Helen Thomas Recipient of the 2010 Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award

Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com

Helen Thomas Recipient of the 2010 Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award

Washington, DC | www.adc.org | November 1, 2010 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is   proud to announce that the 2010 Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award will be presented to Helen Thomas at ADC's November 18, 2010, Gala dinner in her honor. The National Arab American Journalists Association (NAAJA) and the family of the late Arab American leader, Dr. Mohammad T. Mehdi, have selected Helen Thomas as this year's award recipient.

"The story of Helen Thomas, like my father's, is one of integrity, vision, boldness, and unflagging determination," said Anisa Mehdi, a Fulbright Scholar, documentary film producer, and Dr. Mehdi's eldest daughter. "Helen Thomas is a professional journalist who reported accurately, regardless of consequences, asked the tough questions, and applied principles of fairness -- not based on politics, race or religion, but on the merits of a story."

ADC National Board Chair, Dr. Safa Rifka, states, "It is befitting to have this award presented at the Gala celebrating the achievements and courage of Helen Thomas. Like Dr. Mehdi, Ms. Thomas is a courageous pioneer who is proud of her heritage and pursues the truth."

ADC President, Sara Najjar-Wilson, stated that, "No one deserves the Courage in Journalism award more than Helen Thomas. Helen's unwavering dedication to her work, love for her country, and courage in asking the tough questions that no other person dared ask, are a source of pride to all Americans. She broke the glass ceiling for all women and is a role model for all aspiring journalists."

Dr. Mehdi was a pioneer in American Arab journalism, publishing Action Newspaper in English in the 1970s and 1980s, and distributing it to communities around the country. Dr. Mehdi is often called "the father of the Arab movement in America."

The Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award was founded in 1999 by NAAJA and the family of Dr. Mehdi. This award honors those who display extraordinary courage in reporting on stories related to Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, and the Middle East. 

More information about the ADC dinner for Helen

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Contact: adc@adc.org
             202-244-2990

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This is a crucial time for ADC and Arab Americans. ADC’s success is dependent on the support and commitment of its members and donors. Your contribution will help combat discrimination, celebrate our rich cultural heritage, and promote a just US policy towards our relatives and the people in the Arab world.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is non-profit, non-sectarian and non-partisan, is the largest grassroots Arab-American civil rights and civil liberties organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk. ADC has a national network of chapters and members in all 50 states.

The ADC Research Institute (ADCRI) is a Section 501(c)(3) educational affiliate. ADCRI programs include research studies, seminars, conferences and publications that document and analyze the discrimination faced by Arab Americans in the workplace, schools, media, and governmental agencies and institutions. ADC and ADCRI celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Arabs and Arab-Americans.

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AT&T ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICE CENTER FOR ARABIC-SPEAKERS IN THE MIDWEST

Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com

AT&T ANNOUNCES NEW sERVICE center

FOR ARABIC-SPEAKERS IN THE MIDWEST

DETROIT, NOVEMBER 1, 2010 — AT&T* announced today a new sales and service center dedicated to serving customers in Arabic in the Midwest. Staffed by Arabic-speaking representatives, the new center provides customers who prefer to speak their native tongue with the full portfolio of AT&T services. The center allows customers to talk with a live Arabic-speaking representative and receive billing and technical support, as well as order AT&T products and services.

“We recognize the value of Arab American consumers and this new center was designed to better serve our important Arabic-speaking customer base in the Midwest,” said Jody Garcia, vice president, AT&T Consumer Sales Centers. “The new center is part of our continuing efforts to provide services that are relevant to this community, and that reflect how AT&T’s offerings fit into their lives and aspirations.”

The newly-launched Arabic center is available to assist customers in the following Midwest states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Customers who call 1-877-677-9195 for live Arabic service support can receive information regarding AT&T’s home phone, Internet, wireless and AT&T U-verse^® TV. U-verse TV offers popular Arabic-language programming as part of its diverse lineup, including Arabic Radio & Television, featuring live sporting events, dramas, news, variety, movies, and programming on national festivals and religious celebrations from around the Arab world.

AT&T connects with its customers through multicultural outreach efforts, including in-language advertising and marketing campaigns that represent the diversity of the communities it serves and that authentically portray diverse individuals in positive roles. Sponsorships of events such as the Arab International Festival, the Chaldean American Festival, and serving as corporate sponsor for the Arab American Chamber of Commerce, enable AT&T to inform consumers about its products and services, while at the same time connect with them through meaningful moments in a culturally-relevant way.

Customers who want additional information on AT&T U-verse TV — or to find out if it’s available in their area — can visit http://uverse.att.com or stop by the nearest AT&T retail location. For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE^® magazine. 

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.

© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse. Call or go to www.att.com/uverse to see if you qualify.

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CNNARABIC.COM RELAUNCHES WITH RAFT OF NEW FEATURES

Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com

CNNARABIC.COM RELAUNCHES WITH RAFT OF NEW FEATURES

CNN 's redesigned Arabic language website www.CNNArabic.com reinforces CNN’s on-going commitment to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as well as bringing CNN news to Arab-speaking communities across the globe. It follows a year after the opening of CNN Abu Dhabi in November 2009, which made CNN the first Western news organization to have a permanent broadcast and production hub in the region.

The investment is the most substantial in the website’s history and means that CNNArabic.com will now be aligned  with the look and feel of the brand’s award-winning CNN.com/international and CNN.com sites, at the same time as introducing a significantly enhanced content offering. 

The refreshed website is a direct response to extensive audience feedback on what they looked for from CNN. It puts ease of navigation, regional stories, exclusive interviews and content, and more video and enhanced interactivity at the heart of the re-design, and has invested in additional stringers to deliver the increased local content.

“This is a fundamental re-imagining of CNNArabic.com as part of our ongoing engagement with the Arabic speaking world,” says Rani Raad, senior vice president and managing director of CNN International Ad Sales and Business Development and General Manager of CNNArabic.com. “The investment is a statement of the scope of our ambitions in this important part of the world.”  

CNNArabic.com editor Caroline Faraj adds, “CNNArabic.com is your home for not just breaking news, but also human interest stories, expanded regional sports and business coverage and an aggregator for the best from the Arab blogosphere. We’ve put video content front and center to enrich the user experience, and we have made it easy for users to interact with the content and put their imprint on the site with their commentary and recommendations.”

About the new features

Connecting with the blogosphere and Facebook forums in the Arab world

Expanding on current activity with influential bloggers and Facebook forums in the Arab world, there are two dedicated segments for key social media influencers in the region to post their latest thoughts and ideas, and at the same time add their URL so users can easily access their pages. The site’s team will provide their weekly roundup of the most important and interesting Arab blogs and Facebook forums and invites users to recommend their own favorites.

Bringing the latest regional business, sports and entertainment news

CNN’s reporting takes on a more localized perspective to provide a daily roundup of the stories making the headlines across both Arab and international media.  There are daily reports from the MENA markets as well as weekly roundup of financial news.  Moving beyond the news headlines, it also throws the spotlight on the big sports names from the region with regular segments on Arab athletes and brings the latest news from the world of entertainment with recommended movies of the week.  Each week a feature story tackles the hot topics from the region and users are encouraged to post their comments online.

Keeping users up-to-date on CNN’s local programming

Users can stay up to date on CNN’s most popular programming from the region, including Inside the Middle East, Inside Africa, Marketplace Middle East, and Marketplace Africa via locally edited programming pages.

Notes to Editors:

Launched in 2002, CNNArabic.com is produced in Dubai. Follow CNNarabic.com on Twitter @cnnarabic and Facebook www.facebook.com/CNNArabic