ABSTRACT
Since its inception in 1996, Al Jazeera network has been the subject of numerous studies and extensive media coverage from around the world. Its bearing impact on Arab journalism as well as its controversial influence in the construction of Arab public opinion has been unmistakable. In April 2019 and for the third consecutive year, the sister channel Al Jazeera English was named Broadcaster of the Year and it scooped a record number of prizes in the New York Festivals TV and Film awards (Al Jazeera English 2019). Al Jazeera Arabic, on the other hand, has faced fierce criticism from governments in the Arab region and beyond, and its editorial line earned it attention since its inception.
This study argues that the Arabic channel (Al Jazeera Arabic), which was inaugurated in 1996 as a niche TV service targeting Arab viewers in the Arab world and in diaspora, has been transformed into a media network of a global reach. After gaining fame and influence in the region, its effects on the international media and political scenes have been unmissable. Coverage of the invasion of Iraq, Arab Spring revolutions, wars in Yemen and Syria, corruption in Arab politics, war on Gaza in 2009 and in 2014, and the Palestinian–Israeli conflict would have been perceived differently in the absence of Al Jazeera news coverage. However, beyond its atypical journalism culture, Al Jazeera has been criticized for becoming a strong arm of Qatar’s international diplomacy strategy. This global influential media outlet has proven its great value not least when Qatar was the target of media blackout and total blockading by few of its neighboring countries back in May 2017.
