[July 28, 2009] Sidestepping the biased mainstream US media CHICAGO, Jul 29, 2009 (Arab News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Veteran journalist and award-winning columnist Ray Hanania has been battling bias in the mainstream news media since the day he picked up his first newspaper in the suburbs of Chicago in the early 1970s. An American Arab of Palestinian heritage, Hanania saw that the mainstream news media was unfairly covering the Middle East conflict and was intentionally portraying American Arabs as terrorists, always ignoring their positive contributions to the US society. That battle has become his lifelong avocation and this week he announced the release of his latest book, a battlefield manual to fight against the inherent bias in the mainstream American news media using Internet networking strategies called Secrets of New Media Networking." "Too often people in my community blame media bias on another race or religion but this is mistaken stereotyping to excuse away their lack of understanding of how the mainstream news media really works," says Hanania who entered professional journalism in the early 1970s. "In the past, the only way to battle mainstream media bias was to enter journalism as a profession," he said. "But with the rise of the Internet and the collapsing mainstream news media, you do not need to go to the mainstream news media to reach the public. You can do it on your own. Secrets of New Media Networking helps you understand not only how to set up an effective Internet media network to promote your community, views, activities, opinions and more. But it also walks you through a real understanding of communications in America and the principles that make message compelling." Hanania manages a network of four major websites, 11 blogs, writes for more than two dozen newspapers in print and online, manages several online news organizations, hosts his own morning radio show and weekly cable TV show, and uploads his radio and video broadcasts to the Internet. "The mainstream news media is biased and they won't change. That bias more than any other factor is what is helping to undermine the media and force many mainstream newspapers to close," Hanania said. "You can still use the mainstream news media, but you do not need them to get your message out. You can create your own media and my book helps you do it in a professional and effective manner." To see more of the Arab News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.arabnews.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Arab News, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To the Online Project Management Community's Homepage ]