202. Name: Angus Scott Title: Testing ‘the Truth’: An Evaluation of the Extent to which the Content and Professional Practices of Al Jazeera English Meet the
Criteria Set out in its Vision Statement Institution: University of Winchester Country: United Kingdom Date: 2021 Language: English Abstract:
This study focuses on the output and the working practices of the news operation of Al Jazeera English channel from an insider’s perspective. It evaluates, not only the channel’s news content, but also its professional practices and processes, which determine and shape the content for broadcast. It does so in the context that Al Jazeera’s vision was to be fearless in the pursuit of truth and to be the voice for the voiceless. This qualitative research details empirical participant observations that has been carried out over a period of eight years, and analyses Al Jazeera network’s working protocol through a series of extensive semi- structured interviews with staff members. The study asks the question whether Al Jazeera English’s output is governed by the culture of journalism or by the culture of the organization and the country where it is based. The notion of editorial independence and its history in the region is discussed at a time when Qatar’s neighbors, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, in addition to Egypt, set up a blockade of Qatar, and called for the shutting down of Al Jazeera.
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