Al Jazeera

Memnoch

I've heard Al Jazeera compared to Fox news. But several times I've visited their website and read their stories, and there does not seem to be any lies or false reporting there. In fact most if not all their news stories seem to be corroborated by the more widely accepted sources such as the BBC.

So why do people simply dismiss Al jazeera? is it because they do not favor the occupation and refuse to swallow the line that the US military feeds them?

This would certainly seem the case to me.

I submit, to ANYONE who claim that Al Jazeera are not a reliable news agency.

Go their site, and find 1 piece of "mis-truth" or "lie" that is there. If you're going to accuse someone of being disreputable you better have proof.

Take fox news for example. With regards to the 450+ deaths in the current uprising, they reported it as , "450 militants have been killed in Iraq". Boy that is certainly the truth isn't it? When it is more likely that the majority killed in Fallalujah are civillians, as can be extrapolated from the current over all iraqi death toll of civillian and combatant categories.

So those that claim Al Jazeera are not reputable... lets see some evidence please..

Saying they are "biased" is not really good enough. Every single news agency has political links, or a "target" audience. What matters is weather they report accurately and truthfully, and Al Jazeera in my view do this.

(this thread was inspired by a post at)
http://www.politicsforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9958

MeatProduct

Originally posted by Memnoch
Take fox news for example. With regards to the 450+ deaths in the current uprising, they reported it as , "450 militants have been killed in Iraq". Boy that is certainly the truth isn't it? When it is more likely that the majority killed in Fallalujah are civillians, as can be extrapolated from the current over all iraqi death toll of civillian and combatant categories.

With comments like that I don't see how they can call it reporting. Naturally Rupert is a powerful man with extensive US administration connections. It is beyond any doubt that Fox news has an agenda.

As for Al Jazeera, I would give their reporting more weight than I would most western reporting. I still take it with a pinch of salt however, but a lot less salt is required

Nick

halkar

For Fox news every muslim in the world are terrorists isn't Rubert jew after all i can't beleive Americans can watch this channel for news:rolleyes:Little read about Rubert and another interesting one and and a little extension to the stories (I leave it to your judgment )

mike65

I think the hostility (if it still exisits) is borne of fear that the Islamic world uses Al Jazeera as its propaganda tool.
That and the fact the western interests have no control
over it.

Mike.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

MeatProduct

Originally posted by mike65

That and the fact the western interests have no control
over it.

Good point, I'm certain that is a very large part of it. Steps are probably being taken to try and get control of it I'm sure.

Nick

Memnoch

Originally posted by mike65
I think the hostility (if it still exisits) is borne of fear that the Islamic world uses Al Jazeera as its propaganda tool.
That and the fact the western interests have no control
over it.

Mike.

yes, ppl don't really like the idea that there is a mainstream media outlet the people not only in the arabic world but also the western world use as a source of information that is completely independent of their control.

How many American or British media outlets are there really that have no political or financial influence exerted over their reporting?

what i find the saddest and more worisome is the constant targetting and killing of Al jazeera reporters by the American's, this more than anything endears me to them, and makes me think they are more likely to be telling the truth.

Memnoch

still no reply from the dismissers of Al jazeera?

speak now or forever hold ur peace and accept that Al Jazeera is just as reliable a source of information as any Western Media outlet

nadir

Al jazeera, ill second them, they seem pretty good

DadaKopf

Al Jazeera was set up to be as impartial a satellite 24-hour news channel as possible.

The reason Al Jazeera gets such a bad rep is because it's managed to piss off the US, the Jews and the Arabs. Al Jazeera annoyed the Jews for broadcasting Arabists, Arabists are annoyed that they broadcast Jews, the Jordanians are annoyed Al Jazeera has criticised the Hashemite monarchy, Egypt is annoyed because they broadcast Islamists.

In the domestic Middle East context, Al Jazeera has provided a vital role in making unaccountable Arabic leaders to justify their policies, opening them up to criticism and expanding the scope of proper political debate throughout the region.

Considering it's managed to pi$$ that many people off from so many competing groups, that's a testament to its commitment to impartiality.

Clearly the US and Israelis want to discredit it so over here we get a very strong line that the station is anti-American propaganda. On the Middle Eastern side, Western-oriented elites want to discredit it because it challenges their power base.

Of course it has an editorial agenda but it's far from propaganda. It's a pan-Arab channel, but to be honest, I'd trust Al Jazeera before I trust Fox and certainly more than this new channel the Americans are setting up to counteract Al Jazeera. That's going to be pure propaganda.

MeatProduct

Originally posted by DadaKopf
this new channel the Americans are setting up to counteract Al Jazeera. That's going to be pure propaganda.

A new news channel? Created by the US government? If that is the case how can it be taken seriously? Really, even Joe Public must realise that it would be utter crap.

Any more information on that channel?

Nick

gandalf

Yep Al Jazeera would be one of the many sites I use for news. But saying they are impartial is a little naive tbh as they have an agenda which is to pander to their customers and therefore to present the news in a manner that they want to see.

Gandalf.

(I also check out sites like Iranian football discussion boards which have a general political board as well!!!)

Fionnan

http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/co...story.asp?id=80

This link from the intersting conspiracy theory thread. Seems like Al Jazeera can peddle crap, even more so than Fox news, and btw the American news channels are not under the control of the US government, except they can't have rude words.

PEace

Memnoch

Originally posted by Fionnan
http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/co...story.asp?id=80

This link from the intersting conspiracy theory thread. Seems like Al Jazeera can peddle crap, even more so than Fox news, and btw the American news channels are not under the control of the US government, except they can't have rude words.

PEace

lol that was a seriously lame attempt by you to discredit them.... if you notice these posts are under the heading of "conspiracy theories", not reported as news by aljazeera but linked to a diff site simply for intersting reading, this really has no bearing on the news reporting... so really try again... that was a really pathetic attempt

when you actually manage to discredit an actual news story reported by them, then I'll be happy to take your point.... but the sad fact that you had to point to a "conspiracy theory" article shows that you couldn't find any real flaw in their reporting.

interesting considering that article wasn't written by them.... or since when did "news" equate to "conspircacy theory".. I bet you haven't even visited their site... just saw "aljazeera.com" in the link's name and thoguht... ah I have it...

Walter Ego

Am I the only one that noticed that Al Jezeera used to be a free channel but strangely became a subscription channel. Odd that its the only news channel that requires a subscription? Is this an indirect form of censorship? I can only guess who ends up with a copy of the subcriber list.:(

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

MeatProduct

Originally posted by Silent Death
Am I the only one that noticed that Al Jezeera used to be a free channel but strangely became a subscription channel. Odd that its the only news channel that requires a subscription? Is this an indirect form of censorship? I can only guess who ends up with a copy of the subcriber list.:(

Good point. Might be cause for concern.

Nick

Walter Ego

Originally posted by daveirl
Al'Jazeera itself decided to go subscription. They wanted to make more money.

#

Why do they still broadcast free to air on Hotbird IIRC if money is their object?

halkar

You can get Al-Jazeera is on other sattelites like Hotbird and Astra19E, they are on few sattelites and they are FTV. But not on where SKY is. I guess these people have to pay their workers and equipment too like others do. And they have to pay other sattelites to broadcast. No such a thing like free lunch.

chewy

interesting dicussion

was looking for breaking news sites the other day and thought of reuters...

hows that as a balance news agnecy?

and whats the french based one agp or pga or something can't thikn of the proper name for it...

Big Ears

Its unfair to compare any news channel to fox .
Fox news is the comedy/ american propaganda channel .

It once described the nations of France Germany and Russia weasels for not getting invovled in the war . These nations said they would help in aid and health parts of the coalition but not in military terms , however fox claimed that those countries made a u-turn when they said they would help in iraq .

IVe watched al-jazera and from what ive understood there has been no propaganda what so ever

Fionnan

Memnoch they are pulishing wild conspiracy theories without an editorial comment saying how crazy the conspiracy theories are! Not responsible at all, considering Al Jazeera's viewers believe the The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is an actual genuine document and not a Tsarist secret police forgery.

chewy

having the articles listed under the heading "conspiracy theories" is editorial comment don't ya think?

mr_angry

The one thing that would worry me about Al Jazeera is their access to video footage of militant groups. Now perhaps they just receive these videos in the post or something, but I got the distinct impression from thier reports that they're happy to send along reporters to see people like Hamas and Osama Bin Laden in action. Of course, the BBC were happy to send reporters to see Osama before September 11th. However, the ethics seem questionable to me.

Its unfair to compare any news channel to fox .
Fox news is the comedy/ american propaganda channel .

I know I personally watch it just for the comedy value. Although, I have to say I was actually scared one day during an interview with Paul Wolfowitz. It wasn't just what he said - it was the way that he said it. It was during the Iraq war, and talk of Saddam fleeing to Syria. The fact that Syria hadn't entirely closed off its border with Iraq was clearly irritating Wolfowitz, and the Fox News presenter calmly asked him...

"Would you like to see a regime change in Damascus?"

...to which his reply was...

"If the Syrians don't buck up their ideas, then yes - they could very well be next in line for a regime change".

As I said - the manner in which he said it was the worrying thing. Like he had no appreciation for the enormity of such an action. No consequences. Scary.

ColonelGadaffi

I belive everything in Al Jazeera becuase i havent been fed on US government lies via CNN ABC etc throughout my childhood. Just because its the only Arab network that isnt pro US and supporting the war why does everyone start to question it?

I know I personally watch it just for the comedy value.

I watch it for the TRUTH

Villain

my 2 cents

I think a lot of ppl want to dismiss Al Jazzera's reporting at as propaganda because it doesn't sit well with them, I'm sure theres a lot worse things going on than cnn or fox are reporting whether or not Al Jazzera's reporting is over the top or not I can't say.

But I don't think ppl shouldn't shoot them down (no pun intended) just because their reporting is harsh and different to the western worlds reporting

chewy

http://www.lucianne.com/threads2.asp?artnum=131224

halkar

Originally posted by chewy
http://www.lucianne.com/threads2.asp?artnum=131224

Wouldn't you think Fox, CNN, SKy and others would love to be there instead of Al Jazeera? What they screen not always what we want to see but they are the voice of a society that has been used, abused and left out for so long. I never see other news channels standing out for that part of the world. They dare to do with their corrupt management and as I said one sided policies, look at the links I sent about Fox and you see the story of the owner.

sovtek

Just feeding the fire

Memnoch

well that certainly proves that CNN are biased. I can't believe they think that Iraqi civillian deaths are a non-issue.... bah, while they report the death of every single US marine in great detail... god I really hate american now

chewy

you anti-american you!! ):)