MEDIA AND CULTURE  
MediaChannel.org / By Danny Schechter
comments_imageCOMMENTS: 18

Is Al Jazeera about to Become Al-Foxeera?

Sources inside Al Jazeera confirm that there is an internal struggle underway that may dilute Al Jazeera's independence and steer it in a more pro-western, pro-US direction.
June 8, 2007  |  
 
 
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Danny Schechter edits Mediachannel.org. He has attended three conferences at Al Jazeera headquarters in Doha and interviewed key journalists there. Comments to dissector@mediachannel.org.
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Comments are closed-

The bomb Al Jazeera memo...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: thoughtcriminal on Jun 8, 2007 1:00 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Bush plots to bomb Qatar, Al Jazeera

Bush disclosed his plan to target al-Jazeera, a civilian station with a huge Mid-East following, at a White House face-to-face with Mr Blair on April 16 last year.

At the time, the US was launching an all-out assault on insurgents in the Iraqi town of Fallujah.

Al-Jazeera infuriated Washington and London by reporting from behind rebel lines and broadcasting pictures of dead soldiers, private contractors and Iraqi victims.

This is probably a strategy developed in consultation with Robert Gates and General Psyops Petraeus - in contrast to the Rumsfeld-Cambone-Boykin team, these guys are all about behind-the-scenes manipulation - but the goal of capturing and controlling Iraqi oilfields is the same.

The complete propaganda mindset is really something else. These people think they can solve any problem via image and media control - and even worse, it seems that they actually believe their own PR! This is the definition of a lunatic - someone who refuses to allow outside information to influence their own internal closed-loop mental processes.

I bet Cheney's recent Mideast trip involved a lot of discussion of how to get Al-Jazeera under control.

The real fact is that Falluja was a war crime, and the people behind that strategy (Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush) deserve to be hauled before an international war crimes tribunal.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

Hopefully
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Habaro on Jun 8, 2007 2:05 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Hopefully, Bush will forget about the change and bomb them after the new format is implemented. All the conservatives in this country will still cheer, because all they can comprehend is that its a "smelly, terrorist, towelhead" news station. Everybody wins. Yay.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

Natural move
[Report this comment]
Posted by: peachmcd on Jun 8, 2007 3:17 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The Powers-That-Be did everything they could to shut it down and shut it up (bombing! sheesh, kinda obvious, guys). Didn't work. But they shouldn't have worried.

al-Jazeera had a product everyone wanted = something to balance out the spin from the West. Product sells, people start making money. Newly-Rich People start liking it and wanting more money. They sell their souls to get it.

And the beat goes on.... Christ, have mercy. Mammon is eating everything in its path.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

The short answer is YES -- Al-Jazeera will become a Republican rightwing propaganda tool.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: HughScott on Jun 8, 2007 4:41 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
To reach my conclusion, because I tend to blame neocons in general and PNAC specifically for Middle East mischief, I started with the infamous Carlyle Group -- a private rightwing overseas investment fund made up of limited partnerships operated by PNAC signatory Frank Carlucci, former Reagan Secretary of Defense.

One of Carlyle’s major investors is George H.W. Bush, whose holdings are reportedly worth close to a billion dollars, of which first son Dub-ya will inherit a large portion someday.

Carlyle’s very important Washington, D.C., office is managed by Harry L. Alverson, also a member of the U.S. Qatar Business Council.

The U.S. Qatar Business Council was formed by Exxon Mobil, Occidental Petroleum, Conoco Phillips, Qatar Petroleum and -- big surprise! -- Qatar-based Al-Jazeera plus the Carlyle Group.

QUESTION: Would Carlyle and its oil company friends pressure Al-Jazeera to report on Iraq more favorably to the Bush administration?

Duh!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

Al Jazeera English
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Markson on Jun 8, 2007 4:56 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I had always believed that if Al Jazeera was overtly biased against the West, that its new english language channel was supposed to be the "objective" counterbalance. If the original is being pushed around, one can only imagine AJE will be that much more biased in favor of the US.

By the way, AJE has a channel on YouTube.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Al Jazeera English Posted by: Conservasaurus

Comments are closed-

wait, why the fuck is Alternet defending the old al jazeera
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Mojoe on Jun 8, 2007 11:29 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Not that the new one will be anything spectacular, but... seriously.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

Say it isn't so!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Aussie Kim on Jun 9, 2007 9:29 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
People in the Arab world absolutely depend upon Al Jazeera to give them all the information their own governments won't...

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Say it isn't so! Posted by: Conservasaurus
» RE: Say it isn't so! Posted by: TassieDevil
» RE: Say it isn't so! Posted by: Aussie Kim

Comments are closed-

Glorification of Murder
[Report this comment]
Posted by: gellero on Jun 9, 2007 10:57 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Maybe they will stop glofiying the murder of innocents by suicide bombers and being a propoganda mouthpiece for Al-Queada.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Glorification of Murder Posted by: Markson

Comments are closed-

Thought Police Go Global
[Report this comment]
Posted by: BobbyGreyFriar on Jun 9, 2007 2:22 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It is worth noting that there is pretty strong evidence that the US intentionally targeted journalists in Iraq, including the destruction of Al Jazeera headquarters in Bagdad, intentionally. Please see "Have Journalists Been Deliberately Murdered by the US Military?" by Christopher Reed (End Times eds. Alexander Cockburn and Jeffery St Clair).

In the case of Serb National Television, Wesly Clack not only admits, but brags about, the fact it was bombed into oblivioun by NATO--this is an explicit violation of the Geneva Convention laws.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

voice of the middle east street
[Report this comment]
Posted by: persian on Jun 10, 2007 6:14 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The only reason that al jazeera is so successful is not because it is fair and objective on its reporting, it is because it reflects the views of the people in the region. any change of editorial to to make it a us friendly news channel will kill its appeal and worthless

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Alternet Comments:

Comments are closed-

The bomb Al Jazeera memo...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: thoughtcriminal on Jun 8, 2007 1:00 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Bush plots to bomb Qatar, Al Jazeera

Bush disclosed his plan to target al-Jazeera, a civilian station with a huge Mid-East following, at a White House face-to-face with Mr Blair on April 16 last year.

At the time, the US was launching an all-out assault on insurgents in the Iraqi town of Fallujah.

Al-Jazeera infuriated Washington and London by reporting from behind rebel lines and broadcasting pictures of dead soldiers, private contractors and Iraqi victims.

This is probably a strategy developed in consultation with Robert Gates and General Psyops Petraeus - in contrast to the Rumsfeld-Cambone-Boykin team, these guys are all about behind-the-scenes manipulation - but the goal of capturing and controlling Iraqi oilfields is the same.

The complete propaganda mindset is really something else. These people think they can solve any problem via image and media control - and even worse, it seems that they actually believe their own PR! This is the definition of a lunatic - someone who refuses to allow outside information to influence their own internal closed-loop mental processes.

I bet Cheney's recent Mideast trip involved a lot of discussion of how to get Al-Jazeera under control.

The real fact is that Falluja was a war crime, and the people behind that strategy (Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush) deserve to be hauled before an international war crimes tribunal.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

Hopefully
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Habaro on Jun 8, 2007 2:05 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Hopefully, Bush will forget about the change and bomb them after the new format is implemented. All the conservatives in this country will still cheer, because all they can comprehend is that its a "smelly, terrorist, towelhead" news station. Everybody wins. Yay.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

Natural move
[Report this comment]
Posted by: peachmcd on Jun 8, 2007 3:17 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The Powers-That-Be did everything they could to shut it down and shut it up (bombing! sheesh, kinda obvious, guys). Didn't work. But they shouldn't have worried.

al-Jazeera had a product everyone wanted = something to balance out the spin from the West. Product sells, people start making money. Newly-Rich People start liking it and wanting more money. They sell their souls to get it.

And the beat goes on.... Christ, have mercy. Mammon is eating everything in its path.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

The short answer is YES -- Al-Jazeera will become a Republican rightwing propaganda tool.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: HughScott on Jun 8, 2007 4:41 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
To reach my conclusion, because I tend to blame neocons in general and PNAC specifically for Middle East mischief, I started with the infamous Carlyle Group -- a private rightwing overseas investment fund made up of limited partnerships operated by PNAC signatory Frank Carlucci, former Reagan Secretary of Defense.

One of Carlyle’s major investors is George H.W. Bush, whose holdings are reportedly worth close to a billion dollars, of which first son Dub-ya will inherit a large portion someday.

Carlyle’s very important Washington, D.C., office is managed by Harry L. Alverson, also a member of the U.S. Qatar Business Council.

The U.S. Qatar Business Council was formed by Exxon Mobil, Occidental Petroleum, Conoco Phillips, Qatar Petroleum and -- big surprise! -- Qatar-based Al-Jazeera plus the Carlyle Group.

QUESTION: Would Carlyle and its oil company friends pressure Al-Jazeera to report on Iraq more favorably to the Bush administration?

Duh!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

Al Jazeera English
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Markson on Jun 8, 2007 4:56 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I had always believed that if Al Jazeera was overtly biased against the West, that its new english language channel was supposed to be the "objective" counterbalance. If the original is being pushed around, one can only imagine AJE will be that much more biased in favor of the US.

By the way, AJE has a channel on YouTube.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Al Jazeera English Posted by: Conservasaurus

Comments are closed-

wait, why the fuck is Alternet defending the old al jazeera
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Mojoe on Jun 8, 2007 11:29 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Not that the new one will be anything spectacular, but... seriously.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

Say it isn't so!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Aussie Kim on Jun 9, 2007 9:29 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
People in the Arab world absolutely depend upon Al Jazeera to give them all the information their own governments won't...

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Say it isn't so! Posted by: Conservasaurus
» RE: Say it isn't so! Posted by: TassieDevil
» RE: Say it isn't so! Posted by: Aussie Kim

Comments are closed-

Glorification of Murder
[Report this comment]
Posted by: gellero on Jun 9, 2007 10:57 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Maybe they will stop glofiying the murder of innocents by suicide bombers and being a propoganda mouthpiece for Al-Queada.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Glorification of Murder Posted by: Markson

Comments are closed-

Thought Police Go Global
[Report this comment]
Posted by: BobbyGreyFriar on Jun 9, 2007 2:22 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It is worth noting that there is pretty strong evidence that the US intentionally targeted journalists in Iraq, including the destruction of Al Jazeera headquarters in Bagdad, intentionally. Please see "Have Journalists Been Deliberately Murdered by the US Military?" by Christopher Reed (End Times eds. Alexander Cockburn and Jeffery St Clair).

In the case of Serb National Television, Wesly Clack not only admits, but brags about, the fact it was bombed into oblivioun by NATO--this is an explicit violation of the Geneva Convention laws.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Comments are closed-

voice of the middle east street
[Report this comment]
Posted by: persian on Jun 10, 2007 6:14 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The only reason that al jazeera is so successful is not because it is fair and objective on its reporting, it is because it reflects the views of the people in the region. any change of editorial to to make it a us friendly news channel will kill its appeal and worthless

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

 
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