Enemy Propaganda on Al-Jazeera English

Be afraid! Very very afraid! Al-Jazeera English is something you should not watch nor should you encourage your local cable or pay-tv provider to carry.

After reading the pros and cons of Al-Jazeera English since it’s launch in December 2006, I decided I had to make up my own mind on what the Qatar-based news service was all about. Not having it available in Australia, I subscribed to the service via JumpTV for the nominal charge of US$9.95 [or approximately $12 Australian] for a month. Not bad for enlightening one’s self, I thought. My subscription started coincidentally the same day Saddam Hussein was hung.
After some frustration in connecting, and finally realising that JumpTV is not compatible with Firefox, and then fine-tuning the stream to allow a smooth uninterrupted broadcast, I sat in front of my PC and watched. My initial reaction was that I had accidentally subscribed to the BBC, but my fear was allayed by the continual mention by the news hosts of “Al-Jazeera”.

My first viewing of Al-Jazeera English lasted nearly 3 hours of various programming, including news reports, documentaries, general entertainment shows and sports. Shows like Witness, The Fabulous Picture Show, Inside Story, Listening Post and more, were real eye openers. And of course, the endless commercials from both international organisations like Reuters, tourism ads from Cyprus and Malaysia [amongst others], and loads of Middle East-based businesses.

As this is a “self enlightening” event, I had the BBC and CNN running on my pay-TV service and comparing the reporting between them and Al-Jazeera English. The more I compared Al-Jazeera English against it’s western counterparts, the more I became worried and afraid. After 5 days of watching Al-Jazeera English, for an average of 4 hours a day, I feel myself changing, and I can “sense it” within me. Whereas CNN provided a very pro-US and US-centric look at the world in short glossed over reporting, and the BBC provided a more international but still US/UK orientated viewpoint, Al-Jazeera provided a more in-depth analysis in its reporting.

With the hanging of Saddam Hussein, they broadcast not only the Iraq Government’s and the US reaction, but also those opposed to the current Iraqi Government and other nations and people who oppose hangings regardless of who is at the end of the noose. Further, their reporting of the world was much more in-depth and thorough than either the BBC or CNN.

In addition to the news, their documentaries provided a refreshing look at the rest of the world. I am not talking about political documentaries but rather just general interest ones, like the Shao Lin temple in China, the mud volcano in Indonesia that has left thousands homeless, the Kenyan village that is populated solely by women, the poppy growers in Afghanistan and more. All of them broadcast without passing judgement, simply letting the people from all sides, voice their opinion.

So, why should one be afraid, very afraid of Al-Jazeera English?

Simple. By watching this station you slowly begin to realise that there is always more than one side to a story. But more importantly, you realise that the world consists of more than Europe, North America and Australia. There are billions of people in Latin America, Africa and Asia from whom we only hear about if there is a natural disaster or a major war breaks out. And even then, our current media only provides the ultra basic details.

But be warned. If you do decide to preview Al-Jazeera via JumpTV or your local pay-TV/Cable carrier, then be prepared for some mind-adjusting. And yes, you will change. You will be influenced by this “enemy propaganda” coming out of Qatar, as some have labelled Al-Jazeera English. And when you un-subscribe [if you manage to do that], you will then look at your existing media news services and wonder . . how much have we not been told about in the past?

How much of our news in the past has been “tailored” to suit the objectives of governments and/or news outlets?

Am I biased with my opinion of Al-Jazeera English? Yes, I am. Not because I support Al-Jazeera English or any “Arabic plot” to corrupt the west. I am biased because I have always sourced my news from all over the world via the Internet. But the biggest drawback was the TV services.

Now, until my local pay-TV carrier decides to have Al-Jazeera English as a channel for subscribing, I will continue to watch it via the internet. Just as I continue to watch CNN and the BBC on TV. But now, when the BBC/CNN broadcasts a news story, Al-Jazeera English will give me the other side of the story, thus allowing me to make my own mind up.

James
www.jebadel.com