Al Jazeera: Much More Than Just a Building
Al Jazeera: Much More Than Just a Building Ahmad bin Salem Al-Yafei | Managing Director, Al Jazeera News Channel
I still clearly remember that moment. It was on the afternoon of May 12, 2021, when Al Jazeera’s screen flashed with breaking news: “ISRAEL’S ARMY GIVE AL JAZEERA & OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS 1 HOUR TO EVACUATE BUILDING.” The Israeli military was going to bomb the tower housing our office in Gaza. Within seconds, we initiated communication with international human rights organisations and those dedicated to the protection of journalists. It wasn’t just the rights of our journalists that needed protecting – it was their lives. As the minutes passed, our colleague, Wael Dahdouh, and his fellow journalists in Gaza raced against the clock – to salvage what they could from the building and to escape with their lives. Throughout it all, they had only one thing on their minds: to keep our coverage going. I had only one thing on mine: the safety of our team in Gaza. Once our colleagues were safely out of the building, I watched it fall with a feeling of serenity I cannot explain. By destroying the 11-storey building, the Israelis thought they could muzzle Al Jazeera’s voice. But they failed to realise that our duty is not fulfilled only from offices made of walls and desks.
The image of the building coming down was eerily reminiscent of older images: the bombing of Al Jazeera’s bureaus in Kabul and Baghdad; the storming of our offices in Egypt and elsewhere; the killing and detention of our journalists. ‘What crime have we committed? Is journalism a crime?’ I kept asking myself. A week later, I was walking through Al Jazeera’s premises, following up the progress of some renovation projects initiated as a result of a joint study between the news departments and the research department. The aim of the study was to assess the degree of change in audience behaviour towards Al Jazeera’s content across various platforms. I was fully aware that we are leading a new trend in the industry, in terms of the concept and shape of a newsroom. It is based on reciprocal interactive engagement, where the audience is a contributor before being a recipient. Today’s viewers are no longer passive receivers; they are active participants, commentators, researchers, and critics of our news stories. This shows best when they respond to our content on their social media accounts.
From its very inception, Al Jazeera has felt the pulse of the people, and it is now listening and responding to their needs. It is a new leap forward – ensuring we not only continue to lead the industry but to gain more ground as we march towards our Golden Jubilee. As I walked towards the main entrance, some colleagues were waiting for me in the new hallway. I was briefed on the panoramic ‘Victory Wall’ mural that will feature the more than 70 international awards won in a single year – evidence of the global acclaim our content has gained. The Israelis may have shattered our cameras, but not our eyes; they may have broken our microphones, but not our voices; they may have destroyed our office, but not our place in peoples’ hearts. Truly, Al Jazeera is much more than just a building.
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