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Al-Jazeera (Magill Book Reviews)

At a glance:

The Arab media dictatorship was destroyed by al-Jazeera, which has shown that the Arab world can be more than the subject of the news—it can be the source. Further, Saudi- born, Arab-speaking British journalist Hugh Miles's new chronicle of the birth and growth of al-Jazeera (“the peninsula”) also shows the strengths and weaknesses worldwide of what is called “citizen journalism.”

Through a network of volunteers as well as professional staffers, and a mix of factual reporting and commentary espousing unbelievable theories of blame about problems in the region, al-Jazeera has built an audience of fifty million viewers since its 1996 launch. It has changed broadcast journalism in and about the Middle East.

More than 100 employees left a shuttered effort by Orbit, the BBC's Saudi partner, to start a new channel in Qatar ten years ago. With a loan of $100 million from the Qatari government, al-Jazeera struggled until the Intifada in 2000 and the 9/11 attacks in 2001—plus sources cultivated in al-Qaida and the Taliban—lent it an air of legitimacy. Initially ridiculed by mainstream media and various governments, al-Jazeera now is a main source for news from the region.

Researched and reported as another side to the story, Al-Jazeera: The Inside Story of the Arab News Channel That Is Challenging the West shows that labeling al-Jazeera “pro-terrorist” may stem from its using gruesome videos sent in by perpetrators of violence, from Western governments’ criticisms, or from other media vilifying a competitor. Yet few criticize American news anchors for wearing U.S. flag lapel pins during the run up to the Iraq war.

Oddly, some Arabs disregard al-Jazeera as a tool of the CIA or Israeli intelligence—or the British, or the Saudis. Some Arab leaders are frustrated by al- Jazeera stories critical of domestic problems there, a few even banning the network. And it has yet to break even (a burden shared by the BBC, PBS, and other state-funded television services).

However, it has a plausible Arab voice—or voices, since many views are featured, even points of view of Arab government dissenters. That is the equivalent to CNN and MSNBC, much less Fox News, not only airing familiar and government-friendly types such as Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Patrick Buchanan, but Molly Ivins, Cornell West, and Noam Chomsky.

Meanwhile, the United States-backed al-Hurra channel and the Saudi-supported al-Arabiya try to compete but fall short, as al-Jazeera continues to broadcast despite such crises as U.S. military attacks on its offices in 2001 and 2003. Al-Jazeera plans a 24-hour, English-language service starting in the spring of 2006, featuring ex-Marine Josh Rushing and veteran broadcaster David Frost contributing.

Some may dismiss Miles's history as biased, but that may be because much of it is fresh and therefore unfamiliar. At least, Al-Jazeera is a revealing glimpse of a key part of the world's media.