Al-Jazeera. A new media force?
Photo: al-Jazeera
Al-Jazeera challenges Western media
Al-Jazeera International launched this week. Though currently denied official access in US, channel looking to provide alternative to BBC, CNN, and to broadcast new perspective
Precisely ten years ago, al-Jazeera breathed its first breath and even though it is "only" a satellite TV channel, it changed reality. There is a debate how much reality was changed, but on one thing there is no argument – al-Jazeera deeply impacted the events of our region.
For instance, more than once American forces captured gunmen in Iraq who volunteered to fight against the "American invaders" from across the Arab world who admitted that they saw depictions of the war on al-Jazeera and decided to join the fight.
The new Qatari network has often written the plot lines of events in the Middle East. For instance the news station were the first ones to call the last clash in Lebanon the "Shiite war," even when Israel was still insisting on calling it a "response."
The channel has spurred diplomatic crises have been created between Qatar and other Arab states (like the current crisis with Tunisia) and the United States (resigning Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld attacked the news agency many times on its coverage of Iraq and accused it of broadcasting "propaganda") This, of course, improved Qatar's status in the region.
This is how a satellite channel created for itself status and reputation in the Arab world and provided a model for other channels that came after it, such as al-Arabiya. If al-Jazeera has successfully built itself up in the Arab world in the past decade, what could cause the English version of the satellite channel to broadcast different content to the West?
Testimony of the channel's strength is the not-so-explanatory American decision to block its broadcast on local cable providers. The Qatari newspaper al-Watan reported on this there have been high pressure to keep al-Jazeera from reaching the American market.
Spokesperson of Comcast, one of the major US cable companies, said that they were in contact with al-Jazeera, but a decision was made not to broadcast them. He didn't wish to elaborate any further.
It seems as though the United States won't forgive the Qatari channel for broadcasting, on many occasions, the videotapes of Osama bin-Laden and that their reporter in Afghanistan, Taysir Alluni, was convicted in Spain for contacts with al-Qaeda.
Alternative to BBC and CNN
By the way, potential American viewers don't really have any cause for worry. Whoever has a private satellite dish (and there are many who do) can pick up al-Jazeera broadcasts. Al-Jazeera is planning in any case to put its broadcasts on the Internet for the benefit of American viewers in the coming months.A source at al-Jazeera said that they aren't quick to throw in the towel and that within a year they will be able to penetrate US cable, and Britain within a half a year.
One of the main objectives of al-Jazeera is to provide an alternative to BBC and CNN. Nigel Parsons, managing director of al-Jazeera International, said on the channel's face-off with the BBC and CNN: "We want to be the voice for those who don't have a voice in the world."
Being such a voice requires lots of money. Various reports have indicated that the Qatari emir has put up about USD 1 billion for the establishment of the channel, and that its yearly budget will stand at about USD 1 million.
