Al Jazeera: History Witness, History Maker
Al Jazeera: History Witness, History Maker Dr. Moncef Marzouki | Former President of Tunisia
Time flies. A quarter of a century has passed since the birth of the television news station that has turned the media landscape upside down. In an ever-changing world it is inspirational to see that Al Jazeera over these years has – in terms of core values - not changed; nor have I. With the exception of my grey hair, I have not changed, whether as an opposition leader or as a president. Together with all supporters of democracy in Tunisia, I am still standing firmly against the tyrants crawling back to seize power in our country. Within that “matchbox-size building” - as it was once described by Egypt’s late president Hosni Mubarak - Al Jazeera was born a media giant. Till this day, it has remained committed to its mission; true to the objective and balanced editorial policy in pursuit of truth; and loyal to its slogan ‘the opinion and the counter opinion.’ Above all, Al Jazeera has remained loyal to its eloquence and elegance, with its simple-yet- eloquent Arabic language: one thing that strongly binds together the fragmented Arab nation. Al Jazeera remains the shield guarding our tongue and our traditions.
Al Jazeera is a beacon for the rest to follow. Many media outlets are trying to follow in Al Jazeera’s footsteps, yet they falter, either because they have not learnt the ropes or simply cannot afford the risks involved. Preposterous enough, mountains of money were exhausted by dictators on pointless warfare against Al Jazeera. All their efforts and money went down the drain. They simply failed to realise that credibility is a rare commodity in the media industry. Such credibility cannot be bought by money, but gained by free and balanced journalism. Evidently, Al Jazeera is the leading media outlet in the professional sense. Al Jazeera tells the story accurately and without spin. That is why it is the Mecca for all those seeking credible news. Many Arab and Western news broadcasters attempt to spin major news stories to influence the public’s mind. All these attempts are no doubt doomed to failure. Unlike biased news channels, Al Jazeera has always been documenting history, if not shaping it, through its objective journalism. This showed best during the Arab Spring shockwaves that rippled through the Arab world.
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