Y’know, when I was living in France, a big part of my newsgathering day was devoted to watching Al Jazeera English, a surprisingly vibrant, engaging, thoughtful and generally-non-jihad-endorsing all-news television network. Under former CBC exec Tony Burman, Al Jazeera is now pushing hard for a chance to broadcast (well, cable-cast) in Canada. You can learn more about them at this website. On the other hand, if you’re the sort who doesn’t want Al Jazeera in Canada, then this website will be more your style.
(Full disclosure: I have friends who work at Al Jazeera. As far as I know, they’re gonna keep getting paid whether the network is available in Canada or not.)
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I am 100% behind having Al-J here. The more different viewpoints a person can get the better as far as I am concerned.
As far as I know, they’re gonna keep getting paid whether the network is available in Canada or not.
Apparently, that goes for National Post journos also. Well, I assume they’re getting paid…in money…
Isn’t this the same network that hired Avi Lewis, notorious receiver of OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS? A pox on them! Censor! Burn!
I wasn’t aware we needed another CBC News. The one we have now is pretty excruciating as it is.
I have never seen Al Jazeera so I don’t know what they broadcast but if it’s like you say, “vibrant, engaging, thoughtful and generally-non-jihad-endorsing all-news television network” than I think the channel should be allowed here (but now that I read your quote a little more closely, I am perturbed by “generally-non-jihad- endorsing”).
As long as Al Jazeera is not like Palestinian tv, where they show kids cartoons teaching them anti-semitism, murder and martyrdom, than I think the more voices the better.
As long as Al Jazeera is not like Palestinian tv,…
Oh it will be, but in a much more sophisticated, subtle fashion. I’m looking forward to lengthy dissections of camera angles, studio sets, dress, hairstyles and tone of voice which reveal hidden messages of indoctrination into dhimmitude.
I’m looking forward to lengthy dissections of camera angles, studio sets, dress, hairstyles and tone of voice which reveal hidden messages of indoctrination into dhimmitude.
The first jihadi fistbump will send the right whingers into an apoplectic rage.
I have no bone to pick with avr’s political point, but I’ll just point out that AJE devotes a lot more time to world news than the CBC and Newsworld do. Like, nearly all their time.
By world news, do you mean non-Canadian? Because that wouldn’t be surprising.
Or did you mean not-just-Arab-world world news?
Maybe he means real news as opposed to Canadian news.
Here’s a sampling:
http://iwantaje.ca/news/
Reminds me of BBC World. When I was living abroad in 2000, I watched all day to hear the results of the Canadian election, but I believe I blinked and missed it.. But I was exposed to a thorough investigative report on a bloody rampage in some village in Nigeria.
Had to get up the next morning at 5:30 AM to catch the previous evening’s Le Téléjournal on TV5 to find out who won.
He means real other parts of the world like Africa and Latin America. Which are known to us as Mugabe and Chavez.
I bet those National Posters would be in favor of a complete lifting of restrictions on foreign broadcasting – I know I would. That doesn’t mean they’re right to oppose the selective approval of this particular broadcaster; but I wonder if there’s a common ground here. Would you also favor lifting foreign broadcasting restrictions (broadly defined)? Or are you advocating only a limited and selective application?
Personally? I think restrictions on broadcasting are fast becoming impossible to enforce, so I have no problem letting anyone in who wants in and obeys the law.
I don’t want more choice, I just want nicer things!
Sounds a bit like Turner era CNN.
Those were the days. We still have some crazy people in media ownership positions but nobody crazy good like Ted.
This piece from the Boston Globe last month, penned by a guy who has spent a lot of time watching the Arabic version of al-Jazeera, offers some useful perspective:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/01/18/the_violence_network/
You might sum it up by saying that the channel hasn’t invented any of the prejudices of its audience; it just reflects them, and that can be both informative and disturbing. No word on how the English service might be different, but on a less friendly note, Dave Marash explains why he quit:
http://www.cjr.org/the_water_cooler/dave_marash_why_i_quit.php?page=all
Elsewhere he has suggested the simplistic and negative view of the U.S. at Al-Jazeera English was propagated not mainly by the station’s Arabs, but by the Brits who work there.
You might sum it up by saying that the channel hasn’t invented any of the prejudices of its audience; it just reflects them,
This is bad. It should behave like American news media, which would never do anything to reflect any characteristics of its audience…like showing real people with real problems and reall consequences.
I say that al-Jazeera English should be allowed into Canada on the condition that they give Mark Steyn a one-hour show in prime time, just for comedy’s sake.
only if we also get Foxnews as part of basic cable. oh yeah, baby
An hour and half it took this time to bring up FoxNews in relation to real news networks.
I’d say we’re making progress.
Far too high a price to pay. I’ll stick with getting AlJ on the web.
You mean market demand hasn’t brought down the price of a subscription to FoxNews?
How disturbing. Doubtless the work of far-left secular progressives, as Bill O’Reilly calls them.
Let’s cut to the chase here people: What about their comedy line-up? I hear “Little Synagogue in the Dessert” breaks down societal barriers and tickles your funny bone.
The music program is ” You can call me Al “.
What kind of dessert? Halva?
…Oh, c’mon…if I hadn’t done it, someone else would have.
Ahhhh nuts.
AJE is one of my major news sources. I regularly visit its website and watch it online using Livestation.
Now you’re shilling for Al Queda’s media wing Wells?
I’ll shill for Al Jazeera’s political wing, if they’re into it. Heck, I’ll even throw in for their militant wing too.
I watch it al the time online it is basically a BBCish channel that is fairly obviously based in the middle east and therefore makes the appropriate choices about coverage.
Al “Queda”?
They make really excellent fajitas, but you haven’t lived until you’ve tried their black bean soup. Oops, there I go shilling for them again.
Quick note: http://www.livestation.com allows for high-quality streaming of AJ, BBC World News, and more. All done through legitimate channels, for free.
i would love for Al Jazeera to be available all over the U.S… i trust their reporting quality more than CNN or Fox