By doing so, Al Jazeera has contributed to the introduction of con- troversial issues, such as political, economic, and cultural rights, along with issues on the ruling power, wealth, and the peaceful transfer of government, etc., to the public debate. These issues were limited to a narrow circle of trusted people before the existence of the channel, and the audience was excluded from engagement. Live talk shows that have characterised the channel since its launch represented a qualitative leap in this regard. Al-Itijah al-Mu’akis (The Opposite Direction) and other shows were public platforms that reflected, through their topics and guests, the Arab scene in its various political and intellectual spec- trum (1) . The following chart highlights the areas of Al Jazeera’s content separation from official Arab media. Figure No. (2) Areas in Al Jazeera separated from official Arab media
Among the prominent stories Al Jazeera has given attention to in its coverage are the pain and suffering of wars, famine and its after- math, natural disasters and their damage, and armed conflicts and their repercussions in different regions of the world. These news stories were absent in the traditional Arab media; but after the advent of Al Jazeera, (1) Ezzeddine Abdelmoula, Al Jazeera and Democratization: The Rise of the Arab Public Sphere (Beirut: Al Jazeera Centre for Studies and the Arab Scientific Publishers, 2015), p. 151.
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