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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/21/algeria-hostage-crisis-coverage-mauritanian-agency
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| Algerian hostage crisis coverage dominated by Mauritanian news agency | Algerian hostage crisis coverage dominated by Mauritanian news agency |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| It is important for journalists to be in the right place and to have good sources, and Mauritania's Nouakchott news agency has found that its contacts with the jihadists at the centre of the Algerian hostage crisis have paid off big time. | It is important for journalists to be in the right place and to have good sources, and Mauritania's Nouakchott news agency has found that its contacts with the jihadists at the centre of the Algerian hostage crisis have paid off big time. |
| Over the four days of the siege, ANI, as it is known by its French initials, reported extensively and often exclusively on the Mulathimun ("The Masked") brigade led by the Algerian Mokhtar Belmokhtar. | Over the four days of the siege, ANI, as it is known by its French initials, reported extensively and often exclusively on the Mulathimun ("The Masked") brigade led by the Algerian Mokhtar Belmokhtar. |
| Unnamed spokesmen told ANI that the attackers had arrived from Niger, that they included Canadians as well as Libyans, Mauritanians and Malians, and that several hostages had been killed in assaults by Algerian special forces. On Sunday ANI published a communique – "a copy of which reached the agency" – explaining the group's position and demands. | Unnamed spokesmen told ANI that the attackers had arrived from Niger, that they included Canadians as well as Libyans, Mauritanians and Malians, and that several hostages had been killed in assaults by Algerian special forces. On Sunday ANI published a communique – "a copy of which reached the agency" – explaining the group's position and demands. |
| Larger international news agencies such as Agence France Presse have relied on its detailed reports. When a Mulathimun spokesman rang ANI from the BP site, the sound of explosions and fighting could be heard in the background. | Larger international news agencies such as Agence France Presse have relied on its detailed reports. When a Mulathimun spokesman rang ANI from the BP site, the sound of explosions and fighting could be heard in the background. |
| But the ANI's scoops have caused problems. As it reported on Monday, Mauritania's media regulator has summoned its editor-in-chief Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Maali, to explain his coverage of the incident. | But the ANI's scoops have caused problems. As it reported on Monday, Mauritania's media regulator has summoned its editor-in-chief Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Maali, to explain his coverage of the incident. |
| The Algerian paper El Watan denounced it on Monday as the "chosen channel of terrorist propaganda" which it protested had served up information from terrorist spokesmen "on a silver platter". | The Algerian paper El Watan denounced it on Monday as the "chosen channel of terrorist propaganda" which it protested had served up information from terrorist spokesmen "on a silver platter". |
| According to El Watan, Belmokhtar chose ANI three years ago to "polish his image" and claimed that El Maali had been arrested recently after interviewing a Mauritanian Salafist leader. It said that one of its journalists had an address book with the names of the "most wanted jihadists in the region". | According to El Watan, Belmokhtar chose ANI three years ago to "polish his image" and claimed that El Maali had been arrested recently after interviewing a Mauritanian Salafist leader. It said that one of its journalists had an address book with the names of the "most wanted jihadists in the region". |
| El Maali was said to be "travelling" on Monday and unavailable for comment. | El Maali was said to be "travelling" on Monday and unavailable for comment. |
| The agency said it had refused to broadcast statements by the hostage-takers or to interview the captives out of concern for their families. A claim on its website that the raid was the work of the Algerian secret services was posted by a hacker and later removed, it said. | The agency said it had refused to broadcast statements by the hostage-takers or to interview the captives out of concern for their families. A claim on its website that the raid was the work of the Algerian secret services was posted by a hacker and later removed, it said. |
| "The El Watan article is full of lies and disinformation and incitement and hypocrisy," Sidi el-Mokhtar Sidi, editor of ANI's Arabic website, told the Guardian. | "The El Watan article is full of lies and disinformation and incitement and hypocrisy," Sidi el-Mokhtar Sidi, editor of ANI's Arabic website, told the Guardian. |
| "The spokesmen for these groups, who are media experts, are available on the internet and they send us emails," he said. "There are no relations between the ANI and the terrorists except that we are journalists and we publish their communiques just as we do those of other political groups. | "The spokesmen for these groups, who are media experts, are available on the internet and they send us emails," he said. "There are no relations between the ANI and the terrorists except that we are journalists and we publish their communiques just as we do those of other political groups. |
| "They phoned us a few times from the gas complex and gave us information that we made clear came from them. We also published stories from APS [the Algerian state news agency]. And Belmokhtar is an Algerian. We are Mauritanians. We have no link with him." | "They phoned us a few times from the gas complex and gave us information that we made clear came from them. We also published stories from APS [the Algerian state news agency]. And Belmokhtar is an Algerian. We are Mauritanians. We have no link with him." |
| The row is reminiscent of criticism of the Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV, which was accused after the 9/11 attacks of being a mouthpiece for al-Qaida, a charge the satellite channel rebuffed. | The row is reminiscent of criticism of the Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV, which was accused after the 9/11 attacks of being a mouthpiece for al-Qaida, a charge the satellite channel rebuffed. |
| On Sunday ANI was scooped itself by a rival Mauritanian news agency, Sahara Media, which acquired a video recording of a statement by Belmokhtar. "We heard about it a few days ago but we haven't got it," Sidi said. | On Sunday ANI was scooped itself by a rival Mauritanian news agency, Sahara Media, which acquired a video recording of a statement by Belmokhtar. "We heard about it a few days ago but we haven't got it," Sidi said. |
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