Al Jazeera in English: Might as well watch CNN?

Like many others, I was initially excited about the news of an Al Jazeera TV channel in English.  Though under no illusions that it was going to be something other than a massive corporate news entity, it at least held the promise of offering Western viewers a counterpoint to the dominant, uncritical, jingoistic rhetoric that passes for news on Western outlets. 

Yet as time has passed, information has come out that Al Jazeera International, as the English station is to be called, is shaping up to be nothing more than another standard fare Western news channel.    Khalid Amayreh's article below is the most recent and in-depth indication of Al Jazeera International's trajectory.

Not only does he speak about the TV station, but the English website - which as of now is the only indicator the public has as to the course of the English station's coverage.  And it's not good, especially in regards to Palestine/Israel.  As a long time reader of the English website, I can attest to the marked decline in the quality of coverage of the conflict.  Whereas they used to run original articles, virtually all the news on the conflict now is straight off the Reuters wire - or else a compilation of the AP, AFP and Reuters wires.  By its near-universal use of European and U.S. wire services, when it comes to Palestine/Israel, Al Jazeera's English website is already a typical Western news outlet.

For those concerned like I am about the troubling direction of Al Jazeera International, I urge you to write to AJI's managers: nigel.parsons@aljazeera.net and manager@aljazeera.net and let them know what you're looking for in a news source.  The world - especially now - doesn't need another CNN or BBC.

Amayreh, a reporter for Al Jazeera and Al-Ahram Weekly, writes,

[I]t seems that disappointment may be awaiting many of those who expect to see a world TV channel that is fair and objective and especially free from the usual Anglo-American (and Israeli) worldview.

In fact, there are already ominous signs showing that pro-Israeli sympathizers, some of them with a background in the BBC, are already trying to control the editorial policies of the new channel, all under the rubric of professionalism and journalistic standards.

This writer, who has been working for Aljazeera.net/English (which has now been incorporated into AJI) has discovered by chance efforts by some senior western editors at AJI to minimize and avoid as much as possible the publication of articles, especially news and feature stories, portraying Israel in bad light and exposing Israeli occupation practices against the Palestinian people.

Comments

[Muhammad]

Hi Scott,

This was posted earlier on FriendsofAljazeera.org, it is pretty scary thinking that this will turn into another FOX, CNN thing.

Also another link you mightbe interested in...

http://aljazeerainsider.blogspot.com

Peace,

M.

[scott]

Thanks for mentioning those site. Sorry I'm late in the game. :)

I hope things turn around - it'd be great to watch the news and not get angry at it.

[beacon]

Further down the article, Amayreh cites pressure tactics used by a Jewish higher-up at Al-Jazeera International (AJI).

Yeah, that's right wingnuts, "Arab propaganda arm" Al-Jazeera hires Jews also, and not the "self-hating" type either...

[dave]

I've been watching the decline of the English-language site as well. I wonder what is going on over there?