Relationship with the State of Qatar and Other Countries - Thesis Example

This research work will highlight the impact of the television channel on the international relationships between various countries of the world, in general, and the role of Al Jazeera news channels in influencing the relations of the state of Qatar with other countries, in particular. The research will seek to delve into the perceptions of the world on the role of Qatar in supporting the most recent war in the Middle East. Moreover, it is also intended to evaluate the various ways employed by the Qatari Government in backing this war on the whole. The study will therefore focus on the different interpretations of mass media in the formation of opinion and political bias. It will employ the neutrality model to analyze the relationship between the government and the media.

Comprehensive results will be extracted from the projected research work to draw some inclusive conclusions regarding the factors influencing international relationships between Qatar and other countries. Al Jazeera-the channel was started in 1996 in Qatar. The channel was founded by Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani who was the new Emir of Qatar. He granted $137 million to Al Jazeera as an initial endowment. Sheikh Hammad bin Thamer Al Thani is the chairman of Al Jazeera and is a cousin of the Emir of Qatar. Moreover, Al Jazeera’s shares were held by the Qatar government and by some other investors. 

The Al-Jazeera news channel gives Qatar the muscle it needs to expand its foreign influence by creating mutual and beneficial connections, which can help to improve its image. This status has been supported by the massive oil and gas reserves the country has which have made Qatar become not only one of the wealthiest monarchies in the Middle East but in the world at large. This wealth has made the country have one of the highest GDP per capita in the world, therefore, making some of its Middle Eastern neighbors envious of its position (Akhmetov, 2012). The state of Qatar has always been uneasy with the dominance of regional affairs by neighboring Saudi Arabia and has sought to extend its relations with the US and European countries.