Page 243 - Mass Media, Mass Propoganda Examining American News in the War on Terror

Catapult the Media 233

to most media throughout the Arab world, which are controlled by government
ministries and owned by the state so as to minimize voices that are critical of
government.
Highlighting A1 Jazeera's journalistic independence and freedom does not
mean that the station is without serious flaws. As many scholars who have stud-
ied the outlet agree, A1 Jazeera is curiously silent when it comes to criticizing
the Qatari constitutional monarchy in which it relies to exist.77 In addition, fund-
ing from the Sheik hardly makes A1 Jazeera's ownership structure democratic,
as it is reliant primarily upon the "benevolence" of Qatar's ruling family rather
than upon public funds as allocated by a democratically elected government.
Still, there exists a great chasm between A1 Jazeera's independent and critical
reporting of not only American and Israeli foreign policy, but the activities of
dictatorial, repressive Middle Eastern regimes, as contrasted with state-owned
media throughout the Muslim world and their sympathetic, supportive coverage
of dictators and autocrats.
Some may view it as ironic or contradictory that A1 Jazeera could possess
so much journalistic freedom while also being funded by the Qatari royal fam-
ily. Nonetheless, the channel's independence is in large part the outcome of al
Thani's refusal to interfere with A1 Jazeera's editorial and reporting policies, in
opposition to the many requests of American, Israeli, and Arab leaders to curb
its criticisms of Western and Middle Eastern leaders.
Reaching tens of millions of viewers, A1 Jazeera has demonstrated its ex-
traordinary power in influencing the opinions of many throughout the Middle
East and the world, particularly in terms of reinforcing opposition to the war in
Iraq and lending legitimacy to hostility toward the U.S. involvement in the af-
fairs of countries such as Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel and the Palestin-
ian occupied territories. Western media have criticized A1 Jazeera for a per-
ceived lack of "objective" news reporting and for its anti-war propaganda. The
channel's reporting has been attacked for being unprofessional, subjective, sub-
standard, unbalanced, irresponsible, pro-terrorist, and for arousing passions
throughout the Arab world against the United States and Israel. Bill O'Reilly,
host of Fox New's O'Reilly Factor, labels the station as a "propaganda network
that's bent on encouraging violence and is sympathetic to terrori~ts."~~ Writing
for Slate News, Lee Smith makes a more subtle criticism, arguing that, to leave
questions of objective reporting to A1 Jazeera journalists "is a problem; some-
times they are interested in truth and objectivity, and oftentimes they are not."79
A1 Jazeera got into hot water with Western officials after airing a number of
tapes carrying political messages from bin Laden to the station's audience.
Western leaders in the U.S. and Britain were quick to label the network a sup-
porter of Al Qaeda, as A1 Jazeera was considered an accomplice to spreading
"anti-American," "pro-terrorist" messages to the masses throughout the Muslim
world.
A1 Jazeera attempts to assert its own agency in relation to its coverage of
important news stories. The channel seeks to steer clear of the control of any
government aiming to influence or censor its reporting. Although many have
condemned A1 Jazeera for inciting popular rebellion and discontent throughout