Rise of Al-Jazeera in Arab Media - Case Study Example

Introduction Al-Jazeera has revolutionized the Arab media, forging an independent identity and maverick reputation that has attracted a colossal following throughout the Middle East and beyond. The network's viewership has come to rival CNN's in terms of size; and it continues to grow. "It has been said by several commentators that Al Jazeera is the new CNN. With over 35 million regular viewers in 22 Arab countries and some 10 million subscribers outside, it has one of the largest audience bases ever."1 An English language version of the station has enabled the network to break into new geographic areas, and it now plans to enter the U.S. market. In a nutshell, Al-Jazeera has "broken the western, and particularly the American, new monopoly in the region. The resulting expansion in the range of information sources and views is not simply a healthy counterweight to American dominated coverage; it also accustoms Arab viewers to criticism of their own rulers and governments - an unthinkable trend until the 1990s."2 This relatively new phenomenon on the global media scene has transformed the perception of Arab news coverage by taking on tough, hard hitting reporting assignments with a young, fresh and professional staff of reporters. Al-Jazeera has been willing to present coverage that has rankled authoritarian Arab regimes as much as it has Western governments. "Al-Jazeera is fascinating as a phenomenon in two regards. First of all, it tells the truth about the nations of the Middle East in a rather brutal fashion. Second, it also speaks a stark truth to a United States that is, first of all, badly and to some degree deliberately, misinformed about the region, its people and its dominant faith, Islam."3 This paper discusses the rise of Al-Jazeera; and analyzes the ways in which it has revolutionized not only Arab media, but global media as well. Never before has an Arab news outlet commanded such a high level of respect, and attracted such a global following. The objective credibility it has managed to attain in the East and the West effectively positions Al-Jazeera on the cusp of being the preeminent worldwide news source of the 21st Century. History of Al-Jazeera Al-Jazeera was born of reforms instituted in Qatar when a new emir, Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, came to power in 1995. Abolition of media censorship in that country was finalized in 1998. The emir decreed the establishment of Al-Jazeera in the context of modernization of Qatari television. The vision was of a satellite network capable of competing with the BBC for viewers who wanted objective and independent news coverage but with an Arab flavor. Coincidentally with Al-Jazeera's establishment, BBC's Arabic network ran into trouble with the Saudi owners of its satellite station over its coverage of certain events that the Saudi's considered to be offensive to their religious sensibilities. The Saudis pulled the plug on the BBC. "Suddenly, hundreds of well-trained, professional Arab journalists, broadcasters and media administrators were out of work and available for recruitment. Al-Jazeera quickly signed contracts with some 120 of them. They were attracted by better salaries and promises of more freedom of expression in their programs and in coverage of the news."4 The network quickly grew in terms of airtime and organization. "The station began broadcasting six hours a day, then increased this to twelve. Since January 1, 1999, al-Jazeera has been broadcasting 24 hours a day."5 By 2001, Al-Jazeera's operation had nearly 500 employees in 11 offices with 38 foreign correspondents. A privately run outfit with funding from the deep pockets of the Qatari government, the station rapidly became a force to be reckoned with in the Arabic language media. "Al-Jazeera initially mesmerized Arab publics accustomed to the official channels of Arab states and quickly enraged almost all Arab governments, Iran, and some in the west."6 The current war in Iraq, in particular, has been hugely important to keeping the station at center stage in the global media. "War in Iraq is an event of profound importance for its home region, the Middle East. Al Jazeera has become, in effect, the CNN of the Arab world."7 With no indication that the Middle East will decrease in geo-political significance any time soon, the environment is ripe for Al-Jazeera's influence to continue growing. Content of Coverage Al-Jazeera has been dedicated to balanced coverage, a commitment that has angered many parties, both Arab and Western. "Al-Jazeera has been attacked by almost every Middle Eastern government and its offices in the region are shut down from time to time as a result of news reports about official corruption in a number of these countries. Israeli politicians and commentators who are scarcely seen on other Middle East stations are regular contributors on al-Jazeera, which is dedicated to balanced coverage."8 Arguably, the extent to which parties on all sides of various issues assail Al-Jazeera's "biased" coverage is evidence that the network goes out of its way to be fair and objective. The network's penchant for covering stories that may seem critical of Arab governments is novel to the Arab media. A producer with the network asserts "Al-Jazeera broke the mould, broke the taboo, because before al- Jazeera you didn't have any independent Arab broadcasters, they were all government mouthpieces. We were the first, and basically I think this gave people hope that you would hear criticisms of Arab governments for the first time ever. And now we have more competition, there are more stations and networks starting up here and there, which is very, very refreshing in this part of the world where we have just been used to one side of the story for decades."9 The extent to which Al-Jazeera's coverage has irked Middle Eastern governments is evidenced by diplomatic toll it has taken on relations between Qatar and other Arab states. In 2002, BBC Monitoring reported that Al-Jazeera "irritates Arab leaders because it gives airtime to their opponents and to ordinary viewers and discusses taboo political and social topics. Relations between Jordan and Qatar have been tense in recent months since Jordan accused the station of stirring up unrest in the country and insulting the royal family. The station's office in Amman was briefly shut down in August."10 A prime example of the network's foray into delicate subject matter is its treatment of Israel. "Contrary to what one might imagine, Al-Jazeera covers Israel and carries live interviews with Israelis speaking in Hebrew on its broadcasts, without censorship."11 This willingness to provide a platform for those of all national and political stripes has caused some consternation, even among Arabs. Al-Jazeera's coverage has been nothing short of revolutionary for the Arab world. "It provided Muslims their first glimpse of the daily thump and grind of Arab life--warts and all. The station was the first to offer extended debates over typically taboo topics such as polygamy and women's rights. It was the first to feature interviews with top Jewish leaders."12 No longer did Arabs have to rely on Western news outlets for objective coverage. "Many Arabs feel a sense of pride in having a genuinely Arab news channel. It quickly gained the trust and admiration of its audience. Indeed, Arabs have quickly become "hooked" on its news coverage of Arab affairs, while its talk shows have become a centerpiece of discussion in society."13 As much as Al-Jazeera has attracted the ire of Arab governments, it has also been no stranger to U.S. criticism. Since September 11, the U.S. has expressed strong disapproval of the network's seemingly close relationship with Osama bin Laden, criticizing it for broadcasting messages from the al-Qaeda leader. "U.S. government officials acknowledge that they're actively trying to alter Al Jazeera's editorial content. In addition to Powell's conversation with the emir, officials have visited the station itself to express their concerns that it has become a terrorist mouthpiece. They have also worried about Al Jazeera's objectivity."14 It would be difficult to argue that Al-Jazeera is not an independent news network, considering the scope of criticism it has received from so many different points of view. The network's coverage has been refreshing to many because of this objectivity, leading to an ever increasing number of viewers in many different geographic areas. "The change in style and substance from the state-sponsored news services that went before was enormous, establishing al-Jazeera as the preferred source of news in cafes and homes around the Middle East."15 The speed with which this Al-Jazeera took its place as the dominant news source in the Middle East, and poised to become the preeminent global news source, is remarkable by any measure. The Future of Al-Jazeera Al-Jazeera has laid the groundwork to ensure its success for years to come. The professional and independent approach to news coverage that has been its mantra has redefined the image of Arab media. For the first time, here is an Arab news source that is looked to and respected as a credible source of information throughout the world. Regularly quoted by many other news outlets such as BBC and CNN, Al-Jazeera enjoys a strong stature among world media. It has the potential to shape the West's view of events in the Middle East and elsewhere with reporting from an Arab perspective. This combination of global respectability and unique vantage point illustrates the extent to which this network has revolutionized Arab media. Al-Jazeera's ability to expand its success depends on its ongoing creativity in how it chooses to expand its programming; its ability to stay new and fresh in the face of other Arab startups seeking to duplicate its success; and its ability to become financially independent. Success in these three areas will allow the network to capture large blocks of new viewers around the world, and truly become the top global source of news. On the other hand, faltering in any of these three areas could result in the network's present success being a mere flash in the pan. The station already has substantial plans for future programming expansion. Through Al-Jazeera International, an English language station established in 2005 that beams news to the United States and many other English-speaking parts of the world, the network hopes to fundamentally alter the current information environment. Recently, however, this venture has been beset by troubles. "The service was due to launch in April but was delayed by construction and technical problems at its international bases in London, Doha, Kuala Lumpur and Washington. The launch had already been pushed back to June and is now mooted for the end of September."16 The network subsidiary also recently suffered turmoil over the departure of a key editor, who many Al-Jazeera staff have suspected was fired for political reasons.17 Financially, the network still struggles to become independent of the Qatari government. The original plan had been for Al-Jazeera to get established and operationally successful under a large one-time grant from the government. The station was to begin generating sufficient income through commercial advertisements within 5-years to operate without the further government assistance. This has not yet happened for a couple of reasons, and the Qatari emir has had to continue providing assistance to keep the station running. A primary reason why Al-Jazeera has struggled financially is its content and coverage, which has often offended the sensibilities of many among its target audience. In this environment, it has been difficult to sell advertising, and to keep the advertisers they have managed to acquire. In an atmosphere without a tradition of free speech and press, many advertisers have been reluctant to associate their products with the network, and have refused to help fund it by paying for ads. This presents a "Catch 22" for Al-Jazeera, which needs advertising revenue in order to continue its global expansion, but cannot acquire regular advertisers until it becomes globally established. As one Al-Jazeera source has noted, "the big problem, financially, is that Al Jazeera alienates everyone in the Arab World because it criticises Arab countries . . . ad agencies are always being told 'We won't do business with you if you advertise on Al Jazeera.' There's tended to be a culture that if something offends you, you just pull all the ads."18 The expansion of Al-Jazeera into English language services is not only conducive to the station's mission, but it is also essential to its financial survival. Doing so ensures that it can pick up sufficient global audiences to command the necessary level of advertising revenues to become independent of the Qatari government. English-language expansion "allows Al Jazeera to broaden its 'footprint', making it a channel global brands can ill afford to ignore."19 The Qatari government will need to continue funding Al-Jazeera until such expansion is complete and its advertising revenues begin to reap the benefits. This government support has been Al-Jazeera's lifeline, and seems likely to be so for some time to come. As independent as Al-Jazeera has appeared to be in its reporting and coverage, this strong financial connection to the Qatari government has led to much criticism that the station has a double standard when it comes to coverage of Qatar. In general, Al-Jazeera has made the case that its coverage has been critical of Qatari government officials and policies on many occasions. Nevertheless, its financial dependence on the Qatari government, at the very least, raises questions about whether its coverage would or could be influenced by that support. Thus, severing that financial connection as soon as possible is essential to optimizing Al-Jazeera's credibility as a completely independent source of information. Until this is accomplished, Al-Jazeera might have a difficult time taking market share from the other major worldwide news networks. Conclusion Al-Jazeera has filled a void in both Middle Eastern and world media with its highly professional news service, impeccably adhering to the highest global media standards, but with an Arab flavor. Born of the Qatari emir's vision of an independent news service capable of rivaling Western based media outlets and enhancing the stature of his tiny emirate, Al-Jazeera was given the financial backing and operational independence necessary to fulfill that vision. Fortuitous circumstances created by the demise of BBC's Arabic station enabled Al-Jazeera to step in and quickly become the predominant source of global news in the Middle East. The rapid rise of Al-Jazeera has been attributable to its carefully cultivated professional image combined with its willingness to air coverage that is critical of Arab governments. Its unique style of programming has resonated with millions of viewers, leading to a level of growth and success that has gained much notice. "Since its launch in November 1996, Al Jazeera has gained considerable popularity among viewers in the Arab world, while annoying many governments for tackling political, social and sometimes sexual issues previously regarded as taboo, as well as providing a platform for Arab dissidents."20 Al-Jazeera's future success depends on its ability to stay true to its original formula while also remaining fresh. Works Cited "Al Jazeera says Western media 'envy' successful Arab TV." Middle East News Online 7 Oct 2001. Bahry, L. "The new Arab media phenomenon: Qatar's Al-Jazeera." Middle East Policy, 8 (2001): 88. Cherribi, S. "From Baghdad to Paris: Al-Jazeera and the Veil." Press/Politics Spring 2006 Drummond, J. "Qatari broadcaster emerges as key channel of communication." Financial Times 9 Oct 2001: 4. Gibbs, P. "Axe Falls on Al-Jazeera Editor - And Independence" The Independent 14 Aug 2006: 16. Hodgson, J. "Business & media: The Arab CNN goes global." The Observer 7 Sep 2003: 8. Lo Dico, J. "Resignation Hits Al-Jazeera Plans." The Independent on Sunday 13 Aug 2006: 14. "Maverick network steers its own Middle East course." Irish Times 29 Mar 2003: 51. "Media watchdog slams Arab rulers' moves against Al-Jazeera." BBC Monitoring Media 5 Nov 2002: 1. Melvin, D. "Showdown with Iraq: Al Jazeera remains as other news organizations leave." The Atlanta Journal - Constitution 20 Mar 2003: A8. Miller, T. "US strikes back." Los Angeles Times 12 Oct 2001: A6. Saghieh, H. "Al-Jazeera: The World Through Arab Eyes." Open Democracy 17 Jun 2004 "Welcome, Al-Jazeera, to our media mix." Pittsburgh Post - Gazette 12 Apr 2006: B7. Read More