Presenter(s): Arunima Bhattacharjee – Public Relations
Faculty Mentor(s): HyeRyoung Ok
Oral Session 2C
Research Area: Media and Human Rights
Al Jazeera, the pan-Arab 24-hour satellite news channel located in Doha, Qatar, has faced major discontent due to its news coverage that is controversial to some countries in the Middle East and abroad. In a region where the press is predominantly controlled by the state, Al Jazeera aims to have a freedom of the press to educate the Arab nation on subjects that prompt discussions and open debates about critical issues. However, this has had major repercussion for the channel as it has been banned from many countries in the region. During the Iraq war, the pan-Arab news channel has also faced critiques from
the United States for creating anti-American sentiment towards its viewers in the Middle East. Since the Gulf war, many journalists from the channel has faced life-threatening challenges due to the news that was being broadcasted which were against the political opinions of many of the powerful regimes in the region. Many journalists have been imprisoned in
Egypt since 2013 due to allegations of causing unrest in their nation by providing the people with news that is pro Muslim Brotherhood. This research will be focusing on the challenges faced by the news company, how it is benefitting the middle east through their freedom of the press and also creating danger for its journalists by broadcasting controversial issues. It will also look at the ways Al Jazeera portrays the news and where its real intentions lie when it is trying to convey the story to its viewers.