57. Name: Ishtar Al Jabiri Title: The Impact of Al Jazeera TV Channel on the Tendencies of its Arabic Audiences: An Empirical Analysis Institution: Freie Universität Berlin Country: Germany Date: 2009 Language: German Abstract: Al Jazeera satellite channel enjoys a significant influence and exert a substantial impact on Arab public opinion. Two contradictory assumptions concerning the influence of Al Jazeera seem to dominate the discussions. On the one hand, the station is said to create an alternative public opinion, thus playing the role of a third party that mediates between the marginalized Arab populations and their repressive governments. On the other hand, Al Jazeera is seen as a platform for Islamism and pan-Arabism, enabling these movements to promote their ideologies. In order to examine these assumptions, a sample of Arab viewers of different backgrounds were interviewed to express their opinions regarding one of Al Jazeera’s most popular talk shows; “Al Ittijah Al Muakis” (the Opposite Direction). The survey was part of a qualitative study in which the content of the programme was analyzed and then examined from the viewpoint of Arab viewers who were interviewed. The research findings showed that the viewers’ tendencies vis-à-vis “Al Ittijah Al Muakis” differed considerably from one another according to the level of education, cultural backgrounds, expectations and origin of the participant.
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