Mosaic: World News from The Middle East was a daily news program offered by the free American satellite channel, LinkTV. Mosaic featured selections from television news programs produced by broadcast outlets throughout the Middle East. The news reports were presented unedited, translated into English when necessary. The "Mosaic" series was created by Stephen Olsson and Kim Spencer. Its founding producer was Jamal Dajani, a Palestinian American and it was co-produced by David Michaelis, an Israeli Jew.Stewart, Rhonda. "Middle East News Reports Are Not Welcomed by All, The Boston Globe, February 5, 2004. Accessed July 31, 2006. From late 2010 until 2013, the daily Mosaic program was co-produced by Lara Bitar and Abdullah Edwan.
Awards It won a Peabody Award in 2004.64th Annual Peabody Awards, May 2005.
Distribution Mosaic was broadcast on Link TV, a free informational channel available on DirecTV, Dish Network and some US cable TV systems; and is archived by the Internet Archive, from which it can be viewed.
Sources +NetworkCountryPublic Establishment of Television (Algeria TV)Nile TVJordan Satellite ChannelIsrael Broadcasting AuthorityAl Iraqiya, Al Sharqiya, Al Sumaria Al-Alam News Network, IRINN, Jame Jam TV, Press TVFuture TV, National Broadcasting Network, New TV2M Palestinian Satellite ChannelRT ArabicSyria TVAl Arabiya Sudan TVAl JazeeraAbu Dhabi TV, Dubai TVBBC Arabic, Arab News NetworkYemen TV
Former +NetworkCountryNotesAl-ManarDropped in 2005. Hezbollah's TV station.Iraq TVShut down due to the Iraq war. Would be replaced by Al-Iraqiyah.
Funding Mosaic was supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Firedoll Foundation, and Link TV viewers.
Controversy In January 2004, and again in January 2005, disputes arose over the airing of Mosaic on NewTV, the Public-access television cable TV channel of Newton, Massachusetts. Opponents of its airing argued that the program provides a distorted view of Arab broadcasts, and a venue for antisemitism, anti-Americanism, and "terrorist propaganda".Viser, Matt. Mideast Cable Show to Air 5 days, The Boston Globe, January 6, 2005. Accessed July 31, 2006. Supporters of the program, while conceding that the broadcasts may on occasion contain "anti-Semitic and anti-American content", argued that they "give Americans a diverse array of information about how the country is portrayed in the Middle East", and that their broadcast is a free speech issue."Supporters disagree, saying that the broadcasts give Americans a diverse array of information about how the country is portrayed in the Middle East. They say although there is anti-Semitic and anti-American content, it’s an issue of free speech." Andrews, Sarah. Arab News Program Sparks Outcry , The Newton Tab, January 20, 2004. Accessed July 31, 2006
Mosaic has also been criticized by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, which claims it "whitewashes terrorism and promotes extremism".Hollander, Ricky. "'Mosaic' Deceptions", Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, April 17, 2004. Accessed August 3, 2005.
References
External links LinkTV site for Mosaic Mosaic stream archive Mosaic video archive at the Internet Archive Streaming video archive available. Mosaic Intelligence Report Jamal Dajani Home Page The New York Times