42
|
ISSUE 2 2013
|
THE CHANNEL
THE CHANNEL
|
MIDDLE EAST
In May 2012 the launch of Sky News Arabia increased choice for the viewers across
MENA. Described as 'an Arab voice backed by one of the world’s foremost news
organisations', the 24/7 rolling news channel is a JV between private investment
company ADMIC and the UK's leading pay-TV provider BSkyB. We asked the Head of
Sky News Arabia, Nart Bouran, how the first year has been
aving a reputable
organisation like
Sky News in a JV
here is a fantastic
opportunity. The
initial reaction of
users and viewers
to doing something in a slightly
different way has been very
positive. So you think ʹwell, great,
letʹs see what more we can doʹ.
Also, when amongst the
feedback some people agree with
what you are saying and others
donʹt, and when you get comments
from people on both sides of the
political spectrum, thatʹs always an
indication that from an editorial
perspective you are asking the right
questions and providing balanced
coverage. There is a long way to go
and there is competition from some
big players in the region. My policy
is that if you provide a good
editorial service you always get
noticed, you always move forward
if you are editorially sound.
What's your 'newand fresh’ approach?
In the past there were always a
couple of stories that dominated the
region, whether it was Iraq or the
Palestinian‐Israeli question, but we
are living now in a time when news
has never been more important in
the region. A medium sized story
that is happening now would have
been a top story any time of the day
a few years ago before all these
changes. The amount of coverage
that people are expecting has
grown so much.
Our editorial staff is independent
in covering the story but we also
have an editorial advisory
committee that acts as a sounding
board. So we look at a story that
has gone out and ask: were we
balanced in our coverage, did we
have all the angles that we required,
did we miss anything, what are the
lessons that we should have learnt?
We do that across the whole output,
making sure that we adhere to the
editorial standards that we set for
ourselves.
In the newsroom, immediately
when a story breaks, someone will
be saying ʹwell, we need to get the
other side of the storyʹ. And we try
to bring in fresh people from
outside to comment on the story.
The way we operate on a daily
basis is really built on putting more
points of view and of balancing
things a little more.
How do you balance Syria?
We are one of the few international
H
SOUND
EDITORIALLY
The
biggest
challenge
in Syria
is the
amount of
YouTube
video that
comes out
“
”
