There Are A Number Of Misperceptions And Myths That Exist About Al Jazeera English In North America

[Turborama]

Hits & Myths

There are a number of misperceptions and myths that exist about Al Jazeera and Al Jazeera English in North America, that fortunately are not evident in the rest of the world. We would like to address some of these misperceptions head on, and encourage you to watch the channel for yourself to judge, via: http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/ or http://youtube.com/Aljazeeraenglish

Myth: Al Jazeera Supports Terrorism
No, this is a absolutely not true. Al Jazeera Arabic, like many other broadcasters, has received Osama Bin Laden tapes and material from other sources that are of interest to the general public. Al Jazeera makes an editorial judgment to air small amounts of newsworthy content if it is deemed relevant. We are certainly not alone in this decision - just about all the other major broadcasters do the same. People often neglect to mention that AJ wasn’t the first network to broadcast a tape from Bin Laden, and the last tape that was released online was first picked up by another outlet. What is true is that Al Jazeera has given more airtime to American leaders than has ever been given to Osama Bin Laden.

Myth: Al Jazeera is Anti-Semitic
Since January 2007, AJE has been available on YES TV in Israel. The decision was made to remove BBC and replace it with AJE because AJE was thought to be unbiased and balanced. We have given more air time to Israeli officials than any other news channel outside of Israel. AJE is a channel that reports all sides of the story. Our Jerusalem bureau is our largest bureau, and our coverage of Israel is extensive. But you don’t need to hear this from us - The Jerusalem Post and Haaretz have both written pieces on our unbiased reporting in which they describe Al Jazeera English as an important, international news organization.

Myth: Al Jazeera is Anti-American
Absolutely not. Al Jazeera is committed to providing an international platform for American voices, often reaching places where the American perspective is rarely heard. Our news coverage and programming coming from the US is extensive, and over the last months we shared the US political process with the world, devoting countless hours to speaking to Americans and telling their stories. Guests on the channel have included Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, as well as General David Petraeus, Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Michael Chertoff.

Myth: Al Jazeera Shows Beheadings
This is a complete inaccuracy. Al Jazeera has never and will never broadcast a beheading. Our journalism upholds the strictest guiding principles of accuracy, impartiality and objectivity. For more information on our standards you can read our Code of Ethics.

Myth: Al Jazeera English is a Translation of the Arabic Channel
Al Jazeera English is unlike any other channel in the word. We are truly concerned with reporting international affairs, not just news that is governed by the West. We are a separate channel from Al Jazeera Arabic and we offer a different perspective. However, we are proud to build on the Arabic channel’s heritage of fearless reporting.

Myth: Al Jazeera has a Specific Agenda
Al Jazeera has no commercial or political constraints, which automatically gives us less bias than any other English channel. It is true to say that Al Jazeera has a unique point of view, that we continuously question the news agenda and that we offer an alternative perspective to other Western-based outlets. Unlike other English language news networks, at AJE we balance the information flow from the geographical South to the North and provide our viewers an opportunity to hear all sides of the story and have their own point of view.

From: http://www.iwantaje.net/hm

See also their Code of Ethics: http://www.iwantaje.net/code

Lastly, http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=6848728">read this for the history about how Bush's Junta have succeeded in destroying Al Jazeera's reputation in America and literally tried to wipe them off the map.

[damntexdem]

1. But this is not a myth: I can't get it on cable.

Free press indeed.

[Turborama]

2. You can petition your cable provider...

From: here:http://www.iwantaje.net/

I read earlier that two-and-a-half thousand percent increase of streaming their online channel over the past week & sixty percent of that from the United States.

If that link is spread far and wide and enough people get those petitions in, your myth could be busted! :hi:

[sabrina 1]

7. I did that already. I hope they will consider it. I have Time Warner

but if they don't, I will check out Satelite TV or Dish as I read that they do carry Al Jazeera.

[jeff47]

3. Should every news channel ever created be carried by every cable provider?

I'm sure a lot of billionaires would fund more versions of Fox News, which would then have to be carried.

Supply and demand. Don't have it? Start complaining to your cable company. Until this situation in Egypt, your cable company probably received no requests to carry the channel.

[Turborama]

4. 1) It's not my news channel

2) It's much more complicated than that. The last link in the OP explains why Al Jazeera's image was destroyed by Bush's junta, which led to Americans to thinking they were/are "the terrorists channel".

[jeff47]

9. Still not relevant to what I'm saying

If nobody asks their cable providers for the channel, then cable companies aren't going to provide it.

I can't get "The Cooking Channel" from my cable company. Is that the fault of the Bush junta too?

[Turborama]

12. oh, it's very relevant

if you bother to read it all: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=6848728

[jeff47]

15. No, not really

Because you're assuming everyone has heard of Al Jazeera and the only reason they aren't asking for it is because of what the Bush administration said about them.

The vast majority of Americans have no idea Al Jazeera exists. Just like they're not aware of US-targeted channels from companies in India or China.

[Turborama]

17. They have heard of them and the image of "terrorist TV" they have of them was set by Bush's Junta

Why can't you get that simple fact?

[jeff47]

19. Because it isn't a fact?

Show me polling proving it, or we'll both have to retreat to our anecdotal corners.

[Turborama]

20. Go out and ask 10 random people yourself

Why should I have to do your research for you?

(Thanks for keeping this thread kicked, btw)

[jeff47]

22. I've already asked plenty of people for anecdotal evidence

The only ones who knew of the existence of Al Jazeera were the politically astute. The vast majority had no idea they existed.

So we each have anecdotes....so where's your polling to demonstrate which set of anecdotes are correct?

[Turborama]

23. OK, you don't think anyone in Ameica knows who Al Jazeera English are

Fine.

Thanks a lot for kicking this OP again.

[Turborama]

24. US viewers seek Al Jazeera coverage; Telecommunications Companies Block Its Expansion in the U. S.

Read this OP by seafan and learn how wrong you have been: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x339065

[sabrina 1]

6. Any news organization of this quality SHOULD be able to get

on the air in this country, and if other billionaires were willing to fund them and they produce top quality reporting like AJ, I would love to see all of them on the air. We're a big country and the more good news organizations telling the truth, reporting real news instead of what we get now, the better for this democracy.

As for them not hearing from people until this coverage? People have been watching Al Jazeera long before these events unfolded. But you're right, they may not have asked their cable providers to include them in their programming.

Otoh, as Turborama pointed out, the Bush administration destroyed their reputation because they were reporting on the REAL war, showing the real effects of the war and that didn't fit in with the plans to sanitize the war for Americans so they would continue to support it. AJ showed the Iraqi people eg, here we never saw an ordinary Iraqi in an interview giving their perspective of the invasion.

So, it isn't just that people didn't ask, it's that the image of the organization was ruined by the Bush gang and they now have to overcome that. I remember it well. Linking to AJ to make a point to a rightwinger eg, I was told often not to link to 'that terrorist organization'.

[jeff47]

10. I think you vastly overstate the effectiveness of the Bush administration

The only people I know who are aware of the existence of Al Jazeera are the politically active. The vast majority don't even know they exist....much like the Fox Business channel.

[justiceischeap]

14. Paper Says Bush Talked of Bombing Arab TV Network (Al Jazeera Arabic)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/22/AR2005112201784.html

A spokesman for Blair's office declined to comment on grounds that the document is part of a criminal investigation. Two civil servants have been charged with violating Britain's Official Secrets Act for allegedly disclosing the document.

According to a source quoted in the Daily Mail, Blair told Bush that bombing al-Jazeera "would cause a big problem." The source was also quoted as saying: "There's no doubt what Bush wanted to do -- and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it."

<snip>

Al-Jazeera, in a statement released Tuesday evening, said it was trying to verify the newspaper's account and called on Blair's office to clear up the issue.

"If the report is correct, then this would be both shocking and worrisome not only to al-Jazeera but to media organizations across the world," the statement said. "It would cast serious doubts in regard to the U.S. administration's version of previous incidents involving Al Jazeera's journalists and offices."

[jeff47]

16. Doesn't change what I'm saying

Again, the vast majority of people do not know the channel exists, much less that it was bombed or that the Bush administration said anything bad about them.

Until people start the equivalent of "I want my MTV", cable providers aren't going to change their lineup.

[Turborama]

25. Again

Read this and learn how wrong you are: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x339065

[CreekDog]

26. hell, i pay my cable company over $125/month and get a Jewelry Shopping Channel!

supply and demand my a**.

during Egyptian riots they could give me Al Jazeera, which in the middle of the night last night, while it was day in Egypt, was the only news channel I could find broadcasting comprehensive news about Egypt continuously --and live.

[sabrina 1]

21. Well, you just made my point. Why DON'T the vast majority

of Americans know about Al Jazeera English? BECAUSE of the efforts to discredit them.

No one can know about a network, like Fox eg, until it gets on the air. We are one of the few Western nations where a majority of the people, as you pointed out, never heard of Al Jazeera. Everyone in Europe has heard of them and in Canada eg.

The Bush administration and the rest of the cabal that runs this country do not want the American people to be as informed as Europeans are. They have a huge amount of influence over what gets on the air here.

[tavalon]

18. I don't have cable and it is one of a handful of websites I go to regularly

I am blessed with a broadband connection and equally blessed that my other spouses feel as much repulsion as I do to cable coming into our house. We could afford it, but I want nothing to do with it and neither do they. One of many things I like about my spice (plural of spouse?).

[Turborama]

5. .

:kick: for the night owls...

[democracy1st]

8. K & R

[spanone]

11. bu$hco spent 8 years demonizing them

[malaise]

13. Ding ding

while MSGreedia was showing the hanging of the leader of a sovereign country that was illegally invaded by said Bush.
The truth is that the Cable companies are ReTHUG hacks.