Al Jazeera 'for sale' is a sad sign for all

[TexasLawyer]

From Gulfnews, a UAE news-site

http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/OpinionNF.asp?ArticleID=150081

Published: 1/2/2005, 06:34 (UAE)

Al Jazeera 'for sale' is a sad sign for all

By Linda S. Heard, By Linda S. Heard

It is been bombed, banned and lambasted. It is been accused of aiding terrorists and serving as a mouthpiece for Osama Bin Laden as well as Saddam Hussain. It boasts huge audiences throughout the Arab world because it reflects public opinion and yet advertisers treat it like the plague, fearful of offending the governments it regularly attacks.

I'm referring, of course, to Al Jazeera, the satellite television station that put tiny Qatar firmly on the international map.

<snip>

This is why it has been banned from reporting in Iraq. Faithful footage of dead babies and maimed children do little to enhance America's image. At the same time, Fox along with its jingoistic gung-ho Saudi-bashing presenters have been shut out of Canada.

When it comes to Al Jazeera the Bush administration's hypocrisy is glaring. After the network showed captured Marines during the invasion of Iraq, Pentagon officials, including General John Abizaid, rounded on one of its reporters for breaching the Geneva Conventions. Yet the United States had no compunction in publicly parading the corpses of Saddam's sons or showing the former dictator having his head checked for lice.

Isn't it the height of hypocrisy, too, for a nation, which lauds democracy as the Holy Grail to strong-arm Qatar into abandoning a forthright, editorially independent broadcaster? Free speech and an unfettered media are integral elements of any democracy.

<snip>

[Dirk39]

1. bombed, banned and lambasted?

That's so old-fashioned and tasteless.

Privatisation is the way to go...

Amen to the free market, god and Bush.

Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[TexasLawyer]

3. Whaaa?

[aneerkoinos]

7. irony n/t

[genius]

2. We need to oragnize a fund to help it before Fox takes it over

Al Jazeera is one of the most honest news stations in the world. If they are gone, much of the truth will be lost.

[imenja]

5. have you actually watched it?

and do you understand Arabic? That seems like a pretty strong statement considering 98% of Americans don't watch it and can't understand its broadcasts.
There is plenty of money in the Arab world. Let's worry about finding financing for our own media. I'd support a fund for a liberal news network.

[Dirk39]

6. Nobody needs to understand Arabic...

all you have to understand is the washing-powder that goes along with the news. Every kind of news that doesn't fit to washing powder and supports selling more of it, is totalitarian and against liberty and freedom anyway. And it hurts the free market and thus is a thread to democracy and needs to be invaded, liberated and privatised.
I don't understand Arabic. I even don't understand english. All I know is washing powder and freedom.

I'm happy all the time and I hate you for your Al Jazeera!

Heil to the not-so-free-market!
Dirk

[imenja]

4. Murdoch will buy it

and then the far right will control the entire world. No, it can't happen. I refuse to believe it.