Hi (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Hi, also known as Hi International, was a glossy, teen lifestyle publication targeted at Middle East
ern and Muslim
youth. Like Alhurra
and Radio Sawa
, the magazine was a tool of public diplomacy
, produced by the United States State Department in c Group, an external publishing company.
. The State Department hired The Magazine Group, professional magazine
publishers who also publish titles such as Package Machinery Today and Diabetes Forecast, to produce Hi International. Its initial issue, in Arabic
, appeared on newsstands in the Middle East
in July 2003; a website
followed soon thereafter. The magazine cost less than two dollars and was also available for subscription. His writers were American, generally of Middle Eastern or Muslim descent, and wrote in Arabic. In the summer of 2004, about a year after its initial launch, Hi made its English language
debut on the web. It also debuted around a similar time when Radio Sawa
was launched, a broadcast aimed at younger people in Arabic.
As of December 22, 2005, the magazine has been suspended by the US Department of State so it can be assessed as to whether it meets its objectives correctly or whether it is unacceptable. Both the English and Arabic websites have also been suspended.
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
youth. Like Alhurra
Alhurra
Alhurra is a United States-based Arabic-language satellite TV channel funded by the U.S. Congress that broadcasts news and current affairs programming to audiences in the Middle East and North Africa...
and Radio Sawa
Radio Sawa
Radio Sawa is a 24-hour 7-day-a-week Arabic language radio station broadcasting in the Arab world. The station is a service of theMiddle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. and is publicly funded by the Broadcasting Board of Governors and the U.S. Congress...
, the magazine was a tool of public diplomacy
Public diplomacy
In international relations, public diplomacy or people's diplomacy, broadly speaking, is the communication with foreign publics to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influence. There is no one definition of Public Diplomacy, and may be easier described than easily defined as definitions...
, produced by the United States State Department in c Group, an external publishing company.
History
The U.S. Department of State launched Hi International in July of 2003 with a $4.2 million yearly budget. It featured celebrity interviews, music reviews, lifestyle stories, advertisements for hip gadgets, and other morsels of AmericanaAmericana
Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
. The State Department hired The Magazine Group, professional magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
publishers who also publish titles such as Package Machinery Today and Diabetes Forecast, to produce Hi International. Its initial issue, in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, appeared on newsstands in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in July 2003; a website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
followed soon thereafter. The magazine cost less than two dollars and was also available for subscription. His writers were American, generally of Middle Eastern or Muslim descent, and wrote in Arabic. In the summer of 2004, about a year after its initial launch, Hi made its English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
debut on the web. It also debuted around a similar time when Radio Sawa
Radio Sawa
Radio Sawa is a 24-hour 7-day-a-week Arabic language radio station broadcasting in the Arab world. The station is a service of theMiddle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. and is publicly funded by the Broadcasting Board of Governors and the U.S. Congress...
was launched, a broadcast aimed at younger people in Arabic.
As of December 22, 2005, the magazine has been suspended by the US Department of State so it can be assessed as to whether it meets its objectives correctly or whether it is unacceptable. Both the English and Arabic websites have also been suspended.