Community Corner
Al Jazeera America: Unbiased, Fact-Based News Organization or Terrorist Mouthpiece?
The news network launched on Aug. 20 and identifies itself as having "one of the largest news-gathering capabilities of any news organization in the United States."
First impressions can be hard to shake. Such is the problem facing Al Jazeera America.
In 2001, many Americans were introduced to Al Jazeera after the network aired numerous Osama bin Laden videos in the wake the Sept. 11 attacks. The network's coverage was generally perceived as anti-American.
Now the well-financed, Qatar-owned organization hopes to convince American viewers the network is a fair and balanced operation and not a mouthpiece for terrorists.
First announced in January of this year, Al Jazeera America launched on Aug. 20. The news organization, a subsidiary of Al Jazeera Media Network, bills itself as providing "unbiased, fact-based and in-depth journalism." According to the Al Jazeera America website, the network has "one of the largest news-gathering capabilities of any news organization in the United States with 12 bureaus in major cities around the country, 3 broadcast centers, a headquarters in New York City and a team of close to 800 journalists and staff."
Its mission as stated on the Al Jazeera America website:
To deliver captivating content to the world which informs, inspires and entertains through:
- Engaging talented, creative and spirited people
- Reaching deeper, broader and closer with our content, platforms and interactions
- Rebalancing global media by respecting the diversity and humanity of the world
- Giving a voice to the voiceless
- Achieving outstanding results efficiently
Al Jazeera America's reach, according to a USA Today article, will extend into 48 million American homes. Al Jazeera's previous English-targeted effort, Al Jazeera English, peaked with a viewership of 4.7 million U.S. homes. Al Jazeera English, the USA Today article reports, will be phased out in the United States in favor of Al Jazeera America (AJAM).
No matter how widely broadcast or how well funded, will Americans watch?
Access Atlanta reports Qatar is spending "hundreds of millions of dollars" to launch AJAM. That expenditure includes advertising spots on local radio stations, some of which have already generated complaints.
According to Access Atlanta, one spot which aired on 680/The Fan prompted a listener to write, "Carlos, 680 needs to pull the Al Jazera traffic updates. I love your show, but I won’t listen to 680 anymore if Al Jazera is one of the sponsors. Our troops deserve better than that."
Those type reactions are unlikely to deter AJAM, the USA Today article explains.
"Ratings will be a secondary concern for its Qatari backers, who have shown patience and seem to care more about prestige and influence than the bottom line," Queens University communications professor Mohammed el-Nawawy told USA Today. "The U.S. market has been the biggest challenge for Al Jazeera. There's national pride at stake here. And the emir (of Qatar) is taking this very seriously."
What is your perception of Al-Jazeera? Will you watch Al-Jazeera America? Let us know in the comments.
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