Middle East Media Research Institute

Middle East Media and Research Institute
Abbreviation	MEMRI
Founded	December 1, 1997
Type	501(c)(3)
Tax ID no.	52-2068483
Legal status	Think tank (non-profit)
Focus	Media monitoring
Headquarters	Washington, D.C., United States
Region	Worldwide
Product	Media research, English-language translation, original analysis
Official language	English
President	Yigal Carmon
Vice president	Alberto M. Fernandez
Executive director	Steven Stalinsky
Senior analyst	Nimrod Raphaeli
Board of directors	Oliver Revell ; Michael Mukasey; Reid Morden; Robert R. Reilly; Jeffrey Kaufman; Steven Emerson
Revenue (2018)	$6,292,683
Expenses (2018)	$6,247,476
Employees (2017)	20 (United States); 57 (international)
Volunteers (2017)	5
Website	www.memri.org

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), officially the Middle East Media and Research Institute,^[1] is an American non-profit press monitoring and analysis organization that was co-founded by Israeli ex-intelligence officer Yigal Carmon and Israeli-American political scientist Meyrav Wurmser in 1997. It publishes and distributes free copies of media reports that have been translated into English—primarily from Arabic and Persian, but also from Urdu, Turkish, Pashto, and Russian.^[5]

Critics describe MEMRI as a strongly pro-Israel advocacy group that, in spite of describing itself as being "independent" and "non-partisan" in nature,^[6]^[7]^[8] aims to portray the Arab world and the Muslim world in a negative light by producing and disseminating incomplete or inaccurate translations of the original versions of the media reports that it re-publishes.^[9]^[10] It has also been accused of selectively focusing on the views of Islamic extremists while de-emphasizing or ignoring mainstream opinions.^[11]

^ ^a ^b "Middle East Media and Research Institute Inc. - Initial File Number: 973914^{[permanent dead link]}". District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Middle East Media and Research Institute Inc." Tax Exempt Organization Search. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "About". MEMRI. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Middle East Media and Research Institute Inc. Internal Revenue Service. June 30, 2018.
^ "MEMRI homepage". Archived from the original on November 17, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
^ Baker 2010, p. 353.
^ Whitaker, Brian (August 12, 2002). "Selective Memri". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
^ Fathi 2010, p. 202: "But what about using MEMRI, what about the various accusations? There is no monolithic answer. As a translation service it is of great value. As a research tool the evaluation is more complex as it demands good background information in order to contextualize the information obtained, due to the organization's lack of transparency and attempt to pose as something different than what they are. The problem is that many of the journalists, politicians and lay persons who use MEMRI cannot and will not do this. And this is where the main objection to MEMRI comes into play. It presents itself as an independent research institute, but it acts as a tool geared toward shaping opinion by "producing an orient"—in the true sense of Edward Said's usage—and through this it has an increasing influence in shaping perceptions of the Middle East. MEMRI has understood that politics today is waged in the media and it fulfills its role as a public relations, lobbying and policy-making instrument with the highest professional standard."
^ Whitaker, Brian (May 15, 2007). "Arabic under fire". The Guardian. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
^ Council on American–Islamic Relations (2013). The Inner Core: Islamophobia and its Impact in the United States January 2011-December 2012 (PDF) (Report). Council on American–Islamic Relations. p. 33. JSTOR resrep31106.5. The group has an established reputation for distributing highly selective, distorted, and inaccurate translations of Arabic and Persian media
^ Fathi 2010, pp. 188–190.

[corp-1] "Middle East Media and Research Institute Inc. - Initial File Number: 973914^{[permanent dead link]}". District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Retrieved March 11, 2020.

[irseos-2] "Middle East Media and Research Institute Inc." Tax Exempt Organization Search. Retrieved March 11, 2020.

[ib-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "About". MEMRI. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017.

[990-2018-4] "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Middle East Media and Research Institute Inc. Internal Revenue Service. June 30, 2018.

[5] "MEMRI homepage". Archived from the original on November 17, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012.

[FOOTNOTEBaker2010353-6] Baker 2010, p. 353.

[selectmemri-7] Whitaker, Brian (August 12, 2002). "Selective Memri". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 18, 2023.

[FOOTNOTEFathi2010p._202:_"But_what_about_using_MEMRI,_what_about_the_various_accusations?_There_is_no_monolithic_answer._As_a_translation_service_it_is_of_great_value._As_a_research_tool_the_evaluation_is_more_complex_as_it_demands_good_background_information_in_order_to_contextualize_the_information_obtained,_due_to_the_organization's_lack_of_transparency_and_attempt_to_pose_as_something_different_than_what_they_are._The_problem_is_that_many_of_the_journalists,_politicians_and_lay_persons_who_use_MEMRI_cannot_and_will_not_do_this._And_this_is_where_the_main_objection_to_MEMRI_comes_into_play._It_presents_itself_as_an_independent_research_institute,_but_it_acts_as_a_tool_geared_toward_shaping_opinion_by_"producing_an_orient"—in_the_true_sense_of_Edward_Said's_usage—and_through_this_it_has_an_increasing_influence_in_shaping_perceptions_of_the_Middle_East._MEMRI_has_understood_that_politics_today_is_waged_in_the_media_and_it_fulfills_its_role_as_a_public_relations,_lobbying_and_policy-making_instrumen] Fathi 2010, p. 202: "But what about using MEMRI, what about the various accusations? There is no monolithic answer. As a translation service it is of great value. As a research tool the evaluation is more complex as it demands good background information in order to contextualize the information obtained, due to the organization's lack of transparency and attempt to pose as something different than what they are. The problem is that many of the journalists, politicians and lay persons who use MEMRI cannot and will not do this. And this is where the main objection to MEMRI comes into play. It presents itself as an independent research institute, but it acts as a tool geared toward shaping opinion by "producing an orient"—in the true sense of Edward Said's usage—and through this it has an increasing influence in shaping perceptions of the Middle East. MEMRI has understood that politics today is waged in the media and it fulfills its role as a public relations, lobbying and policy-making instrument with the highest professional standard."

[9] Whitaker, Brian (May 15, 2007). "Arabic under fire". The Guardian. Retrieved November 28, 2023.

[10] Council on American–Islamic Relations (2013). The Inner Core: Islamophobia and its Impact in the United States January 2011-December 2012 (PDF) (Report). Council on American–Islamic Relations. p. 33. JSTOR resrep31106.5. The group has an established reputation for distributing highly selective, distorted, and inaccurate translations of Arabic and Persian media

[FOOTNOTEFathi2010188–190-11] Fathi 2010, pp. 188–190.

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