Al Jazeera wants to give a voice to the common Arab people. The American government wants to stimulate a democratic society in the Middle East. It seems ironic that two parties with such similar goals are so opposed. Before September 11 many American journalists and politicians wholeheartedly supported Al Jazeera’s free speech as a step toward democracy in the Middle East. After 9/11 America’s priorities changed and the media became an important part of the war effort. From dialogue to
confrontation Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld repeatedly urged the Emir of Qatar to control Al Jazeera. Many Arabs felt that these attempts at control were hypocritical, since freedom of speech is a sacred right for Americans. Al Jazeera defended itself as it always has, saying that it shows both sides of an issue, giving much more air time to Bush than bin Laden. Jazeera’s motto is “the opinion and the other opinion.” Many people viewed pleas to stop airing footage that could incite violence as censorship. The information war This was the first stage of the so-called “information war” for the hearts and minds of the Arab Muslim community. The information war included creating a special agency of the State Department, staffed by advertising executives, to work on improving America’s image abroad. To this end, the government spent millions of dollars creating an Arab-language website, newspapers, and radio and television stations such as Radio Sawa and Al Hurra (“the Free One” in Arabic), to provide a more positive view of America’s foreign policy. Losing the war? Regardless of the competition, Al Jazeera remains by far the most popular Arabic news channel. Thus, the United States government is neglecting the most powerful platform for reaching Arab audiences through a policy of disengagement. After research, I was unable to find any time since 2003 that Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, or any other comparable US official sat for an interview on Al Jazeera to make America’s case in the war against terrorism. Part IV, Conclusion: Al Jazeera International - the new English language Arab cable news channel
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