For Release:  July 11, 2022

Veteran Journalist James O’Shea Named MBN Board Chair

(Springfield, Va.)—The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN) announced that James O’Shea would serve as the Chair of MBN’s board of directors. O’Shea was editor and executive vice president of the Los Angeles Times and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune, where he spent many years overseeing the Tribune's foreign news staff. He is succeeding Amb. Karen Kornbluh, who stepped down from the board in June.

“Jim has a wealth of journalistic experience, and MBN will benefit from his knowledge and guidance,” stated MBN Acting President Hassan Shwiki. “We are extremely fortunate to work with him as MBN advances its digital-first programming strategy and continue to provide accurate and objecting news to audiences across the Middle East and North Africa on the platforms they use.”

“MBN serves the vital mission of reporting on topics not covered in the Arabic press, as well as news about America and the American people,” stated O’Shea. “This is a very talented and dedicated team, and I am grateful to serve as their board chair. I also wish to express my appreciation for Karen Kornbluh’s wonderful work as chair of MBN’s board.”

In addition to his work at the Times and Tribune, O’Shea is the author of three books including "The Deal From Hell," a narrative about the merger of Times Mirror and the Tribune companies. He co-founded the Chicago News Cooperative, a digital news start-up that produced Chicago news pages twice a week for The New York Times. O’Shea was also the Howard R. March Visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Michigan for the 2013/2014 academic year.

Other members of MBN’s board include: Amb. Ryan Crocker, Michael Kempner, Amb. Susan Ziadeh and Timothy McNulty.

About Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN)

Launched in 2004, MBN is non-profit corporate media outlet financed by U.S. government through a grant from US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent federal agency.  The USAGM serves as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.

MBN is an Arabic-language multimedia organization whose mission is to expand the spectrum of ideas, opinions, and perspectives available in the media of the Middle East and North Africa; provide objective, accurate, and relevant news and information; and, accurately represent America, Americans, and American policies. Through its multimedia broadcasts, MBN seeks to inform, engage, and connect with the regions’ people in support of universal freedoms.

Television       Alhurra, Alhurra-Iraq
Radio               Sawa Levant, Sawa Iraq, Sawa Sudan
Digital             Alhurra.com, RadioSawa.com, Elsaha.com, Irfaasawtak.com, MaghrebVoices.com

Contact           Deirdre Kline, MBN Director of Executive Branch Communications
              703-852-9250
              dkline@alhurra.com