DUBAI: Google will train 4,000 journalists in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by the end of next year, a senior executive said at the Arab Media Forum in Dubai.
The news comes as US technology giants come under increasing pressure over their impact on traditional media, the spread of “fake news,” and their wider impact on society.
Carlo Biondo, the regional president of strategic partnerships at Google, told Arab News that it was not too late for Google to help improve its relationship with the media.
“We continuously look at, on each and every product, what we can do to collaborate better with the press,” he said. “It’s never too late if we do the right things together.”
He said that the Google News Initiative will providing training for thousands of journalists in the region.
“Journalists that understand technology better and what technology can do are able to do their jobs better. There’s less costs in doing your work, more effectiveness, more creativity.”
According to a Google blog, the training will be held in partnership with the International Center For Journalists’ local team, IJNET Arabic, and held across six countries in the Middle East.
“In the coming weeks, hundreds of journalists will take part in the first virtual session live from Dubai, from then training workshops will be held in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and UAE,” the blog specified.
Many have claimed that Google has thrived at the expensive of the traditional media. Worldwide newspaper industry revenue fell by 30 percent between 2010 and 2015, according to Magna Global, during which time Google’s advertising revenue more than doubled.
The likes of Facebook and Google, which is owned by parent company Alphabet, have also faced a barrage of criticism over their wider impact on society and impact of “fake news” on democracies.
In January, the billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros told the World Economic Forum in Davos that Facebook and Google have become “powerful monopolies” and are a “menace” to society whose “days are numbered.”
“Mining and oil companies exploit the physical environment; social media companies exploit the social environment,” Soros said, according to a transcript of his speech.
“This is particularly nefarious because social media companies influence how people think and behave without them even being aware of it. This has far-reaching adverse consequences on the functioning of democracy, particularly on the integrity of elections.”
Google to train 4,000 Mideast journalists amid mounting criticism of tech giants
Google to train 4,000 Mideast journalists amid mounting criticism of tech giants
Tucker Carlson claims he was detained at Israeli airport
DUBAI: Earlier this week, Tucker Carlson flew to Israel to interview US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, according to media reports.
Carlson, who reportedly refused to leave Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport complex, conducted the interview at the airport, after which he said he and his staff were detained and their passports were seized.
“Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson said in a statement to The New York Post.
However, Carlson’s claims have been contradicted by Huckabee and Israeli authorities.
Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and Fox News host, said on social media platform X that “EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions,” including himself, despite holding a diplomatic passport and visa.
Thanks @EFischberger for a more accurate report. EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions. Even ME going in/out with Diplomatic Passport & Diplomatic Visa. https://t.co/UbblLiznMO
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 18, 2026
The US Embassy in Israel also described the interaction as routine passport control procedures.
The Israel Airports Authority said in a statement that Carlson and his staff “were not detained, delayed, or interrogated.”
They were asked “a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers,” and this conversation took place in a separate room within the VIP lounge to protect their privacy, the statement added.
“No unusual incident occurred, and the Israel Airports Authority firmly rejects any other claims.”
Israeli Airports Authority:
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) February 18, 2026
Contrary to the reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated.
Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers.
The…
Carlson has faced criticism in recent years over his commentary on Israel, with critics accusing him of amplifying narratives that are hostile to Israel and, at times, antisemitic. He has also questioned Israel’s treatment of Christian communities in the region.
After Fox News canceled his show in April 2023, he launched his own program, “The Tucker Carlson Show” in 2024.
The show has featured controversial figures, including Darryl Cooper, who has made statements widely condemned as Holocaust denial, and white nationalist commentator Nick Fuentes.
In his interview with Fuentes, Carlson labeled Huckabee a “Christian Zionist.”
Carlson has also criticized Huckabee for not doing enough to protect Christian interests in the region. In one video, he said: “Why not go ahead and talk to Christians and find out their side of the story? Why aren’t American Christian leaders like Mike Huckabee or Ted Cruz, people who invoke the Christian Bible to justify what they’re doing, why haven’t they done this?”
Huckabee responded to the video on X, writing: “Instead of talking ABOUT me, why don’t you come talk TO me? You seem to be generating a lot of heat about the Middle East. Why be afraid of the light?”
Carlson accepted the invitation, and their teams coordinated the interview, leading to his brief visit to Israel.
