76. Name: Mahmoud Raouf Al Sadi Title: Al Jazeera Television: Intifada on the Air Institution: University of Memphis Country: United States Date: 2011 Language: English Abstract:
Al Jazeera has become the most popular and trusted news channel in the Arab world. Media scholars agree that the popularity of Al Jazeera derives mainly from its identification with the radicalism of the Arab public, as evidenced by the starkly anti-establishment tone characterizing much of the medium’s discourses. However, there is a disagreement over the meaning and implications of the channel’s anti- establishment discourse. Some argue that Al Jazeera is radicalizing the Arab audiences; others argue that it is moderating the beliefs of both Arab publics and regimes. This study argues that both the radicalizing and moderating perspectives do not provide an accurate depiction of the channel’s anti-establishment discourses. It offers a close reading of the channel’s political discourses on issues that separate the Arab pubic from the Qatari government and other Arab regimes. Textual evidence indicates that by initially identifying itself with the viewers, Al Jazeera deflects such radicalism and channels it towards nonviolent political ideologies that are conducive to Qatar’s policies. By connecting Qatar with the anti-establishment viewers, Al Jazeera re-invents Qatar’s autocracy depicting it as an acceptable form of governance.
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