Al Jazeera Tells its Story: In-Depth Studies

that Al Jazeera was among the first media organisations that sowed the seeds that gave technical elements a place in methods to improve the quality of media work. Al Jazeera’s colour scheme, for example, par- tially reflects Al Jazeera’s aesthetic philosophy; and there is a special colour assigned to every one of its outlets to distinguish it from others, while still maintaining a unified visual identity. For example, the colour blue is an important element of Al Jazeera’s identity. According to the book, Television Media in Al Jazeera’s Experience, all shades of the colour blue help release stress and give the impression that the channel approaches news with a vision rather than from a place of anger (1) . Sky blue is also a reflection of the blue of the Gulf waters from which the now-famous Al Jazeera logo emerges, placing it among the most prom- inent brands around the world today. This logo appears in a consistent size and shape in the corner of the screen, as opposed to other cases, in which the logo is moving and accompanied by distinctive music that appears repeatedly throughout the broadcast (2) . Finally , part of the aesthetic that improves Al Jazeera’s visual quality is the pleasant and well-groomed look of news and programme presenters. There are written standards for this aspect of quality, which specify the visual identity of the presenters and whoever appears on screen in general. These standards aim to show an image that reflects the serious environment and general cultural context from which the network addresses its audiences. This includes clothing, colours, fab- rics, accessories, television makeup, hair and even shoe preferences (3) .

(1) Hosam Wahbeh, “The Visual Design of Programmes”, Television Media in Al Jazeera’s Experience , Ibid., p. 213.

(2) “Technical Standards”, Ibid., pp. 97-98.

(3) Ibid., pp. 135-154.

129

EN2.indd 129

20/02/2022 4:14 PM

Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter