Al-jazeera: The Story Of The Network That Is Rattling Governments And Redefining Modern Journalism Updated With A New Prologue And Epilogue [Paperback]

Mohammed El-nawawy (Author), Adel Iskandar (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813341493 | ISBN-13: 978-0813341491 | Publication Date: August 5, 2003

Al-Jazeera, the independent, all-Arab television news network based in Qatar, emerged as ambassador to the Arab world in the events following September 11, 2001. Arabic for "the island," Al-Jazeera has "scooped" the western media conglomerates many times. With its exclusive access to Osama Bin Laden and members of the Taliban, its reputation was burnished quickly through its exposure on CNN. During the 2003 war in Iraq, Al-Jazeera seemed to be everywhere, reporting dramatic stories and images, even as it strived to maintain its independence as an international free press news network. Al-Jazeera sheds light on the background of the network: how it operates, the programs it broadcasts, its effects on Arab viewers, the reactions of the West and Arab states, the implications for the future of news broadcasting in the Middle East, and its struggle for a free press and public opinion in the Arab world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a timely book, which places the emergence of the satellite channel into proper perspective in a lucid and lively style." -- The Muslim World Book Review

"...a valuable guide to the 21st-century Arab political psyche." -- The Jerusalem Post

"A great work of pain-staking research, beautifully written on one of the major (not "minor") television channels of this century." -- The Pioneer

"A valuable guide for the perplexed to the 21st-century Arab political psyche." -- The Sunday Telegraph

"An important new book." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Entertaining and accessible." -- Library Journal

"Lively, with a telling eye for detail, due in large part to the insider access the authors seem to enjoy." -- Cincinnati Inquirer

"Provides an unbiased account of the network's history and how it is viewed in both hemispheres." -- The National Journal

"Provides timely and much-needed background on Al-Jazeera." -- The Village Voice

"This book is a great leap forward toward understanding the impact of a major opinion-maker on the world scene." -- Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Mohammed el-Nawawy, Egyptian born and raised, has worked as a journalist in the Middle East and the U.S. The author of The Israeli-Egyptian Peace Process in the Reporting of Western Journalists, he is an assistant professor of Communications at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. Adel Iskander, an Egyptian-Canadian, is an expert on Middle East media. He has conducted studies on viewership of Arab media and the use of North American media by Arab immigrants. He has lived in Kuwait and in Egypt for many years, and currently teaches communication at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. Mohammed el-Nawawy, Egyptian born and raised, has worked as a journalist in the Middle East and the U.S. The author of The Israeli-Egyptian Peace Process in the Reporting of Western Journalists, he is an assistant professor of Communications at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. Adel Iskander, an Egyptian-Canadian, is an expert on Middle East media. He has conducted studies on viewership of Arab media and the use of North American media by Arab immigrants. He has lived in Kuwait and in Egypt for many years, and currently teaches communication at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813341493
• ISBN-13: 978-0813341491
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #627,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fair and well-researched, March 27, 2005

By 

S. Jamal "Mr. Erudite" (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Al-jazeera: The Story Of The Network That Is Rattling Governments And Redefining Modern Journalism Updated With A New Prologue And Epilogue (Paperback)

This books heaps a lot of praise on the network, but is also critical of it (as an example the author discusses Al Jazeera's lack of coverage of Qatar-Bahrain tensions). You get a view from inside and outside the network, a look at it's founding and how the networks covers issues differently than Canadian and American news organizations.

One reason in particular for reading this book is that you will get to see a side of the network that you wouldn't normally see in North America. I say this because Al Jazeera is much maligned in these parts. Consider that the CRTC (Canada's FCC) has placed unreasonably strict conditions on cable companies who wish to carry the Al Jazeera news channel- no other news network is subject to such ridiculous treatment. The fear seems to be that Al Jazeera inspires hate and incites violence. Contrast this with the easy approval, without such restrictions, that FOX news received to broadcast here. If you don't feel outraged at the CRTC's hypocrisy, then you really should read this book (and at least a few others).

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and Hardhitting!, January 18, 2005

By 

Sabrina (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Al-jazeera: The Story Of The Network That Is Rattling Governments And Redefining Modern Journalism Updated With A New Prologue And Epilogue (Paperback)

While there is much literature about Al-Jazeera available online, this book provided the most concise, elaborate, hardhitting, and balanced view of the network. The authors' position as media experts and scholars with no personal relation or investment in the network ensures a clearheaded view of the station's successes and failures. While they are generally complimentary, they are not shy from recognizing both shortcoming and weaknesses, offering remedial ideas which the station has infact started to incorporate: from discussing Qatari domestic issues to presenting moderate views. I read Al-Jazeera for a journalism class in college where we discussed the authors' concept of "contextual objectivity" at great lengths where we found it surprisingly applicable to the US media. As we appeal for professionalism in the Arab media, we should probably learn a few things ourselves from Al-Jazeera. The station is a true revolution in the Arab world and global media, and this book is the first chronicle of this revolution.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very readable and informative, August 22, 2006

By 

Melinda McAdams "Mindy" (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Al-jazeera: The Story Of The Network That Is Rattling Governments And Redefining Modern Journalism Updated With A New Prologue And Epilogue (Paperback)

I've reread parts of this book several times and assigned it to U.S. college students too. If the Al-Jazeera TV network is influential, shouldn't we want to learn more about it? It's narrow-minded to think that all Arab people think it's a great network -- they don't. And it's a matter of ignorance to think that the network as a whole approves of everything that every Arab person does, good or bad.

By reading this book, you'll find out how the network was set up, how it was funded, where it is based, who its journalists are, what programming it broadcasts (it's more than only news -- just like the BBC), and what Arabs say against it -- as well as what Westerners and non-Arabs criticize about its programming and its decisions.

For example, does Al-Jazeera go soft on Qatar because of its primary funding source? Another example: Do some Arabs think that Al-Jazeera is really a pawn of Western governments because it broadcasts interviews with Israeli officials? The book addresses these questions and more.