Making A World of Difference: How Human Rights Shape The Al Jazeera Story Aidan White | Founder of the Ethical Journalism Network (EJN)
On the 10th anniversary of the launch of Al Jazeera I wrote that the network was a phenomenon the world must learn to live with. Now, 15 years later, the world has come to terms with this upstart, trail- blazing network which is now firmly established in the leadership of global journalism. Al Jazeera has been witness to seismic changes in the past 25 years. The ending of the Cold War; shifting centres of political and corporate power; peoples’ revolutions in the Arab world; and a digital whirlwind of change that has reshaped the communications and media landscape.
And Al Jazeera has risen to the challenge. Through a mix of pioneering reporting, laced with style and commitment to professionalism and human rights, it has brought the voice of the street into the newsroom and carved out an international reputation for fearless story-telling, focusing on the realities of a world divided by social and economic injustice. Across its many platforms it also confronts the threat posed by “fake news”, online disinformation and the propaganda of presidents, prime ministers and political figures who routinely lie or try to fool,
390
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter