# How do you feel about Al Jazeera entering the US airwaves? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345 "2013-01-07T15:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/41 "2013-01-07T20:05:05Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I always try to be an informed consumer. Not to pile on, but you can’t be trying that hard. Al Jazeera is an excellent news channel. Have a go at watching it. It was basically founded by a bunch of BBC journalists who got cut off for some reason I forget. And watch some RussiaToday while you’re at it as well. And some CCTV. By the way did you know they’re going to hold the World Cup in Qatar? (I do agree with you that Doha is a dump though. Also Qatar airlines owes me money but that is a different story) Having said all this, I find it very hard to see Al Jazeera doing well in the American market unless it really changes how it does news broadcasts. I find the American style of newscasting intolerable most of the time, all that faux emotion makes me sick. And persumably the American style is that way because it’s what the viewers want. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/42 "2013-01-07T20:07:44Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > I just found out about this, and I think it’s great. They have great coverage of world news, and I’d venture that their coverage of Middle East issues is unsurpassed. Our cable provider carries Current TV, so hopefully they’ll continue to carry it as Al Jazeera. > > I’ve watched [Al Jazeera English](http://www.aljazeera.com/) online plenty, and I’ve yet to see any real anti-American bias. It appears to me to be what they used to call a “news organization”. Pretty much all this. Plus, I already occasionally watch some of their TV coverage on LinkTV (DirecTV channel 375) where they play _Al Jazeera World News_ and _Al Jazeera English_ (North & South American news). Their world news is top-notch, and much better than any of the American cable networks, where you’re lucky to get anything more than a tiny, token percentage of actual \*\*world \*\*news, since they’re usually all laser-focused on constant coverage/repetition of the one or two domestic stories du jour. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/43 "2013-01-07T20:11:28Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Will they carry Big Ten football? > > And game shows? “Wheel Of Sectarian Violence” is one of my favorites. “Sephardi!” “Tic-Toc-Blow” “Are You Smarter than a Mullah?” ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/44 "2013-01-07T20:22:49Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I always try to be an informed consumer. Funny, because I’ve not noticed that in many threads you start. You will clearly have an opinion but try to come off as neutral or willing to change your mind. Then tons of people reply with great points, analyses, and information. When you reply, you either go off on a tangent or ask more questions that make it clear you either ignored or didn’t understand what other posters have said. You’ll just continue on with the same mindset you had in the OP. The most frustrating part is that you’re disingenuous about it! > [@](#): > > I’m simply raising questions … Yes, I’ve noticed you like [JAQing off](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/JAQing_off). ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/45 "2013-01-07T20:29:33Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I always try to be an informed consumer. There’s been too many news stories of cheap Walmart clothing made in third world sweatshops or even Chinese work camps. Even some designer labels have been stung by allegations of sweatshop labor. > > AJ is just another consumer product produced overseas. It makes sense to at least consider the environment and culture behind the product. What conditions do the families of the on air talent live in back in Qatar? What happens if a news editor runs a story that angers the regime back home? > > I’m simply raising questions that will be asked as AJ starts broadcasting in the US. It may turn out that there’s no problems. I’d expect that CNN and other news outlets will report any problems. Hopefully AJ will become a respected media outlet in the US. We could use their perspective on the Arab world. Is this a parody of some kind or do you mean this earnestly? ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/46 "2013-01-07T21:57:15Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Secondly, censoring anti-American content is anti-American. Exactly. I am proud to live in a country that isn’t afraid to allow its citizens to hear any and every kind of opinion. It shows me that the choices we make as a society are good ones(usually), based on all available information, and that we are not being manipulated by fear of the unknown. If some expert deems the content to be anti-American then we all need to see that content to make sure the expect isn’t self serving. That is American IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/47 "2013-01-07T23:34:30Z")
I’m hoping this will broaden some peoples views. There is a disturbing amount of Americans out there who seem to think America can do no wrong on the world stage. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country, but we are far from perfect little angels. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/48 "2013-01-07T23:38:22Z")
It’s interesting to watch or listen to foreign television or radio just to see the difference in which stories are covered. Before the internet existed, I used a shortwave radio to listen to the BBC World Service and they would lead with stories about events in Africa that weren’t even mentioned in the American network news programs. ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/49 "2013-01-07T23:40:48Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > My first reaction was shock that the FCC is allowing an extension of Qatar’s government to broadcast here. Plus of course the anti American coverage. IIRC weren’t they the ones that gleefully covered the American deaths in Somalia in the late 90’s? Our soldier’s corpses dragged through the streets. I think they should be banned for hating your freedom. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/50 "2013-01-07T23:44:21Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Is it too much to ask that you actually familiarize yourself with the network before forming your opinions the network? I know, right? I can tune into Al Jazera news every evening on my PBS channel. There are all kinds of Al Jazera reports on youtube. The network is only controversial to people who don’t read or watch the news in a serious way. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/51 "2013-01-08T00:00:44Z")
I’m looking forward to watching AJ when Direct TV starts carrying it. I think they already carry Al Gores old channel. Should be a seamless switchover. I mentioned concerns earlier about Qatar, but I’ve been reading more on Google. They aren’t nearly as repressive (to women) as Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries. That was my biggest concern. I already watch BBC News and hopefully AJ will be as good. I will give it a chance and see if its balanced news. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/52 "2013-01-08T00:11:05Z")
Just checked. Current TV is channel 358 on DirecTV. Thats probably where AJ will go after the switch over. Fox News and MSNBC are in that channel range too. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/53 "2013-01-08T00:20:40Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > CNN has a good [article](http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/04/world/al-jazeera/index.html) framing the discussion. > > My first reaction was shock that the FCC is allowing an extension of Qatar’s government to broadcast here. Plus of course the anti American coverage. IIRC weren’t they the ones that gleefully covered the American deaths in Somalia in the late 90’s? Our soldier’s corpses dragged through the streets. Seems like that was the first time I became aware of Al Jazeera. Just can’t recall for sure. That was a long time ago. > > I haven’t fully formed an opinion yet. I’m wondering how others feel. > > Even the media analysts are unsure. The more the merrier. Nothing to be afraid of. You want to be afraid? Watch Fox “News” (This is the question I was answering: “How do you feel about Al Jazeera entering the US airwaves?”) ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/54 "2013-01-08T00:28:11Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’m looking forward to watching AJ when Direct TV starts carrying it. I think they already carry Al Gores old channel. Should be a seamless switchover. > > I mentioned concerns earlier about Qatar, but I’ve been reading more on Google. They aren’t nearly as repressive (to women) as Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries. That was my biggest concern. > > I already watch BBC News and hopefully AJ will be as good. I will give it a chance and see if its balanced news. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Just checked. Current TV is channel 358 on DirecTV. Thats probably where AJ will go after the switch over. Fox News and MSNBC are in that channel range too. Since you have DirecTV, there’s no need to wait. As I said in my previous post, LinkTV (DTV channel 375) already airs daily episodes of _AJ World News_. You can tune in tonight (or any other day) at 10pm or tomorrow at 8:30am (Eastern) and check it out. Then you can come back and comment here based on a much more informed opinion. (That probably sounds more snarky than intended.) PS: _AJ English_ airs everyday on the same channel at 1:30pm & 5:30pm (Eastern). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/55 "2013-01-08T03:05:11Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I can tune into Al Jazera news every evening on my PBS channel. Ditto. I don’t have cable or satellite, but I’ve seen Al Jazeera as one of the many (English-language) foreign news programs on one of the broadcast PBS channels. I haven’t sat through an entire half-hour newscast, but my impressions are: 1. it’s no more “un-American” than BBC, France 24, or Deutsche Welle. 2. by contrast, RT (Russian news) _is_ over-the-top anti-American as someone else noted. 🙂 Ironically and somewhat humorously, they seem to have a “pull the plank out of your own eye” thing going on where the issues they single out the U.S. for are arguably **worse** in Russia, such as the role of big corporations/“oligarchs” in the government. :rolleyes: 3. there are women newscasters on Al Jazeera, and they are **not** dressed any differently than on any other newscast, American or European. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/56 "2013-01-08T03:59:23Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > WRT Al Jazeera’s past, I don’t know what to make of it. At the time of Gulf War 2 it was described by western media as a propaganda channel. By the time of the arab spring though, it was frequently praised as the main conduit for real information about what was happening, and was also often described as being friendly to the west. > > Did it change in that time or is/were there errors and exaggeration in the western media? Well what happened is that the Western Media were exposed as instruments (unwitting or not) of their governments and Al Jazeera was proved right about most things. The channel at the time of invasion was bombed…to cheers on the Dope. I will say this. I have seen US and European channels and with the possible exception of Beeb, it has them all beat, US channels do not even come close. Proved during the Gaza crises, it was about they only channel actually spending more time on actual news than arguing the merits ir demerits of one or the other side. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/57 "2013-01-08T07:26:38Z")
Something that the OP questioned that I haven’t seen addressed is the concept of Al Jazeera “broadcasting” here in the US and the FCC “allowing” this to happen. Will AJ be getting any OTA stations out of this deal, or will this be cable/satellite only? If the latter, would the FCC even have any say over who owns/runs the station? From what I understand, they could only do something if AJ ran “obscene” programming, which seems highly unlikely. Anyway, regarding my feelings on the matter, I’m all for it. They’re one of my four primary news sources both online and mobile (Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, and a local newspaper), as it tends to have more in-depth coverage of Middle East issues, as well as a broader selection of material on Africa and much of Asia. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/58 "2013-01-08T07:27:44Z")
this [editorial from the Wall Street Journal](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323874204578221932173414130.html) criticizes Al Gore for selling out to Al Jazeera. Using Gore’s famous phrase about the “Inconvenient Truth”, he provides a few inconvenient-but- true facts about Al Jazeera > [@](#): > > In 2008, Al Jazeera threw an\*\* on-air party\*\* for Samir Kuntar when he was released from an Israeli prison. Kuntar led a Palestine Liberation Front terrorist team that kidnapped an Israeli family in 1979. He shot the father and killed the 4-year-old daughter by smashing her head against rocks along the beach. In footage available on YouTube, Al Jazeera’s Beirut bureau chief hands Kuntar a scimitar to cut the celebratory cake and says: “This is the sword of the Arabs, Samir.” > > In 2009, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, host of the network’s most popular Arabic-language show, “Shariah and Life,” said **on air** (also available on YouTube): “Oh, Allah, take this oppressive Jewish, Zionist band of people. Oh Allah, do not spare a single one of them. Oh Allah, count their numbers and kill them, down to the very last one” > [@bobot](#): > > Nothing to be afraid of. > You want to be afraid? Watch Fox “News” I don’t like Fox news either, but you do realize that they don’t stoop this low, right? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/59 "2013-01-08T12:12:17Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Will they carry Big Ten football? > > And game shows? “Wheel Of Sectarian Violence” is one of my favorites. If I didn’t have a cover on my keyboard, you’d owe me a new one. I don’t know why I find it funny, but I do. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345/60 "2013-01-08T12:45:20Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Ditto. I don’t have cable or satellite, but I’ve seen Al Jazeera as one of the many (English-language) foreign news programs on one of the broadcast PBS channels. I haven’t sat through an entire half-hour newscast, but my impressions are: > > 1. it’s no more “un-American” than BBC, France 24, or Deutsche Welle. > > 2. by contrast, RT (Russian news) _is_ over-the-top anti-American as someone else noted. 🙂 Ironically and somewhat humorously, they seem to have a “pull the plank out of your own eye” thing going on where the issues they single out the U.S. for are arguably **worse** in Russia, such as the role of big corporations/“oligarchs” in the government. :rolleyes: I agree with all this. AJE is a fairly straightforward news channel; I prefer the BBC but AJE and France 24 also do decent world news in a way that US domestic stations spectacularly fail to do. I haven’t seen enough of Deutsche Welle to form an opinion but I will second (or third) the view of Russia Today - propaganda-a-go-go, and not even particularly well done propaganda. Avoid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-al-jazeera-entering-the-us-airwaves/646345.md?page=4)