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Al Jazeera TV Gets Toe-hold in Toledo

By Quinn Klinefelter Toledo, Ohio29 March 2007

Al Jazeera English presents news and information, but not many Americans are watchingThe Qatar-based, Arabic language television news network al Jazeera is expanding its reach. It recently launched a new English channel. But most U.S. cable operators have declined to carry it. One of the few to buck the trend is in Toledo, Ohio, a city with a large Arab-American population.
Al Jazeera is the first television channel to which many people in the Middle East tune for news about themselves and their region. That's because it is the first all-news channel focusing on their lives from a Middle Eastern point of view, one that's often very critical of U.S. foreign policy.
Americans generally see only excerpts of al Jazeera broadcasts, on U.S. news programs. They're usually scenes of Arab crowds mourning or protesting, or portions of videotaped statements, delivered to the Qatar-based station by al-Qaida or another terrorist organization.
That's led some Americans to associate al Jazeera with terrorism. Al Jazeera officials say they do not air terrorist videos unless they have legitimate news value. They say they want to change the network's negative image in America. So they decided to say it in English.
The network launched a new English-language channel, offering documentaries, current affairs, entertainment and news. It's called al Jazeera English.
But joining the ranks of CNN as a national cable channel will not be easy. A deal between al Jazeera and a major U.S. cable provider fell apart over differences about whether the channel would be carried throughout the country, or only in regions with large Arab and Muslim communities.
Americans can still watch al Jazeera English on the Internet. But as for watching it on the TV screen, only two small cable companies took a chance on the fledgling network: a city-operated system in Burlington, Vermont, and the cable provider serving Toledo, Ohio.
Toledo's Buckeye Cable began showing al Jazeera English this month, and it's too soon to know who's watching it. But on the streets of downtown Toledo, almost no one even recognizes the name al Jazeera.
One of the few exceptions is John Parrish. He knows what al Jazeera is, didn't know its English channel was on cable in Toledo, but says he really doesn't mind either way. "It's a free country," he points out, "freedom of speech, different point of view. I can't see anything wrong with it. If you don't want to watch it, then turn it off."
But others in the city question whether al Jazeera should be available in the U.S. at all. Many echo the thoughts of Toledoan Ed Raymer, a truck driver who says he was passing through New York City on September 11th, when the terrorist attacks occurred.
At a downtown bar, he insists Americans don't need to hear the views of Arabs who are at war with the U.S. "I can see it being okay for the Arab community," he says, "but everybody else, with what's going on over there, shouldn't be subjected to it."
His friend Phil Lazuski predicts, "It's gonna cause a big chaos. If it comes here, it's gonna cause a big chaos."
Lazuski is one of many TV viewers who is not aware that Al Jazeera has already come to Toledo, and has already led to a few angry letters to the editor calling for local subscribers to cancel their cable service.
Vermont cable operators faced a similar outcry when they added al Jazeera to their lineup in December. However, no one in Burlington or Toledo has apparently followed through on threats to cancel their subscriptions.
Still, the passionate community response does not surprise the executive who brought al Jazeera to Ohio. Allan Block, chairman of a small media empire that includes newspapers, some broadcast stations, and Buckeye CableSystem, says the objections indicate a certain bias. "Bias against anything that starts with 'al' and is clearly Arabic."
Block says the royal family in Qatar (an American ally, he stresses) gave his company a sweetheart long-term deal for the rights to al Jazeera English, one that doesn't cost his subscribers any extra fees. He says carrying the channel is a good business decision, and calls charges that he's helping legitimize terrorist propaganda, ridiculous.
"[These people have] the idea that [because] they've had a story on that [had] information leaked to them from al Qaeda, [it] means that it's a terrorism channel! If the Associated Press got the same information that al Jazeera got on any of these occasions, the AP would've handled it the same way and reported it."
In fact, al Jazeera English packed its staff with veteran news people from CNN and the BBC. It even hired respected journalist Sir David Frost. Block says the channel produces extremely credible news, or he wouldn't have included it in his cable line-up. Americans who watch it, he says, should expect a different take on the news from an organization focusing on Arab issues and concerns.
The mosque serving Toledo's large Muslim community was the third mosque built in the United StatesAnd Block adds that gaining a better understanding of the Middle East could bring the American Midwest significant economic advantages. "Particularly if other parts of the country are rejecting this channel, it might show that we're willing to be friends with them. We're willing to reach out."
He suggests that a friendly attitude will encourage investment. "The Midwest that is in recession and has been going through economic decline could certainly use a different kind of relationship with the rich Persian Gulf… with the Persian Gulf that has capital to invest," he adds meaningfully.
Those backing the channel have reportedly invested more than $1 billion in al Jazeera English, with no plans to cut off the cash flow.
Al Jazeera already reaches millions of viewers in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Company executives say now, they just need to show U.S. cable operators that if al Jazeera English plays in "middle America," it will play in all of America

Al Jazeera English wins creative awards

Al Jazeera English was awarded one Gold and two Silver trophies for their innovative and fresh Creative Direction at the Promax/BDA Global Promotions & Design Conference in Dubai this week (28 March 2008).


Al Jazeera English won a Gold trophy for the BEST NEWS & FACTUAL PROGRAMME TITLE SEQUENCE for their programme People & Power which travels the world to explore how the balance of power is shifting in politics, business and society. The channel also won silver medals for BEST SET DESIGN for their state of the art news rooms in 4 global broadcast centres and BEST SPORTS PROGRAMME TITLE SEQUENCE for Sportsworld, their flagship sports programme which brings viewers a truly global perspective on the world's main sporting events while also going behind the scenes to speak to some of the unsung heroes and personalities of those events.
'We are thrilled that our Promotions and Designs have been recognised and are delighted to accept our first three international Creative awards for Al Jazeera English. It's been an excellent collaboration between Creative, Editorial and Marketing folks in Aljazeera as we slowly extend this amazing Brand into new global audiences,'said Director of Creative, Morgan Almeida. Al Jazeera English was nominated for a total of eight awards at Promax/BDA Global Promotions in the following categories: -Best Programme Promo: Witness (Al Jazeera English language channel's daily documentary strand) -Best Promotional Campaign: Splits -Best Sales & Marketing Presentation: EPK (Electronic Press Kit) -Best Original Logo Design: AJE Design & People & Power Logo -Best Animation: AJE DES People & Power Animation -*Best News & Factual Programme Title: People & Power - GOLD AWARD -*Best Sports Programme Title Sequence: Sportsworld - SILVER AWARD -*Best Set Design: News - SILVER AWARD

Something New

ag in africa blogger

Well, go figure. If I slant my TV’s rabbit ears just right, and I am in a patient mood which allows for static and sound and sight going out with a loud ZBBBSHT a couple times a minute, I can get a 3rd television station.Up to now, I’ve been able to get KTN - owned by the Standard Group, which has not so great news coverage (all Kenyan politics, all the time) and shows 2 different dubbed Spanish-language soap operas, some season of 24 (not sure which), the horrific American show “Threat Matrix” starring the hunky plumber/spy dude from Desperate Housewives as he fights threats from Al-Qaida and eco-terrorists, and a Kenyan political talk show on Thursday evenings which I LOVE because it is the only forum in which there is discussion about issues of concern and policy in this country (and for a while, Angel came on afterwards. that’s right - the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off. I didn’t even know what was going on and it was awesome. But that’s over now) - and I’ve been able to get channel 5, which shows uninspired American, Tanzanian, and Kenyan rap and hip/hoppish music videos all the time. Both of these channels are somewhat fuzzy.But NOW, now I can get a new channel, which shows:Al Jazeera (English language) during the day timeVoice of America during the night timeSo, of course, the first question is what the heck is up with this station? Not that the two programs are polar opposites, but they are not the most likely pair.And the second question, is exactly what kind of spin am I being thrown when I watch Al Jazeera news? I mean, don’t get me wrong, in my 2 days of viewing I've become a big fan of their news programs. Brings some balance to my previous news diet of BBC Radio. But still, reporting the news is always done through a cultural filter, right? I’m no media analyst (whoo nelly, i certainly am not), but I think that “objective” or “neutral” news coverage is impossible. So what exactly is going on with Al Jazeera English language news service? Who is the targeted audience?They had a whole piece on women being discriminated against in Afghanistan, and how completely backward and unacceptable this is, using very strong, critical language. So, um, what’s up with that? And they just did a piece on the rise of right-wing politics in Poland, and promise to do another tomorrow in somewhere in Europe (Ireland? I forget) that was fairly balanced but clearly thought the right-wing political groups were up to No Good. When they do a piece on Iraq or anything at all that Bush says or does and it comes across pretty much like ABC or NBC when they do a piece regarding the Iranian president - somewhat balanced, but with scathing commentary from analysts and with certain phrases.I’ve heard that Al Jazeera is quite liberal within the world of Arab news. Does anyone have experience with English language Al Jazeera? What’s up with them?Anyways, I’m just so darn pleased. I just got back from a really intense 3 day workshop, and I want to sit and watch TV (and apparently fart out a blog), and at this time of the day usually my only choice would be “Tyra,” the Tyra Banks talk show, which I’ve seen a few times and which always gets under my skin. She really likes manufacturing moments of shared intimacy with her guests, and it always feels So Awkward to me, although apparently not to Tyra. Tyra. And her ability to go from concerned face to cheery face way too fast. And her multiple clothes changes in the course of one episode. They are showing a clip of Bush talking right now. He just said “precipitous withdrawal” and he sounded somewhat ridiculous. Now he did the head bob that makes him seem arrogant. Now they have a live interview with a Rear Admiral in Baghdad. I mean, dude! That’s pretty open of them. The admiral has a “great deal of confidence in the president.” The interviewer has a british accent. I can’t tell if he is of “arab” origin, because the screen ain’t that clear. Admiral says it is premature to talk about precipitous withdrawal. How did this phrase become the one that is used? Seems like there are lots of other adjectives that could be used.Sorry. Rambling. Hooray for 3rd television station!! Hooray for multiple news sources! Oh, they just showed a really good short commercial showing the numbers of landmines in various countries (point at the end: Al Jazeera shows “multiple sides, multiple angles”). Really well done.Well, that’s all from here. No pithy conclusions.New slogan for 2007: 'ought seven is nifty; ain’t going to be so pithy.I think I’ll go eat some bread and go to sleep.

Why Al Jazeera English is blocked in the U.S.

By Mindy McAdams (Media Professor )

Finally, I'm happy that I watched an episode of Frontline's "News War" series on TV. The first three were very disappointing -- stuffy, predictable, old-fashioned and dull.In the fourth installment, "Stories from a Small Planet," the series focuses on something that is not old and stale. It is the biggest uncovered story in the U.S. -- the rest of the world.The first half focuses on Al Jazeera and some other Arab or Near East-based television networks, including Alhurra TV, the U.S. government-funded network (where our tax dollars are hard at work, spreading propaganda abroad). While not quite as informative as the documentary Control Room (2003), "Stories from a Small Planet" provides a decently paced overview of broadcast journalism outside the Western countries. The second half skips around and ignores Latin America and Africa, but briefly looks at the Philippines and China.Now, as to why the whole of the United States is prevented from receiving the global news channel Al Jazeera English -- via cable or satellite network. Look no further than Accuracy in Media. Yes, the ultra-conservative media watchdog organization. There they are, proudly showing off letters from their campaign to inform every U.S. cable and satellite provider about just how harmful and dangerous Al Jazeera English would be if it were broadcast in the U.S.Since when are Americans opposed to an open marketplace of ideas?I've said it before -- I would pay a premium to get Al Jazeera English on my cable TV lineup. I would like to hear other points of view. Not because I am anti-American, but because I don't think we can know what's true if opposing views are censored.There's a ton of supplemental material online for "Stories from a Small Planet" at the Frontline/World site:
A 15-minute video about South Korea's OhmyNews
A profile of The Guardian (possibly the best English-language newspaper in the world)
Statistics about journalists who have been killed on the job
Excerpts from interviews with six Turkish journalists (all male, strangely enough; I know there are female journalists in Turkey)
A good summary article about the government grip on news media in Arab countries and how satellite technology is changing that
An interview with Wadah Khanfar, director general of Al Jazeera Update: Here is what Accuracy in Media published about Al Jazeera English in November 2006:
The American people do not want Al-Jazeera International in their homes or businesses. In fact, a recent poll revealed that 53 percent of people oppose Al-Jazeera International, while only 29 percent support the channel. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration has not responded quickly enough to the rise of Al-Jazeera International, and it was recently reported that the network will launch on November 15, though at this point there are no U.S. cable companies that have announced plans to carry it. When asked to comment on the new Al-Jazeera, Wadah Khanfar, Director General of the Al-Jazeera Network, stated ominously, "The new channel will provide the same ground-breaking news and impartial and balanced journalism to the English speaking world." Indeed, Khanfar sardonically supports Kincaid's assertions that Al-Jazeera International and the Arabic Al-Jazeera are entirely similar. Kincaid warns that this issue is of the utmost importance, and if Al-Jazeera makes waves on American cable, then the possibility of suicide bombers in America could lurk close behind.It is interesting that they refer to a supposed poll and never name the poll or provide any information about who sponsored the poll, when or where the poll was conducted, or what questions were asked in the poll.If 29 percent of Americans polled supposedly "support" the channel, why is not being carried on any U.S. satellite or cable service?And how is it possible that a supposed 53 percent of Americans "oppose" Al Jazeera -- when they have never even seen it? How can you oppose something that you have no experience with -- an information source you have never seen? Do they oppose it because the poll-takers described it to them as the network that will create "the possibility of suicide bombers in America"? Hm?

Qatar: Al Jazeera to set media forum in April

The Director-General of Al Jazeera Network announced that the channel will inaugurate its third annual media forum in April in Qatar, the Peninsula reported. He said that the assembly's agenda will include many sessions and open debates on several topics related to media in the Middle East particularly in hotspot areas and conflict regions as well as exploring the exceeding influence of politics on media and vice-versa, media's reliability during war times and the role of media in connecting people from all over the world.Moreover, the forum will also provide the attendees with the chance to co-work, network and benefit from the expertise from the international media community, he pointed out. The forum will open under the title Media and the Middle East: Beyond the Headlines.

على قناة الجزيرة الدولية ..كيوتل ترعى برنامج رزخان «وان اون وان»

الدوحة - الشرق :بالتعاون مع قناة الجزيرة الدولية، أعلنت كيوتل أمس عن رعايتها لبرنامج رزخان الشهير «وان أون وان» وذلك خلال حفل توقيع الاتفاقية الذي أقيم في المقر الرئيس لشركة كيوتل الكائن في الخليج الغربي. وحضر حفل التوقيع السيد رزخان كبير مذيعي الأخبار، وكل من السادة عبدالله النجار مدير الشؤون التجارية وبيتر مورفي رئيس تطوير الأعمال، ووقع الاتفاقية عن كيوتل الدكتور ناصر معرفية الرئيس التنفيذي وقد تم اعلان شراكة كيوتل والجزيرة بشكل رسمي والتوقيع على الإجراءات النهائية الخاصة بالاتفاقية ومبلغ الرعاية. وبهذه المناسبة صرح الدكتور ناصر معرفية قائلاً: «إننا سعداء جداً بشراكتنا مع شبكة قناة الجزيرة التي تحظى بدور فعال ومؤثر في الساحة الإعلامية من خلال رعايتنا لبرنامج «وان أون وان» الذي يقدمه رزخان. ونحن على استعداد لدعم ومساندة قناة الجزيرة الدولية في تحقيق أهدافها عبر طرحها قضايا مهمة على المستمعين والمشاهدين في جميع أنحاء العالم واننا نشعر بالسعادة بتقديم الدعم الكامل لهذا البرنامج». يعتبر السيد رزخان أحد وجوه الإعلام المعروفين دولياً وله باع طويل وخبرة كبيرة في هذا المجال من خلال عمله في قناتي بي. بي. سي (B.B.C) وسي. ان. ان (CNN) العالميتين قبل التحاقه بقناة الجزيرة الدولية، ويتناول برنامجه اجراء المقابلات التي ترمي إلى معرفة المزيد والاطلاع عن كثب على حياة بعض المشاهير وصناع الاخبار من جميع أنحاء العالم وذلك من خلال تسليط الضوء على تاريخهم الشخصي ولحظات حياتهم المصيرية وأهدافهم وفلسفتهم في الحياة. كما يتعرض البرنامج للأحداث والأشخاص الذين كان لهم الأثر الكبير في حياتهم اليومية والمهنية الحالية. هذا وقد قام البرنامج باستضافة العديد من الشخصيات المعروفة دولياً واقليمياً بإنجازاتهم مثل: رجل الدين دلاي لاما، بوب جلدوف، ريتشارد برانسون، ومايك واليس الصحفي المحنك في قناة سي. بي. أس ومغني موسيقى الروك الكندي الشهير براين آدامس وممثلة بوليود مليكا شيراوات وسيدة مصر الأولى السابقة جيهان السادات والمغني وكاتب الأغنيات انجليك كيدكو. واستطرد الدكتور ناصر قائلاً: «يعد رزخان أحد اعلام الأخبار ويشتهر بنمط أسئلته التحقيقية والفضولية، ونحن سعداء برعاية هذا البرنامج الذي سيقوم بتوفير الاخبار الشيقة والملهمة إلى المستمعين والمشاهدين في المنطقة بل وفي العالم». سيتم بث البرنامج لأول مرة على الهواء في يوم الجمعة الساعة 30:22 بتوقيت جرينتش وسيعاد بثه يوم السبت الساعة 30:3 صباحاً ويوم الأحد الساعة 30:21. يذكر ان شركة اتصالات قطر «كيوتل» هي المزود الحصري والوحيد للاتصالات السلكية واللاسلكية في قطر، وتشمل خدماتها الرئيسية الهواتف الثابتة المحلية والدولية والهاتف الجوال والانترنت وخدمات البيانات والكيبل التلفزيوني. وتحرص كيوتل على توسيع وجودها في الشرق الأوسط وفي كافة أنحاء العالم وفي عام 2004 ترأست كيوتل اتحاداً مالياً وفازت بالمناقصة العامة للحصول على الرخصة الثانية لتشغيل الهواتف النقالة في سلطنة عمان لتطلق شركتها الفرعية «النورس» في مارس 2005، وتمكنت النورس من استقطاب اكثر من 500.000 مشترك جديد، أي اكثر من 31% من سوق الهاتف النقال في عمان، وذلك خلال ما يزيد بقليل على عشرين شهرا من بدء الخدمة وفي نوفمبر 2006 وقعت كيوتل اتفاقية للحصول على حصة استراتيجية في شركة نافلينك الرائدة في تزويد الخدمات والبيانات للمؤسسات التجارية في الشرق الأوسط، لتصبح بذلك شريكا مع شركة ايه تي اند تي AT&T، وفي يناير 2007 تابعت كيوتل توسعها على الساحة الدولية اذ استحوذت على حصة تقدر بنحو 25% من شركة اتصالات آسيا النقالة القابضة المحدودة المتفرعة عن شركة اس تي تيليميديا.

الجزيرة تنظم منتداها الثالث حول الإعلام والشرق الأوسط

)تنظم شبكة الجزيرة يومي الأول والثاني من أبريل/ نيسان 2007 منتداها الإعلامي الثالث تحت عنوان "الإعلام ومنطقة الشرق الأوسط-ما وراء العناوين".
وقال المدير العام لشبكة الجزيرة وضاح خنفر إن المنتدى سيوفر فرصة للتداول مع زملاء من مختلف أنحاء العالم حول تجربة العمل الصحفي في مناطق النزاعات لا سيما الشرق الأوسط، موضحا أن تجربة الجزيرة في هذا الميدان كانت متميزة عالميا.

وتتمحور جلسات المنتدى هذا العام حول ما يمكن تسميته بصحافة العمق التي تتجاوز العناوين السريعة لتغوص في الخلفيات السياسية والثقافية والتاريخية للخبر، وتقدم للجمهور صورة أكثر شمولا لما يجري حوله من أحداث وتطورات.

ويناقش المشاركون أيضا العلاقات المركبة بين السياسة والإعلام والتأثير المتبادل بينهما وأثر ذلك على مصداقية الإعلام خاصة في زمن الحرب والنزاعات المسلحة، كما يبحثون التحديات التي تعترض وسائل الإعلام الدولية في تغطيتها لقضايا الشرق الأوسط الساخنة، وما إذا كان الإعلام العالمي يسعى لبناء جسور التفاهم والتعاون بين الشعوب والثقافات أم لإقامة الجدر والحواجز بينها.

وسيوفر المنتدى إلى جانب ما سيدور في الجلسات من نقاشات ومداولات بين نخبة واسعة من الإعلاميين والخبراء والمفكرين والأكاديميين للمشاركين فرصة اللقاء والتعارف وإقامة علاقات التعاون مع زملاء المهنة من مختلف أنحاء العالم.

ويجتذب المنتدى عشرات الباحثين والإعلاميين من مختلف أنحاء العالم، ومن بين أهم المشاركين هذه السنة الصحفي العالمي المشهور سايمور هيرش الذي سيلقي خطابا في الجلسة الأولى يوم الأحد على الساعة 9 صباحا، وكذلك الأكاديمي لورنس ليسيج، إضافة إلى أسماء صحفية وبحثية معروفة مثل فهمي هويدي ومارتن بل وعزمي بشارة وعبد الباري عطوان وجايمس زغبي، كما سيشارك السيد تيسير علوني مراسل الجزيرة من إسبانيا حول تغطية الحروب.

مفاجأة: مراسل أمريكي لقناة الجزيرة يدلي بصوته في الاستفتاء علي التعديلات الدستورية

كتب خالد عمر عبدالحليم ٢٩/٣/٢٠٠٧

فجرت قناة «الجزيرة الدولية» الناطقة باللغة الإنجليزية مفاجأة، مساء أمس الأول، عندما عرضت تقريراً يكشف نجاح مراسلها الذي يحمل الجنسية الأمريكية في الإدلاء بصوته في الاستفتاء علي التعديلات الدستورية.
ودخل أيمن محيي الدين مراسل القناة إلي اللجنة باستخدام «كارنيه» يثبت أنه صحفي، صادر عن وزارة الإعلام، وتوجه المراسل - كما ظهر في التقرير - إلي صناديق الاستفتاء، وأدلي بصوته في أحدها وسأله الموظف القائم علي الصندوق عما إذا كانت أمه لبنانية بسبب لهجته وملامحه، إلا أنه أكد له أنها مصرية وأدلي بصوته وغمس إصبعه في الحبر الفسفوري وغادر اللجنة. واللافت أن كل هذه التفاصيل كانت مسجلة صوتاً وصورة، وأن محيي الدين دخل بطريقة طبيعية للغاية ولم يعترضه أحد، بل وتمكن أحدهم من مرافقته وتسجيل كل ما حدث.
وأكد مصدر في قناة «الجزيرة» لـ«المصري اليوم» أن محيي الدين مصري - فلسطيني يحمل الجنسية الأمريكية، لكنه لم يستخدم هويته المصرية في التصويت، غير أن مكتب قناة الجزيرة الإنجليزية رفض التعليق علي الواقعة وقال مدير المكتب عمرو الكحكي إنه غير مخول بالتصريح وطلب إرسال الأسئلة إلي المقر الرئيسي في الدوحة وانتظار الرد، وهو ما لم نتمكن منه لضيق الوقت قبل الطبع.
وعلق ضياء رشوان الخبير في مركز «الأهرام للدراسات» علي الواقعة ساخراً، وقال: «الحادثة تدل علي أن مصر بلد «قلبه مفتوح»، ومتسامح مع كل شعوب العالم وأنه لا يهم أن تكون مصرياً أو إسرائيلياً أو أسترالياً أو أمريكياً أو غير ذلك لكي تصوت في الانتخابات، فمصر (أم الدنيا) تتيح ديمقراطيتها لجميع الجنسيات، بعد دخولها عصر العولمة من أوسع أبوابه».
وطالب رشوان بأن «يعتبر تصويت مراسل الجزيرة الأمريكي علي التعديلات الدستورية في مصر «سابقة» تتيح لمصر طلب المعاملة بالمثل، بحيث يتمكن المواطنون المصريون من الإدلاء بأصواتهم في الانتخابات والاستفتاءات الأمريكية، وهو ما يسمح للمصريين بالتأثير علي السياسات الأمريكية»، علي حد قوله الساخر.
ووصف رشوان ما حدث بأنه «مهزلة»، لاسيما أن الحكومة المصرية سمحت لمراسل «الجزيرة» الأمريكي بالتصويت علي التعديلات الدستورية، بينما منعت الكثيرين من المصريين من التصويت خلال انتخابات مجلس الشعب الأخيرة من خلال الأطواق الأمنية التي تم فرضها حول اللجان الانتخابية.

On My way to the matchbox

Its been one month since i signed my contract, and i am still waiting the work visa to qatar home of AlJazeera Network...
i will be working for Jazeera English...
As a matter of fact i am toomuch anxious for the experience, but afraid in the same time because it is really a great jump...
I worked before in several situations, Wars, Plane crash, Riot, Political turmoil, elections, etc... but one day i didnt have the feeling i am having today.

Ali H. Hashem

Reporters Without Borders meets Al-Jazeera cameraman’s family in Sudan

Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard pledged to keep pressing the US government to release detained Al-Jazeera assistant cameraman Sami Al-Haj when he met with Al-Haj’s brother, sister and cousin in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on 19 March.
A Sudanese national, Al-Haj was arrested by the Pakistani armed forces on the Afghan border in December 2001. He has been held by the US military at its Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba since 13 June 2002.
During a 30-minute meeting at the headquarters of the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights and Environmental Development (KCHRE), Ménard assured the family that Reporters Without Borders would continue to wage an active campaign for his release. He asked them if they had any news of him and promised to relay any appeal they would like to make for his release.
After thanking Sudanese and international press freedom organisations for campaigning on his behalf, the relatives voiced concern about his health, especially as a result of the hunger strike he began on 7 January. He now has difficulty in standing. They have had extremely infrequent contacts with him and the news from Guantanamo is “very disturbing,” his brother said. In all, the family has received only six letters from him, which were passed on by the Red Cross. One of the letters took two years to reach them.
The relatives appealed to the United Nations, in particular, to the Human Rights Council, to help obtain Al-Haj’s release. His sister said the emir of Qatar had promised to intercede on his behalf. She also appealed to the US authorities to recognise that “Sami Al-Haj is innocent, that he was in Afghanistan as a journalist.”
She said the family was financially dependent on him and his only son “asks after him a great deal.” Addressing the US authorities, his brother said: “If you have no serious charges to bring against my brother, why do you maintain this crushing secrecy about his case?”
Reporters Without Borders established a system of sponsorship 16 years ago in which international media are encouraged to adopt imprisoned journalists. More than 200 news organisations, journalists’ associations, press clubs and other entities throughout the world are currently supporting journalists by regularly calling on the authorities to release them and by publicising their cases.
Al-Haj has been adopted by four Spanish media organisations - La Sexta, IPS-Comunica, La Voz del Occidente and Colexio de Xornalistas de Galicia - and six Canadian ones - Corriere Canadese, Atlas media, Magazine de Saint-Lambert, Mouton Noir, CIBL and Radio Canada Sudbury.

In the Mideast War of Ideas, The View From The Arab Side

By Paul FarhiWashington Post Staff
PBS's excellent and comprehensive "News War" series wraps up tonight with a report on the rise of pan-Arabic television. Unfortunately, the finale -- which raises intriguing questions but answers almost none of them -- is by far the weakest and least focused of the four-part series, which until now concentrated on the issues and travails of the American media.
Reporter-narrator Greg Barker hotfoots it from Washington to the Mideast and back to lay out the program's theme: that the U.S. government is engaged in a "War of Ideas" (the installment's title) with a host of Arabic TV channels. It turns out, unsurprisingly, that the Arab media see things quite differently than does the Bush administration and its official info-agents.
If we learn anything from Barker's report, it's that the Arab media are by no means monolithic. Al-Jazeera, the region's best-known and most popular satellite channel, looks at its restive corner of the world from a different perch than al-Manar, the house organ of Lebanon's Hezbollah. Which plays things a lot differently than the "moderate" Saudi Arabian channel, al-Arabiya, does.
But what exactly "moderate" or "radical" is in the Arabic media is a pretty slippery thing. Beyond a few perfunctory adjectives, "Frontline" doesn't sort out who's who and why. Mostly it tells rather than shows. Al-Jazeera -- they're the ones with the Osama bin Laden tapes, right? Or are they the Holocaust denial channel? Or both? Not so clear.
Barker gets more of a fix on al-Hurra ("The Free One"), the U.S. government's satellite TV megaphone in the Mideast. We don't see much of al-Hurra's programming, but we do grasp what it's trying to accomplish: to get the American side of the story out in a region that's mostly hostile to it. "Because Arabs are upset about the presence of foreign forces in an Arab country, there are no good images of an American soldier," Duncan MacInnis, a member of the State Department's "Rapid Response" information team, tells Barker. "An American soldier building a hospital in Iraq is still an American soldier in Iraq."
Barker also chats up al-Jazeera's director-general and scores an interview with a journalist at al-Manar. Everyone seems perfectly reasonable, mainly because "Frontline" shies away from showing some of the uglier things that pass for "news" in the Arab media (that ugliness explains why the United States spends tens of millions of dollars annually on al-Hurra in the first place). One small example shown in "War of Ideas" does hint at the larger info-scape of the Middle East: A spokesman for the U.S. Central Command is invited to speak on an Arab news channel in the wake of insurgent violence that kills 200 people in the Baghdad's Sadr City -- and is asked whether American forces "orchestrated" the violence.
In a misguided attempt at fairness, "Frontline" lets some intriguing statements go unchallenged and unfollowed. The director of al-Jazeera's English-language channel, for example, asserts that Western coverage of last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon "wasn't balanced." It wasn't?
Another "analyst" makes the astounding assertion that 60 percent of al-Jazeera's journalists are members of the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni movement that advocates the establishment of fundamentalist caliphate stretching across the Mideast and beyond. How does he know such a thing? Or does he? We're simply told that others "dispute" this claim.
It's probably hard to make really snazzy TV out of something as abstract as a "war of ideas," and "Frontline" will win no awards for compelling imagery here. Indeed, many of its talking-head interviews seem rushed and impatient, as if Barker's subjects had better things to do.
"Frontline" is on to a juicy subject, but at barely 40 minutes -- less than half the time devoted to the preceding installment of "News War" -- this take feels incomplete.

AL JAZEERA AND ALHURRA CONTEND WITH TV RATINGS PROBLEMS

by Alvin Snyder

The latest Middle East TV ratings that list actual tune-in of news channels, obtained exclusively by Worldcasting, show business as usual but also some surprises. Al Jazeera, the Qatari government-owned channel, continues to hold forth in popularity in Egypt. Al Arabiya, funded in part by the Saudi government through a holding company, once again tops others in Saudi Arabia by a wide margin, but it also garnered impressive audience ratings in Iraq, where Alhurra, the U.S. government service, continues to trail its competition, there and elsewhere. The TV ratings by the independent polling organization, IPSOS-STAT, depict "day before" actual viewing. In Egypt, Al Jazeera with a 21.26 rating, placed well ahead of Al Arabiya, at a 5.1 rating. But in Saudi Arabia, Al Arabiya, at a rating of 22.23, topped Al Jazeera, which gathered a 17.33 rating. Data from both Egypt and Saudi Arabia were consistent with those from earlier months. Alhurra followed, a long way down. In Iraq, however, Al Arabiya gathered a whopping 41.29 rating, practically even with leader Al Iraqiya, the Iraqi government channel, and well ahead of Al Jazeera, which received an 18.39 rating. Al Hurra trailed well behind others with its two Iraq channels. To generate more buzz about its Middle East TV channels and perhaps lift ratings, Larry Register, the recently appointed head of Al Hurra and its counterpart, Radio Sawa, has changed station policy by lifting the previous ban on broadcasting statements from terrorists. With one exception, the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors to whom Register reports, voiced its support of the former veteran CNN producer. But the Chairman of the BBG, Kenneth Tomlinson, has thus far withheld his support of Register, pending further investigation of the facts. Despite Alhurra's growing pains (it debuted Feb. 2004) it still gets enough of an audience in the Middle East to be listed on commercial TV rating services. Conversely, Al Jazeera's English-language service has practically no audience at all in the U.S., and does not appear in commercial audience rating services even as an asterisk. It can be accessed via the Internet and on a few local cable systems, but major program distributors have shied away from carrying Al Jazeera because of threatened boycotts by sponsors and cable subscribers, over Al Jazeera's distribution of statements by Bin Laden and other terrorists. While the perception of Al Jazeera vis-à-vis terrorists would appear to be stalling its effort to introduce its service in America, Alhura appears to be banking on improving its ratings reach in the Middle East by putting terrorists on the air. In television, it's all about numbers.

AJE Launches

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'Three cheers for Al Jazeera'

Jordan Times - 14/03/2007

Michael Jansen
Al Jazeera-English is a dream-come-true satellite television channel.Since the 1960s, when many Third World countries became independent, the media folk of Afro-Asia longed to launch their own independent mass media with the aim of providing the world public with a Third World perspective on events to balance coverage given by Western news agencies, newspapers and, more recently, satellite channels.As Al Jazeera's highly successful Arabic channel was marking its tenth anniversary, Al Jazeera-English began to broadcast news, views and backgrounders. Suddenly, BBC World and the US Cable News Network (CNN) had a serious competitor.Al Jazeera English has the talent, the equipment, the contacts and the correspondents to mount a serious challenge to the dominant channels of the Western world. And, thanks to Qatar, the finance to mount this challenge.Arab, African, Latin American, Indian and Asian broadcasters are the talking heads talking sense about their problems without filtration through Western eyes and editors.Steve Clark, head of news at Al Jazeera-English, said that when he began working with the English channel, it had three employees. Now it has 1,000 and shares 60 bureaux round the globe with the Arabic channel. Its employees have a "pioneering spirit". They have "come out into the desert to launch a global channel."All but one of the high profile media personalities invited to join Al Jazeera-English agreed without hesitation. Famed British interviewer Sir David Frost, Ragi Omar of the Guardian, and Riz Khan and Veronica Petrosa, formerly of CNN all signed on.Clark, who roamed Africa alongside his engineer father, previously worked for ITV and MBC in Britain. He said that Al Jazeera-English has the most multinational range of employees in television. In the newsroom alone there are four dozen nationalities. This feat of recruitment was not by design but by chance. They and the other broadcasters and technical staff were hired in an intensive 18-month drive. Twenty-five per cent are "old hacks" (experienced journalists), 25 per cent in their "something thirties" with experience and 50 per cent new talent in their twenties."It's the youngest channel in global news broadcasting," asserted Clark."We hit the ground running" on November 15 last year with an hour's broadcast from nine locations. Al Jazeera took the view that there is "no point building up" to a full service. So the station started as it intended to proceed.He is particularly pleased with Al Jazeera's coverage of Africa and Latin America, areas of the world generally ignored by the main Western channels. "We are the only channel to have a permanent office in Harare" or Mogadishu. It took a lot of effort to get permission to operate in Zimbabwe, he observed.There was a great deal of suspicion in Washington about Al Jazeera-English. Before broadcasts began, Clark paid 38 or 39 visits to Capitol Hill in Washington. His job was to convince congressmen "what we are not". Not a "terrorist" channel, as alleged by hostile quarters, including former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who accused the Arabic channel of cooperating with Al Qaeda and showing video of beheadings.Clark firmly stated: "We have never broadcast beheadings. We employ the same standards of decency as other channels."He will be visiting Washington next fall to check out opinion. "We are already getting some positive feedback."Presumably, congressmen and women and other officials are viewing Al Jazeera-English on their computers. It has not been able to get a US cable network to carry the channel there. The BBC apparently has the same problem. US cable operators prefer movies, sports, or music to news.This is an old story. Not really plugged into the wider world, US citizens opt for entertainment rather than enlightenment. The ignorance of the US public is one of the most serious problems facing the international community. Unless the US is informed about world affairs, Washington will never be held accountable for blunders like its war in Iraq and submission to Israel's every whim.In spite of being excluded from the US, Al Jazeera-English reaches 100,000 households, or at least 400,000 viewers. The Arabic channel has 30-50 million viewers, most viewing thanks to satellite carriers. Some viewers of the Arabic channel whose Arabic is weak have switched to the English channel so they can not only view the news but fully understand what is being said.One of Al Jazeera-English's most provocative programmes is "Inside Iraq". Its presenter, Jasim Azawi, was born in Iraq, studied biochemistry and emigrated to the US in 1982. There he worked for 15 years as an interpreter for the State Department. He joined Al Jazeera-English in 2006 and his wife took up employment with the Arabic channel."We try to cover big themes — history, culture, oil" as well as news. He pointed out that the channel also broadcasts reports from organisations like Amnesty International which are critical of US policies in Iraq. Most other broadcasters steer well clear of these reports.Al Jazeera can do a good job because it is well funded. It does not have its own point of view; it has many. The staff reflect "all points of view: liberal, progressive, secularist and Islamist. No one tells us what line to take or issues any directives. We want to show all aspects of the issues."Maire Devine, who heads the "Everywoman" team, said her programme also deals with controversial subjects in the Arab world and elsewhere. In the four months since the channel began broadcasting, "Everywoman" has dealt with spousal violence, handicapped children, the hijab and nikab, education, and the impact of warfare on women and children.Born and raised in Ireland, Devine compared the situation in Qatar to conditions in her homeland in the seventies. She particularly likes to bring powerful women into the studio and hold interesting exchanges with them."Young women here need [positive] role models. In the West our role models are empty, airheaded celebrities.""Everywoman" interviewed the first Qatari female paramedics and bodyguards. Five years ago, women could not do such jobs or speak about their work to the media.Al Jazeera-English's motto is "Setting the news agenda". The channel is doing precisely this. BBC World, in particular, is having to follow Al Jazeera's lead. Competition can be good for broadcasting if it drives broadcasters to improve their performance and programming. The West has dominated the newspapers airwaves, and satellite bands for long enough.

About AJE

Al Jazeera English, the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, headquartered in Doha.
Al Jazeera English is the world’s first global English language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. From this unique position, Al Jazeera English is destined to be the English-language channel of reference for Middle Eastern events, balancing the current typical information flow by reporting from the developing world back to the West and from the southern to the northern hemisphere. The channel gives voice to untold stories, promotes debate, and challenges established perceptions.
With broadcasting centers in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC and supporting bureaux world-wide, the channel will set the news agenda, bridging cultures and providing a unique grassroots perspective from underreported regions around the world to a potential global audience of over one billion English speakers.
The station broadcasts news, current affairs, features, analysis, documentaries, live debates, entertainment, business and sport. Building on Al Jazeera Arabic channel’s ground breaking developments in the Arab and Muslim world that have changed the face of news within the Middle East, Al Jazeera English is part of a growing network that is now extending this fresh perspective from regional to global through accurate, impartial and objective reporting.