Mosaic: A voice from the Middle East

"We are always looking for a diversity in sources and stories that are important to viewers," said David Michaels, director of current affairs for World Link TV.

One source that World Link felt was not getting enough coverage was the Middle East, and so in December of 2001, Mosaic: World News from The Middle East was born.

Mosaic offers an online video feed of news broadcasts from more than 15 Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, Iraq, Israel and Saudi Arabia. It compiles news segments from 15 to 20 private and state-sponsored broadcasters and puts together a half-hour episode every Monday through Friday.

Each broadcast included in the episode is presented in its entirety, allowing viewers to obtain information without it being filtered, Michaels said. When necessary, the segments are also translated into English. Past episodes are archived on the site dating back to 2003.

In April, Mosaic was one of 32 winners of the 2005 Peabody Awards. The awards are presented to electronic media that provides a public service.

According to Michaels, 40 percent of the U.S. population is concerned about a perceived hatred of Americans in the Muslim world. Mosaic makes it easier for Americans to understand the issues that are most important to those living in the Middle East, he explained.

"By watching Mosaic viewers are able to decode the messages of the Middle East through its own voice," he said. "By increasing communication between the U.S. and the Middle East there is a decrease in this perceived hatred."