What happened to 7days?
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What happened to 7days?
Hi gents .. does anybody know what happened to 7days? It has been days since it was last delivered to my place... I have to admit it went well with my morning coffee while waiting for transport...
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From the 7 Days website:
Like everything in this 
of a country, don't dare to speak the truth or it will be twisted as either blasphemy, lies or treason. The government is great to promote their promotion of "freedom of the press" as long as none of that freedom to express refers to them or their corrupt country.
The treatment of workers in this country is truly apalling. But don' dare tell the truth and tarnish the "iconic" reputation of the UAE
or there is hell to pay.
Unfortunately this attitude pervades all aspects of this place including EK. And that is why ultimately the UAE will never be anything more than a 3rd world wanna-be with deep pockets and no soul.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Do you realise the harm you are doing?
We at 7DAYS have always welcomed fair competition, and competitiveness, in the field of journalism especially if it is to the betterment of the press and media at large, as well as the readers, both expatriates and citizens of the UAE alike.
Unfortunately, however, over the last few days we have found ourselves at the receiving end of a concerted and vicious campaign aimed at discrediting our name and professional conduct.
It is with great sadness and dismay that we find fellow media organisations continuously attacking a specific feature, which 7DAYS has officially apologised for, for being culturally offensive to the country of the UAE, and far more seriously, continuing to incorrectly, and shamefully, imply that we deliberately misquoted the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in our edition of Tuesday, November 21, 2006.
We take great offence at these allegations because we have the utmost respect for the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and everything that he does and represents.
The cover story in question was derived from the official UAE press agency WAM, and the respected international wire agency Agence France Presse (“AFP”). Not at any point in the cover story did a single member of 7DAYS’ editorial team add any extra comments, and it should have been abundantly obvious to those in the newspaper industry, as well as to any reader, that the words, are clearly outside the quote of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa, and were not in any way attributed to him.
"As a result, the standing laws on immigration in Western countries can not apply fully to these workers," who often complain of not being paid salaries or over poor housing at labour camps in the desert, he said.
This paragraph was taken directly, and without alteration, from AFP.
It seems that there are those who are pursuing their own agenda against 7DAYS, and have seized this window of opportunity to discredit us without checking the facts.
It is particularly disappointing to read those who are accusing 7DAYS of misrepresenting the President, of blindly pursuing this line without doing their own research as to what exactly AFP and WAM disseminated, which is what was printed eventually in 7DAYS, word for word.
That these newspapers could allow their editorial staff to publish such unsubstantiated and incorrect opinions in the pursuit of tarnishing a fellow publication’s reputation goes beyond the bounds of fair and professional competition.
Not only are these allegations damaging to 7DAYS’ reputation and standing in society, but they have also called for petty boycotts by advertisers and sponsors.
When 7DAYS commits an error, and we have in the past, we are the first to put our hands up and admit it. But if certain parties are waging a campaign against us purely for their own benefit, financial or otherwise, then the UAE’s journalism industry has more serious issues to consider.
We at 7DAYS have always welcomed fair competition, and competitiveness, in the field of journalism especially if it is to the betterment of the press and media at large, as well as the readers, both expatriates and citizens of the UAE alike.
Unfortunately, however, over the last few days we have found ourselves at the receiving end of a concerted and vicious campaign aimed at discrediting our name and professional conduct.
It is with great sadness and dismay that we find fellow media organisations continuously attacking a specific feature, which 7DAYS has officially apologised for, for being culturally offensive to the country of the UAE, and far more seriously, continuing to incorrectly, and shamefully, imply that we deliberately misquoted the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in our edition of Tuesday, November 21, 2006.
We take great offence at these allegations because we have the utmost respect for the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and everything that he does and represents.
The cover story in question was derived from the official UAE press agency WAM, and the respected international wire agency Agence France Presse (“AFP”). Not at any point in the cover story did a single member of 7DAYS’ editorial team add any extra comments, and it should have been abundantly obvious to those in the newspaper industry, as well as to any reader, that the words, are clearly outside the quote of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa, and were not in any way attributed to him.
"As a result, the standing laws on immigration in Western countries can not apply fully to these workers," who often complain of not being paid salaries or over poor housing at labour camps in the desert, he said.
This paragraph was taken directly, and without alteration, from AFP.
It seems that there are those who are pursuing their own agenda against 7DAYS, and have seized this window of opportunity to discredit us without checking the facts.
It is particularly disappointing to read those who are accusing 7DAYS of misrepresenting the President, of blindly pursuing this line without doing their own research as to what exactly AFP and WAM disseminated, which is what was printed eventually in 7DAYS, word for word.
That these newspapers could allow their editorial staff to publish such unsubstantiated and incorrect opinions in the pursuit of tarnishing a fellow publication’s reputation goes beyond the bounds of fair and professional competition.
Not only are these allegations damaging to 7DAYS’ reputation and standing in society, but they have also called for petty boycotts by advertisers and sponsors.
When 7DAYS commits an error, and we have in the past, we are the first to put our hands up and admit it. But if certain parties are waging a campaign against us purely for their own benefit, financial or otherwise, then the UAE’s journalism industry has more serious issues to consider.
of a country, don't dare to speak the truth or it will be twisted as either blasphemy, lies or treason. The government is great to promote their promotion of "freedom of the press" as long as none of that freedom to express refers to them or their corrupt country.The treatment of workers in this country is truly apalling. But don' dare tell the truth and tarnish the "iconic" reputation of the UAE
or there is hell to pay.Unfortunately this attitude pervades all aspects of this place including EK. And that is why ultimately the UAE will never be anything more than a 3rd world wanna-be with deep pockets and no soul.
Just my 2 cents worth.
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The specific interview in question
This is from the official UAE government controlled website:
Note to those unfamiliar:
-this is from the leader of the UAE
-this attitude applies to ALL foreign workers (including EK pilots).
At least he had the balls to come out and say it like it is.
Full text of interview: http://uaeinteract.com/news/rss-news.asp?ID=22818
Q:- As the UAE opens up, the international media has become increasingly interested in a variety of issues such as workers and their rights and other topics in all walks of life, the progress of which is being monitored
by human rights watchdogs and other international agencies. In the UAE, do you feel you that are addressing such criticisms and questions in such a prompt way that may dissipate concerns spelt out by these groups, or do
you feel that some of their remarks are rather exaggerated?
A:- The UAE, since its creation, has been keen to have human rights incorporated into its Constitution. A host of mechanisms has thus been formulated that will help enhance and cherish these rights, ensure that the workers' basic rights are put into practice and honoured and that a package of strict laws, designed to maintain their rights and improve their conditions, are applied.
We have further issued a law on combating human trafficking crimes. This was preceded by a new set of measures aimed at barring expatriate domestic labourers from being exploited by owners of companies and establishments. However, counter to these efforts, we find that the nature of statements released by human rights organisations is greatly exaggerated. They are based on factual misunderstanding and misperceptions about what is taking place in real life. As you may be aware, the workers to whom the UAE plays host can not be regarded as migrant labourers since they are working on a temporary basis and under specific employment contracts. Therefore, immigration laws as enacted in Western countries can not be applied
altogether to those workers.
by human rights watchdogs and other international agencies. In the UAE, do you feel you that are addressing such criticisms and questions in such a prompt way that may dissipate concerns spelt out by these groups, or do
you feel that some of their remarks are rather exaggerated?
A:- The UAE, since its creation, has been keen to have human rights incorporated into its Constitution. A host of mechanisms has thus been formulated that will help enhance and cherish these rights, ensure that the workers' basic rights are put into practice and honoured and that a package of strict laws, designed to maintain their rights and improve their conditions, are applied.
We have further issued a law on combating human trafficking crimes. This was preceded by a new set of measures aimed at barring expatriate domestic labourers from being exploited by owners of companies and establishments. However, counter to these efforts, we find that the nature of statements released by human rights organisations is greatly exaggerated. They are based on factual misunderstanding and misperceptions about what is taking place in real life. As you may be aware, the workers to whom the UAE plays host can not be regarded as migrant labourers since they are working on a temporary basis and under specific employment contracts. Therefore, immigration laws as enacted in Western countries can not be applied
altogether to those workers.
-this is from the leader of the UAE
-this attitude applies to ALL foreign workers (including EK pilots).
At least he had the balls to come out and say it like it is.
Full text of interview: http://uaeinteract.com/news/rss-news.asp?ID=22818
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And additionally if you're interested in the article that started the whole "cover your ass" remarks by HH, here is the article published by the World Human Rights watchdog.
http://hrw.org/reports/2006/uae1106/1.htm
If interested probably read it before it is blocked by Etisilat.
http://hrw.org/reports/2006/uae1106/1.htm
If interested probably read it before it is blocked by Etisilat.
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7 Days to return?
It's 7 A.M. and no 7 Days yet again 
(but also no barking dogs set off by the delivery boy...)
Any word on their return, if ever? I have fish to wrap!
j
(but also no barking dogs set off by the delivery boy...)Any word on their return, if ever? I have fish to wrap!
j
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I recently drew the attention of the editors of 7DAYS to the following situation:
- new telecom startup DU is recruiting UAE nationals as customer service agents (i.e. call centre agents) offering Dhs. 8,000 per month; officially, DU has a very ambitious "emirisation" programme
- however, as they cannot or will not absorb such comparatively high salaries, they are outsourcing the majority of their call centre work to Emirates Bank, who are recruiting expat (essentially means Indian) staff, offering them Dhs 3,000 a month for essentially the same job.
I thought this would give them some background on coverage of why the offically promoted line of getting more Emiratis into the job market will not work - unless everybody is prepared to pay MUCH more for everything.
They never followed up.
- new telecom startup DU is recruiting UAE nationals as customer service agents (i.e. call centre agents) offering Dhs. 8,000 per month; officially, DU has a very ambitious "emirisation" programme
- however, as they cannot or will not absorb such comparatively high salaries, they are outsourcing the majority of their call centre work to Emirates Bank, who are recruiting expat (essentially means Indian) staff, offering them Dhs 3,000 a month for essentially the same job.
I thought this would give them some background on coverage of why the offically promoted line of getting more Emiratis into the job market will not work - unless everybody is prepared to pay MUCH more for everything.
They never followed up.
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Apparently 7Days has not been officially banned or censored but word has come from the Majlis to restrict its circulation to pay it back for the above slight on the leadership. As a result the brothers have banded together and its distribution has been forbidden in areas that can be controlled. Business leaders (the four or five big UAE families) have used this opportunity to pay sycophantic homage to those in Abu Dhabi by flexing their muscles and as a result 7 days distribution has been banned in all Emaar developments Starbucks outlets etc. Our own “enlightened leadership” at EK seem to have jumped on the bandwagon because it has been withdrawn from distribution at Emirates group controlled Costa Coffee too.
Who needs censorship when you have almost total control of the economy through monopoly?
Who needs censorship when you have almost total control of the economy through monopoly?
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What a complete shambles this place is. The one paper that has had the balls to actually print the truth is now not permitted to print it. Freedom of Press? Forget it. It just makes a mockery of Shk Mo's efforts to open the country. If our esteemed leaders do not like what they say to be printed, they better be careful what they say. Perhaps a course in media relations and spending a few days with British politicians would help...
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Update on 7 days
7Days, seventh hell
The rumours continue to fly over popular free UAE tabloid 7Days: is it going to be shut down? Has it disappeared for good?
7Days has had a chequered past. It began life as arguably the worst, most puerile and ill-written weekly newspaper the world has ever witnessed.
Then it went (six) daily, and by some miracle, was transformed into a decent and amusing little rag. Its letters page became a phenomenon: a kind of literary qahwa-house for gossip, mudslinging and general exchanges between expats, locals and a host of amusing fake-letter writing trolls. Who can forget "Maria Metcalf" and the labourers disturbing her Jumeirah coffee mornings? Or Penny Francis and her homophobic Ladies' Circle?
Things progressed, culminating in the purchase of a 60% stake in 7Days by UK-based Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail and Metro.
Then suddenly, something went very, horribly wrong. 7Days had withstood many buffetings and high winds over the course of time, but never such a storm as this. The trigger? Bizarrely, a supposedly light-hearted, international feature about women's assertiveness training in Russia, unfortunately titled "Bitch school". For some reason this was a huge insult to local culture. That article has since been deleted from their site, but the same story can be found in this Telegraph article. Fairly innocuous one would think.
The next bizarre furore was over an interview with UAE President Khalifa, reprinted from WAM and AFP copy. To the average expat, it was a positive, serious article and an important and useful opportunity to read a translation of his Highness's words, given the original article was printed in Arabic in a London newspaper. But to the Arab press, 7Days had committed some kind of earthshattering outrage where Khalifa misquoted and utterly insulted. That article stayed up for longer, but has now been deleted, its Google cache can be seen here.
Three Arab papers - two of which are owned by rival Dubai government-owned media group AMG - raged against 7Days in their editorials and called for an advertiser boycott of 7Days. 7Days, which had apologised profusely and even fired someone over the Russian article, was absolutely bewildered, as were most of its readers, and it is interesting to note that it has not been forced to print an apology for the article.
Then 7Days starts disappearing. It has allegedly been banned from Emaar properties. Various advertisers pull out. The distributor quits. Rumours fly that it has been shut down. Conspiracy theories abound. According to the latest sources, 7Days has found a new distributor, and deliveries are returning to normal.
The question remains: why? Why is there suddenly an orchestrated campaign to shut down a newspaper that could have easily been closed over numerous, far more obviously controversial articles at many times in its history?
Could it be that someone has finally realised the significance of having an independent newspaper in the UAE owned by a very powerful international group? If so, they need to think a bit further about how that powerful group might react if its new acquisition is crushed and killed.
posted by secretdubai at 2:51 AM 33 comments Add to del.icio.us
The rumours continue to fly over popular free UAE tabloid 7Days: is it going to be shut down? Has it disappeared for good?
7Days has had a chequered past. It began life as arguably the worst, most puerile and ill-written weekly newspaper the world has ever witnessed.
Then it went (six) daily, and by some miracle, was transformed into a decent and amusing little rag. Its letters page became a phenomenon: a kind of literary qahwa-house for gossip, mudslinging and general exchanges between expats, locals and a host of amusing fake-letter writing trolls. Who can forget "Maria Metcalf" and the labourers disturbing her Jumeirah coffee mornings? Or Penny Francis and her homophobic Ladies' Circle?
Things progressed, culminating in the purchase of a 60% stake in 7Days by UK-based Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail and Metro.
Then suddenly, something went very, horribly wrong. 7Days had withstood many buffetings and high winds over the course of time, but never such a storm as this. The trigger? Bizarrely, a supposedly light-hearted, international feature about women's assertiveness training in Russia, unfortunately titled "Bitch school". For some reason this was a huge insult to local culture. That article has since been deleted from their site, but the same story can be found in this Telegraph article. Fairly innocuous one would think.
The next bizarre furore was over an interview with UAE President Khalifa, reprinted from WAM and AFP copy. To the average expat, it was a positive, serious article and an important and useful opportunity to read a translation of his Highness's words, given the original article was printed in Arabic in a London newspaper. But to the Arab press, 7Days had committed some kind of earthshattering outrage where Khalifa misquoted and utterly insulted. That article stayed up for longer, but has now been deleted, its Google cache can be seen here.
Three Arab papers - two of which are owned by rival Dubai government-owned media group AMG - raged against 7Days in their editorials and called for an advertiser boycott of 7Days. 7Days, which had apologised profusely and even fired someone over the Russian article, was absolutely bewildered, as were most of its readers, and it is interesting to note that it has not been forced to print an apology for the article.
Then 7Days starts disappearing. It has allegedly been banned from Emaar properties. Various advertisers pull out. The distributor quits. Rumours fly that it has been shut down. Conspiracy theories abound. According to the latest sources, 7Days has found a new distributor, and deliveries are returning to normal.
The question remains: why? Why is there suddenly an orchestrated campaign to shut down a newspaper that could have easily been closed over numerous, far more obviously controversial articles at many times in its history?
Could it be that someone has finally realised the significance of having an independent newspaper in the UAE owned by a very powerful international group? If so, they need to think a bit further about how that powerful group might react if its new acquisition is crushed and killed.
posted by secretdubai at 2:51 AM 33 comments Add to del.icio.us
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Additional Information on the Dubai "free press"
Positively imbecilic
A great surprise for many hacks throughout the sandlands who erroneously believed their profession to be about reporting the truth, providing information, and exposing injustice and wrongdoing.
Apparently their job is actually to "project a positive and true image of the country", according Youssef Al Hassan of the Emirates Institute of Diplomacy:
"Hassan said media and the ministry are responsible for projecting a positive image of the UAE and there should be some kind of cooperation between them to carry out the duty. The seminar also discussed weak points in the UAE media. “We need more transparency in our media and we should know what is the exact image we want to deliver to others about us,” Hassan said."
Hassan, journalists couldn't care less about the "exact image" you want to project. That's not their job. It's your job and the job of your PR companies and spin-men. It's the media's job to cut through your crap and find the dark rot behind the diamanté exterior. So if the media doesn't swallow your spin, bad luck.
There's always Emirates Today.
A great surprise for many hacks throughout the sandlands who erroneously believed their profession to be about reporting the truth, providing information, and exposing injustice and wrongdoing.
Apparently their job is actually to "project a positive and true image of the country", according Youssef Al Hassan of the Emirates Institute of Diplomacy:
"Hassan said media and the ministry are responsible for projecting a positive image of the UAE and there should be some kind of cooperation between them to carry out the duty. The seminar also discussed weak points in the UAE media. “We need more transparency in our media and we should know what is the exact image we want to deliver to others about us,” Hassan said."
Hassan, journalists couldn't care less about the "exact image" you want to project. That's not their job. It's your job and the job of your PR companies and spin-men. It's the media's job to cut through your crap and find the dark rot behind the diamanté exterior. So if the media doesn't swallow your spin, bad luck.
There's always Emirates Today.
