the U.S. media market.

In
interviews after his departure, Marash confirmed that the English channel is
under the firm control of the same people who control Al-Jazeera Arabic.  “Marash has seen the light,” Kincaid
commented.  “But we had warned all along
that this would be the case.”   

AIM’s
campaign had prevented Al-Jazeera from finding a major U.S. cable or satellite company
willing to carry it.  “We tried from the
beginning to expose Al-Jazeera English for what it is – an anti-American, Arab
government-financed propaganda operation,” Kincaid said.  “Now, hopefully, more people will take note.”

Accuracy in Media is a citizens’ media watchdog
organization whose mission is to promote fairness, balance, and accuracy in
news reporting.  Founded in 1969, AIM is
the oldest non-profit press watchdog group in America.  For more information, please visit www.aim.org.

To
arrange an interview with AIM editor Cliff Kincaid, contact Sarah Schaerr
Norton at (202) 364-4401 ext. 107 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

###

Related links:

Al-Jazeera
Hall of Shame:  http://www.aim.org/pdf/aji-hall-of-shame.pdf

Terror
Television DVD: http://www.shopaim.org/Terror-Television_p_3-698.html

Public
Opinion Poll: http://www.aim.org/pdf/AIM_Poll_on_Al-Jazeera_International.pdf

Kincaid-Marash
Debate: http://www.stopaljazeera.org/cliff_kincaid_dayside_debate.html

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