User:R at MEMRI/Reception draft

Reception
MEMRI's work has generated both strong criticism and praise. Several journalists have been vocal supporters of MEMRI and the value of its translations, including Thomas L. Friedman, John Lloyd, and Jay Nordlinger. In 2016, The Washington Times stated the organization had "carved out a reputation as the premier tracker and exposer of jihadi social media". According to Al Jazeera, MEMRI has "become a useful tool for many journalists covering the Middle East with a limited, or in many cases, zero understanding of Arabic", but the reporters' limited understanding also prevents verification.

MEMRI's work has been criticized on three grounds: that it is biased; that translated articles are chosen selectively resulting in an unrepresentative view of the media being reported on; and that some translations are inaccurate or misleading. MEMRI has responded to the criticism, stating that their work is not biased; that they choose representative articles from the Arab media that accurately reflect the opinions expressed, and that their translations are highly accurate.

The accuracy of MEMRI's translations are considered "usually accurate", though occasionally disputed. Naomi Sakr, a professor of Media Policy at the University of Westminster, charged in 2007 that specific MEMRI mistranslations, occurring during times of international tension, have generated hostility towards Arab journalists. The organization defends its translations as being representative of actual Middle East viewpoints, even when the translations themselves are disputed: "MEMRI has never claimed to 'represent the view of the Arabic media', but rather to reflect, through our translations, general trends which are widespread and topical."

MEMRI has also been accused of selectivity. Critics, including Brian Whitaker, Laila Lalami, and Juan Cole, have stated that MEMRI often picks the most extreme views for translation and dissemination, which portray the Arab and Muslim world in a negative light, while ignoring moderate views that are often found in the same media outlets. In 2006, MEMRI's Yigal Carmon told The New York Times that "Memri has expanded its translations immensely over the years, and now highlights Arab reformist views." In 2007, the Los Angeles Times noted that MEMRI was including more viewpoints, stating "Liberal and rational Arab pundits—once as rare as Halley's Comet in the MEMRIverse—now appear with great regularity".

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