Al-Jazeera Puts Focus on Reform

The most-watched news network in the Middle East, Al-Jazeera has the potential to greatly affect the future of regional democratization. Some welcome Al-Jazeera as a foil to state-controlled media in the region, and many see it a new vehicle to give voice to otherwise underrepresented perspectives. As the channel gives more airtime to reformist movements, it finds increasing hostility from less progressive factions in the Middle East. Its correspondents are banned from several Arab nations, and many leaders frown at the undue influence the channel wields. Washington has vilified the channel's airing of the Bin Laden tapes and its coverage of insurgent attacks in Iraq, but according to the Washington Post, this anger may be misdirected. The network has recently enacted its own brand of internal reforms, pledging greater accuracy, fairness, and dedication to presenting opposing points of view. With this commitment, Jazeera has become an unlikely ally with Washington in the fight for progressive democracy. –YaleGlobal