Foreign Media Reaction Site


The Department of State has an interesting and potentially useful site called Foreiegn Media Reaction:

Each business day, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Research produces an Issue Focus of foreign media commentary on a major foreign policy issue or related event. These reports provide a global round-up of editorials and op-ed commentary from major newspapers, magazines and broadcast media around the world. Following a one-page analysis of the commentary, readers will find block quotes sorted by geographic region and country.

Each report has 3 sections: Key Findings, Major Themes and Editorial Excerpts and not unexpectedly seems to have an administration bias (sample size is 2).
The most recent report is titled MIDDLE EAST: IRAQ SIGNALS NEED FOR ‘DEMOCRATIC REFORMS and has these key findings:

** Kuwaiti and non-Arab writers assailed the Arab League for rejecting the Iraq Governing Council, a “body that is the most representative Iraq has ever known.”
** Other Arab papers declared they are “eagerly awaiting a legitimate government” in Baghdad.
** The American occupation could result in “possible geopolitical changes” in the Arab world.
** Critics dismissed U.S. attempts at “open infiltration of the Arab media.”

The bad news is that there are no links in the Editorial Excerpts section though I assume that a lot of this material has been translated.
Thanks to Brett Marston for the pointer.