at the most appropriate time, and turning their attention to the observa- tions compiled based on media production and delivery. The feedback is measured against edited notes collected internally and externally, which are now agreed upon. These alerts are meant to lessen mistakes and contribute to a continuous evaluation of internal media methods and policies, as well as identify what could have a positive or negative impact on Al Jazeera’s message. Some of the alerts are urgent to address prominent mistakes, while others are more inquiry-like to follow the depth of the mistake and find the roots of the deviation that allowed it to occur or reoccur. These alerts are classified by type, from breaking alerts and daily reports to in-depth studies. The presence of this self-criticism, internal review, and mistake and compliance monitoring according to Al Jazeera’s code of conduct supports the idea of internal self-independence within the organisation. A continuous monitoring and evaluation process initiated internally prevents the intervention of external entities looking for ac- countability; and this, in turn, lessens pressure on journalists and their risk of legal liability. Not a “Censor” Several years ago, Al Jazeera released a film on the personality of the “Censor” (1) , a character in the shadows holding red ink and scissors. Among the biggest challenges in the face of the quality control opera- tion and monitoring was to distance itself from the “Censor’s” bad repu- tation, which had security apparatuses and authoritarian connotations as seen in the film, as well as George Orwell’s concept of a “big brother” that monitored everyone. Thus, the concept of a “media quality expert” emerged, given that the quality control system is usually rooted in some ambiguity and lack of coverage in the media sector. In general, people do not like censorship, especially journalists who feel targeted and as if they are in a conflict, according to sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (2) . There
(1) Al-Raqeeb , 2010, Al Jazeera. The author of this chapter was a member of the team who created this film.
(2) Pierre Bourdieu, Television and Mechanisms of Manipulating Minds , translated by Dar-
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