Al-Jazeera, A Channel To Another World

In the minds of most Americans, the Arab news station, al-Jazeera, is associated with tapes of Osama Bin Laden and therefore with extremist Muslims. However, as this Washington Post article points out, al-Jazeera's reporters "aren't the problem in the Middle East: They may be the start of the solution." Citing a new documentary by film-maker Ben Anthony, the article reveals the challenges that al-Jazeera faces as one of the few free presses in the Middle East. The organization was in fact the first independent television station in the region and continues to reach 99 percent of the Arab world – or about 45 million people. Everyday, the organization struggles with the ethical concerns of objectivity, accuracy, and content – the concerns of any responsible news organization. Many may disagree with Anthony's portrayal of Al-Jazeera's and it may not make the controversial channel any more popular in the United States., However, the author says,"it will go a long way toward convincing people that both are in the same vital, untidy pursuit of truth. That fact alone is evidence of a giant step forward for a region that has served as the world's tinderbox for more than 50 years." – YaleGlobal