others. This situation constitutes a new challenge to Al Jazeera’s coverage in those countries. In Iraq and Lebanon, for example, the state power and its institutions are weak as an increasing num- ber of non-state actors and power centres compete to dominate and influence public authorities. In other countries, such as Libya, Syria, and Yemen, internal divisions are growing and so is control by several local and foreign actors over the geographic, political, and social spaces. These actors are emerging and growing at the expense of the state’s central authority and legal system. Instead of dealing with one official and legally accountable authority in those countries, media institutions have to deal with several non-state actors (parties, militias, sects, tribes, gangs, companies, associations, etc.) along with the government. They have to observe not only state laws and regulations, but also other social and customary rules imposed by these non-official groups, which further complicates the coverage. As media networks lack sufficient experience as to how to handle such situations, they are struggling to build new field and editorial experiences so they can continue to provide professional coverage. Al Jazeera’s experience has proved that the cost of building such an experience is high, particularly at the humanitarian level. Working in these environ- ments is more dangerous and requires more sacrifices compared to working in stable areas. The following section highlights the challenges faced by Al Jazeera in Iraq and Lebanon in particular. - In Iraq, power is distributed between several political fac- tions and armed groups that compete with the state and its insti- tutions. Some of these factions are even more powerful than the state itself, and control certain economic and financial sectors; others have their own armed groups and militias, while a number of other factions control influential media organisations. Much of this growing non-state power functions beyond any legally or in- stitutionally binding mechanisms, and related actions are general- ly not monitored or regulated. The common feature characterising these groups in Iraq, is they were all relatively new as they started to form and operate following the 2003 U.S. invasion. Yet, their
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