208. Name: Afra Alqahtani Title: Al Jazeera Channel as an International, Regional and National Voice: Analysis of Al Jazeera’s Coverage of the Arab Spring and the 2017 Qatar Blockade Institution: University of Essex Country: United Kingdom Date: 2021 Language: English Abstract: This research seeks to understand the active role played by Al Jazeera through its coverage of major events including the Arab Spring and the siege of Qatar. Since the end of 2010, a number of Arab countries have witnessed widespread popular movements calling for freedom and change towards democracy. Al Jazeera’s coverage provided a major support for these demands by reporting protests in a live transmission to Arab and international viewers from various cities and squares. During the Gulf crisis in which Qatar was blockaded for more than three years, Al Jazeera played an active role in revealing facts, contextualizing them, and keeping pace with related developments. This study examines the role played by Al Jazeera through its media coverage of the Arab Spring and the Qatar blockade to explore the factors that made it an influential voice at the global, regional and national levels. To collect data, the researcher interviewed a group of journalists and media professionals. The content analysis explains how Al Jazeera’s coverage of the Arab Spring and the siege of Qatar made it an international, regional and national voice.
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