and documenting them. This laid the foundation for a new media vision professionally worldwide. The same experience occurred in Yemen, Syria, and Libya before the situation became more dan- gerous in the last two countries as their revolutions faced a lar- gescale bloody response by the authorities. However, Al Jazeera dedicated its technological, human, and professional resources to get access to the ongoing events in both countries and report them in as much detail as possible. Al Jazeera proved second to none in that respect among all international media networks. With such an ardent coverage, the Network achieved at least two objectives: first, on the professional level, by seizing a historic moment in two countries and providing viewers with detailed and document- ed coverage of events of unprecedented regional magnitude and international ramifications. Second, on the moral level, by assum- ing the responsibility of unveiling the facts of such events, partic- ularly those reflecting the conflict between governments and their opponents. This coverage and the accompanying documentation unveiled grim violations of human rights that amount to some of the most heinous crimes against civilians. In that respect, Al Ja- zeera paid an extremely high cost, including the lives and freedom of some of its correspondents across all Arab Spring countries (1) . 3. Al Jazeera and the Violence of World Powers Al Jazeera made its debut in a new, yet complicated geopolit- ical context. When the news channel gained popularity, the post- cold war regional order was still taking shape in the late 1990s, including the changing situation of the Middle East and the re- shaping of political alliances amidst the inherited divides from the previous era. Since its start, Al Jazeera offered for public discus- sion, certain issues and topics that were considered taboos in the eyes of the state-run media. These topics included democracy, hu- man rights, fighting corruption, inter-Arab relations, and Arab-in- ternational relations. Such sensitive issues were barely touched upon by the Arab media before Al Jazeera. If addressed at all, they
(1) For more details, see The Price for the Truth , Al Jazeera Public Liberties and Human Rights Centre, (Al Jazeera Media Network, 2017).
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