lil
12-11-2006, 10:44 AM
Al Jazeera's new English-language channel offers controversial opinions and a lot more in-depth Middle East coverage than Americans are used to.
Say this about the people who run Al Jazeera: They are nothing if not persistent.
Two weeks ago, the network best known in the United States for airing video messages from Osama bin Laden launched an English-language news channel -- known as Al Jazeera International (AJI) -- despite the fact that not a single U.S. cable company or major satellite provider had agreed to carry it.
Al Jazeera bypassed the cable companies to stream on the Internet. If you have a high-speed connection and $6 a month to spare, you can tune in on your computer. The move is seen as a stopgap until AJI can find a home somewhere on U.S. television.
Not surprising, given its pedigree, the new channel has already proved controversial. Critics argue that allowing Al Jazeera International to air on American television would be essentially giving a megaphone to those who spout anti-American propaganda. Supporters of letting the network air argue that seeing the way the Arab world views the United States might broaden minds here.
But the "should we or shouldn't we look at Al Jazeera International" debate is going on in virtual darkness. Few Americans have actually seen AJI. But I have. During its first weekend on the air, I closely monitored five hours of coverage -- mostly newscasts -- to get a sense of what it was airing and to get some sense of its tone.
In both style and substance, it has a......................
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Say this about the people who run Al Jazeera: They are nothing if not persistent.
Two weeks ago, the network best known in the United States for airing video messages from Osama bin Laden launched an English-language news channel -- known as Al Jazeera International (AJI) -- despite the fact that not a single U.S. cable company or major satellite provider had agreed to carry it.
Al Jazeera bypassed the cable companies to stream on the Internet. If you have a high-speed connection and $6 a month to spare, you can tune in on your computer. The move is seen as a stopgap until AJI can find a home somewhere on U.S. television.
Not surprising, given its pedigree, the new channel has already proved controversial. Critics argue that allowing Al Jazeera International to air on American television would be essentially giving a megaphone to those who spout anti-American propaganda. Supporters of letting the network air argue that seeing the way the Arab world views the United States might broaden minds here.
But the "should we or shouldn't we look at Al Jazeera International" debate is going on in virtual darkness. Few Americans have actually seen AJI. But I have. During its first weekend on the air, I closely monitored five hours of coverage -- mostly newscasts -- to get a sense of what it was airing and to get some sense of its tone.
In both style and substance, it has a......................
[Only registered and activated users can see links]