DENVER: When Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg donated $400 million to help fund election offices as they scrambled to deal with the coronavirus pandemic late last summer, he said he hoped he would never have to do it again.
Republican legislatures are granting him that wish.
At least eight GOP-controlled states have passed bans on donations to election offices this year as Republicans try to block outside funding of voting operations. The legislation often comes as part of Republican packages that also put new limits on how voters can cast ballots and impose new requirements on county or city-based election officials.
The response is spurred by anger and suspicion on the right that Zuckerberg’s money benefited Democrats in 2020. Conservatives have long accused the tech mogul’s social media platform of censoring right-wing voices as part of its campaign against misinformation.
Zuckerberg’s money was largely distributed through a nonpartisan foundation that had liberal roots. Conservative groups cite analyzes that the money went disproportionately to Democratic-leaning counties in key states such as Florida and Pennsylvania.
“People saw that, and looked around, and they were increasingly concerned about why would you have a billionaire funding our elections through the backdoor,” said Jessica Anderson, executive director of the conservative group Heritage Action, which has pushed the bans in several states.
But many election officials say that effort short-sighted and fueled by paranoia. Election offices, they argue, are chronically underfunded and now cannot benefit from donations that still flow to so many other branches of government, including police, schools and libraries.
Furthermore, they say there is no sign of favoritism in the distribution of the grants from Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Elections are more expensive in populous urban areas, and especially more so last year, when states scrambled to shift to mail voting to deal with the pandemic. Metro areas had to buy expensive equipment to open and sort mail ballots, a task that smaller, more GOP-leaning counties could do by hand or with less gear.
Also, Republican-leaning areas were already discouraged from accepting election grants due to conservative suspicion of Zuckerberg. The Republican attorney general of Louisiana last year ordered his state’s election offices to turn down grants from the nonprofit, the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which distributed $350 million of the Zuckerberg money.
“Every election department that applied, received funding,” said CTCL’s executive director, Tiana Epps-Johnson, adding that the distribution of the money “reflects those who chose to apply.”
A spokesman for Zuckerberg declined to address the wave of new legislation.
“When our nation’s election infrastructure faced unprecedented challenges last year due to the pandemic, Mark and Priscilla stepped up to close a funding gap and granted $350 million to the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonpartisan, 501 (c)(3) organization,” said Ben LaBolt. “Mark made clear this was a unique effort to address the unprecedented challenge of the pandemic and his preference for elections to be publicly funded.”
The center distributed grants to 2,500 election offices nationwide, from Alaska to Florida. The money was spent in a wide variety of ways — protective gear for poll workers, public education campaigns promoting new methods to vote during the pandemic, and new trucks to haul voting equipment.
In northern Arizona, sprawling Coconino County used its $614,000 grant to hire more election workers, particularly Navajo speakers who could do outreach on a reservation, and set up drive-up sites for voters to drop off ballots, said county recorder Patty Hansen.
She said it was the first time she had enough money to expand outreach to the entire county, which is among the biggest in land size in the country at 18,600 square miles but is sparsely populated.
“Because of the legislation passed and signed by the governor, we will never be able to get a grant like that ever again,” she said. “They’re cutting off a funding source to be able to provide these additional requirements they’re putting on us.”
Election officials have long complained they were underfunded, but never more so than last year when they had to instantly revamp their entire operations at the peak of the pandemic. There was a huge shift to mail voting, while even in-person voting required new protective measures, and hazard pay for poll workers.
Democrats pushed for an extra $2 billion for election offices in the initial coronavirus aid bill in April but only got $400 million. After a spring and summer of troubled primaries and partisan deadlock over more funding, Zuckerberg stepped in. He and Chan donated a total of $400 million to election offices — $350 million in the form of grants to local offices that were distributed through CTCL.
The selection of CTCL raised eyebrows among some conservatives because of the group’s roots. Some of its founders, including Epps-Johnson, once were at the New Organizing Institute, which provided data and training to liberal activists Still, CTCL has become respected among election officials and includes a Republican, Pam Anderson, former elected clerk of a suburban Denver-area county, on its board. In an interview, she said the group was “100 percent nonpartisan.”
Other Republican election officials have also vouched for the impartiality of the program. “I don’t see why governments should be barred from trying to work with the private sector in securing grant funds,” said Brian Mead, a Republican election director in Licking County, Ohio, outside Columbus, which received $77,000 from CTCL. “If we can work with the private sector and secure funds where we save our taxpayers money, I think that’s a good thing,” Mead said.
That did not mollify conservatives, especially after the initial grants went to major, Democratic-voting cities. In Pennsylvania, one of the central battlegrounds of the presidential election, Philadelphia, with an annual election budget of $12.3 million, received $10 million from CTCL. The conservative Foundation for Government Accountability found that in Pennsylvania, Democratic-voting counties received an average of $4.99 per voter, while Republican-voting ones got $1.12 per voter.
In Florida, the differential was also dramatic, with one-third of the $18 million in total money going to Democratic-leaning Palm Beach County, and an additional $2.4 million for Miami-Dade County, which backed Democrat Joe Biden, albeit more narrowly than expected. Republican Donald Trump won the state.
“If Charles Koch was doing this, well, for many of these people the shoe would be on the other foot,” said Hayden Dublois, a researcher at the Foundation for Government Accountability, referring to the conservative billionaire.
In some states, including Georgia and Texas, the new laws require all donations to local election offices to be distributed by the secretary of state. In Arizona, Kansas, Iowa and elsewhere, they are banned altogether.
Anderson, the Republican CTCL board member, said that will do real damage.
“If you want to block this funding, then I want to ask if the legislators are funding elections?” Anderson said. “Because so many states don’t.”
Zuckerberg’s cash fuels GOP suspicion and new election rules
https://arab.news/76v32
Zuckerberg’s cash fuels GOP suspicion and new election rules
- Conservatives have long accused the tech mogul’s social media platform of censoring right-wing voices as part of its campaign against misinformation
- Zuckerberg’s money was largely distributed through a nonpartisan foundation that had liberal roots
Sharjah Media City launches Podcast Room to support content creators
- The project aims to provide a professional environment equipped with cutting-edge technology to help emerging talents produce high-quality content
SHARJAH, UAE: Sharjah Media City, also known as Shams, has announced the launch of the Podcast Room as part of its efforts to support content creators, innovators, and the digital media industry in the region, it was announced on Wednesday.
The project aims to provide a professional environment equipped with cutting-edge technology to help emerging talents and professionals produce high-quality content, according to a statement.
The Podcast Room offers an integrated platform for recording and editing audio and video content, including podcasts, interviews, and media discussions, giving creators new opportunities to expand their reach and connect with a wider audience. The project aligns with Shams’ vision of supporting the creative economy and empowering local and Arab talents.
Rashid Abdullah Al-Obad, director of Shams, said: “The launch of the Podcast Room at Shams reflects our vision to strengthen the content creation ecosystem in the region by providing an integrated platform that enables creators to develop their work with the highest standards of quality and professional excellence. We remain committed to supporting media talents by offering cutting-edge technologies and advanced infrastructure.”
The Podcast Room comprises a designed space equipped with state-of-the-art audio recording technology, professional soundproofing, an advanced microphone system, and advanced shooting equipment to ensure superior content production.
It also offers live broadcasting services, multi-episode recording, and high-quality audio and video editing tools, providing content creators with the flexibility to develop their media projects seamlessly.
The Podcast Room offers a variety of design options, with each setup thoughtfully crafted to meet the needs of diverse programs and highlight the unique creative identity of every piece of content.
The room can be booked through the website: https://www.shams.ae/the-podcast-room.
AP wins reinstatement to White House events after judge rules government can’t bar its journalists
- Trump has moved aggressively against the media on several fronts since taking office again
- The outlet said it would continue to use Gulf of Mexico, as the body of water has been known for hundreds of years, while also noting Trump’s decision to rename it the Gulf of America
WASHINGTON: A federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to restore The Associated Press’ full access to cover presidential events, ruling on a case that touched at the heart of the First Amendment and affirming that the government cannot punish the news organization for the content of its speech.
US. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled that the government can’t retaliate against the AP’s decision not to follow Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico. The decision handed the AP a major victory at a time the White House has been challenging the press on several levels.
“Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists — be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewher — it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints,” McFadden wrote. “The Constitution requires no less.”
It was unclear whether the White House would move immediately to put McFadden’s ruling into effect. McFadden held off on implementing his order for a week, giving the government time to respond or appeal.
The AP has been blocked since Feb. 11 from being among the small group of journalists to cover Trump in the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One, with sporadic ability to cover him at events in East Room.
The organization had asked McFadden to rule that Trump had violated AP’s constitutional right to free speech by taking the action because he disagreed with the words that its journalists use. He had earlier declined AP’s request to reverse the changes through an injunction.
Trump came out and said why he made the move
While there was little dispute in a March 27 court hearing about why Trump struck back at the AP – the president said as much – the administration said it was up to its own discretion, and not White House correspondents or longstanding tradition, to determine who gets to question the president and when.
Since the dispute with AP began, the White House has taken steps to control who gets to cover the president at smaller events and even where journalists sit during press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s briefings, saying both need to better reflect changes in how people get information.
The AP’s decisions on what terminology to use are followed by journalists and other writers around the world through its influential stylebook. The outlet said it would continue to use Gulf of Mexico, as the body of water has been known for hundreds of years, while also noting Trump’s decision to rename it the Gulf of America. Different outlets have used different approaches, some skirting it by calling it the “Gulf.”
“For anyone who thinks The Associated Press’ lawsuit against President Trump’s White House is about the name of a body of water, think bigger,” Julie Pace, the AP’s executive editor, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. “It’s really about whether the government can control what you say.”
Trump has dismissed the AP, which was established in 1846, as a group of “radical left lunatics” and said that “we’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree it’s the Gulf of America.”
Testimony revealed AP’s coverage has been impeded
For a news organization that relies on speed as a major selling point, the AP brought its chief White House correspondent and photographer to testify before McFadden about how its absence from covering certain events has delayed its transmission of words and images. Its lawyer, Charles Tobin, said AP has already lost a $150,000 advertising contract from a client concerned about the ban.
The government’s lawyer, Brian Hudak, showed how AP has been able to use livestreams or photos from other agencies to get news out, and pointed out that AP regularly attends Leavitt’s daily briefings.
As a service whose product is delivered to thousands of newspapers, websites and broadcasters across the nation and world, the AP has been part of small text and photo “pools” that have covered presidents of both parties for decades. The administration has sought to give more prominence to new – and in many cases, Trump-friendly – outlets.
In its action filed on Feb. 21, the AP sued Leavitt, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich.
Trump has moved aggressively against the media on several fronts since taking office again. The Federal Communications Commission has open lawsuits against ABC, CBS and NBC News. The administration has sought to cut off funding for government-run news services like Voice of America and is threatening public funding for public broadcasters PBS and NPR for allegedly being too liberal in news coverage.
Sam Barnett to step down as CEO of MBC Group
- Former Nine Entertainment chief Mike Sneesby to take over on May 1
- Barnett to join Central European Media Enterprises in Prague
DUBAI: Sam Barnett is stepping down as CEO of MBC Group after more than two decades with the company.
He will be replaced by Mike Sneesby, the former CEO of Australian media network Nine Entertainment.
Barnett will join Central European Media Enterprises as its CEO. He will be based in Prague and oversee the company’s 46 TV channels and streaming platform Voyo.
Both men will take up their new roles on May 1.
“Sam Barnett has played a key role in growing our group into a regional market leader within the competitive media and entertainment industry,” MBC Group Chairman Waleed bin Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim said.
“Looking ahead, we have ambitious growth and expansion plans and I’m confident that Mike Sneesby, along with our stellar team, will propel the group to new heights.”
Before heading up Nine Entertainment, which runs several TV channels, websites and newspapers, Sneesby was CEO of its streaming platform subsidiary, Stan, which he also founded.
Sneesby said he aimed to continue MBC’s growth “with increasing global impact” through “innovation, creativity, digital transformation and our continued commitment to the production of world-leading content with fresh and compelling storytelling.”
Reporter burned alive in Israeli attack on Gaza media camp succumbs to injuries
- Footage on social media showed Ahmed Mansour engulfed in flames after the strike
- Israel said strike targeted Hassan Elslayeh, who it alleges is a Hamas operative involved in the Oct. 7 attacks
LONDON: Palestinian journalist Ahmed Mansour has died from burns sustained in an Israeli airstrike on a media tent near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Footage circulating on social media showed the moment Mansour, a reporter for the Palestine Today news agency, was engulfed in flames after the strike. Bystanders rushed to extinguish the fire using makeshift tools.
Mansour’s death brings the number of journalists killed in the attack to two, with at least eight others injured.
The Israeli army confirmed the strike on Monday, claiming it had targeted journalist Hassan Elslayeh, who it alleges is a Hamas operative involved in the Oct. 7 attacks on southern Israel. Elslayeh was injured in the strike.
In 2023, pro-Israeli watchdog HonestReporting published a photo of Elslayeh being kissed by the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, prompting CNN, Reuters, and the Associated Press to cut ties with him.
Also killed in Monday’s raid was Yousef Al-Faqawi, another reporter for Palestine Today. Their deaths bring the total number of media workers killed since the war began in October 2023 to more than 170. According to local authorities, at least 211 Palestinian journalists have been killed.
Rights groups have condemned the attack, with the Committee to Protect Journalists accusing Israel of repeatedly targeting media workers and ignoring international law.
“This is not the first time Israel has targeted a tent sheltering journalists in Gaza,” said Sara Qudah, the director for CPJ Middle East and North Africa. “The international community’s failure to act has allowed these attacks on the press to continue with impunity, undermining efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.”
CPJ urged authorities to allow immediate medical evacuation for those injured — many with severe burns — and called for an end to attacks on Gaza’s already devastated press corps.
The Israeli army resumed its offensive on Gaza on March 18, killing nearly 1,400 people and injuring more than 3,400 others, breaking a temporary ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump in Washington, saying new negotiations were underway to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
During the meeting, Trump repeated his controversial proposal for the US to “control” the Gaza Strip, describing it as “a great piece of real estate” — a plan he initially floated during Netanyahu’s February visit.
Since October 2023, more than 50,700 Palestinians — mostly women and children — have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
MBC launches second season of reality survival show ‘Million Dollar Land’
- 30 contestants compete over 30 days for the grand $1 million prize
- The show, comprising 13 episodes and 60 dailies, promises unpredictable and jaw-dropping twists
DUBAI: MBC’s reality survival game show “Million Dollar Land” has returned for a second season, with 30 contestants from across the Arab world navigating grueling challenges in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM desert for a shot at the grand $1 million prize.
The show, comprising 13 episodes and 60 dailies, promises unpredictable and jaw-dropping twists as participants compete over 30 days in new games that will be revealed throughout the series.
“The second season brings with it numerous surprises — from structural changes to the format, to new layers of competition, narrative, and thrill,” said Bassam Al-Braikan, general manager of public relations and corporate communications at MBC Group.
He noted that the second season comes after the show’s overwhelming success two years ago, with updates and enhancements introduced.
The game show, a spin-off of the Dutch “Million Dollar Island” from Talpa Studios, will see participants from different countries and professions partaking in challenges that test their endurance in the harsh desert life, survival skills and mental and physical resilience.
Upon arrival, participants receive bracelets worth $10,000 each. Their goal is to collect as many bracelets as possible through various challenges.
To survive, they need to form the right alliances, friendships, and secret pacts as they chase the grand prize.
“While the main rules of building alliances and strategies to gather the biggest number of bracelets are the same in the second season, viewers can expect new twists and turns. There are changes in the gameplay, unexpected twists, and new clashes among contestants,” Jenane Mandour, the show’s director, told Arab News at the program’s exclusive screening at Vox Cinemas at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.
Mandour added that the number of contestants has been reduced to 30 from the first season’s 100 participants “to introduce a change from the first season and to get to know each and every candidate more and focus on their stories.”
Contestants were selected through a wide casting search of candidates between 18 and 70 years old, provided they had no pre-existing health issues.
“Conditions are harsh in the desert, and not anyone can handle the hot and dry climate. Participants need to have mental resilience and strategic thinking to be able to gather as many bracelets as possible,” said Mandour.
However, to ensure players’ safety, organizers set clear guidelines and kept a 24-hour medical team on site for any emergencies.
On the question of whether only one winner walks away with the grand prize, Mandour said “you have to watch till the end to know.
“Like in all game shows, participants have to play hard and well to earn the $1 million.”
The Dubai-based TV company Blue Engine Studios executive produced the Arabic version of the show for MBC and the third season of the Dutch “Million Dollar Desert” for NET5 in NEOM, which has emerged as a burgeoning audiovisual production hub.
Ziad Kebbe, CEO of Blue Engine Studios, said that “Million Dollar Land” fills a gap in regional reality TV and aims to respond to viewer demand.
“Reality competitions are a major component of television content globally. These shows put everyday people in unpredictable and sometimes harsh conditions, prompting the audience to ask: ‘What would I do in their place?’,” said Kebbe.
On choosing NEOM as the filming location, Kebbe described it as “visually cinematic and historically significant. It’s not just filming a show; it’s capturing the story of a nation reinventing itself.”
Saudi actor Mohammed Elshehri, who hosted the show, told Arab News that “Million Dollar Land” presented “a mini model of reality,” making it a layered social experiment.
“It was fascinating to see how people changed on a daily basis physically and mentally under pressure.”
The reaction of contestants to participants who withdrew also served as a reminder of the impact people make on each other, said Elshehri.
“What surprised me consistently was seeing people cry when someone withdraws even though they haven’t known each other for a long time. Difficult conditions create powerful bonds, and the reason why people cried over some people and not others reminded me that it’s the impact you have on people that makes you unforgettable,” he added.
The program also highlighted the importance of withholding judgment, he said. “Viewers might see a participant’s choice as wrong, but in that moment — with limited information — it may have been their only option. Right or wrong is subjective.”
For Elshehri, the show helped expand his reach to different audiences across the Arab world, beyond Saudi Arabia.
The second season of “Million Dollar Land” will broadcast every Wednesday night on MBC Group’s TV channels and on Shahid from April 9.
