Al Jazeera: A Global Bridge
Al Jazeera: A Global Bridge P.J. Crowley | Former United States Assistant Secretary of State
Sometime in 1997, while serving on the National Security Council staff at the White House, I received a call from a young journalist in Tehran. He asked some basic questions about the complicated relationship between the United States and Iran. I interacted routinely with journalists, policymakers and citizens from all over the world, but this was a first. There were relatively few contacts between US and Iranian citizens given the lack of normal diplomatic relations. A day later, the phone rang again. The young journalist introduced his editor, who was sceptical that his young staffer had actually interviewed someone at the White House. While the content of the interview itself was unremarkable, the official reaction after the article was published was far more interesting. The Iranian government feared the emergence of independent media. Before long the young journalist’s newspaper went out of business. My government was overly cautious of an impromptu interview not carefully curated by policymakers. We never did another one. Despite faint aspirations of a better relationship between the two long time antagonists, the idea of an open channel of communication between two adversaries was considered a bridge too far. As this interaction occurred, Al Jazeera was in its first year of existence.
Fast forward almost a quarter century. While I no longer hold any government position, I continue to conduct interviews with academics, former government officials and journalists in Tehran about the still complex relationship between the United States and Iran. Lately, much of the focus revolved around the fate of the Iran nuclear deal. They happen routinely. They are businesslike. I learn something every time I do them. I hope viewers do as well. Most of these interviews take place on Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera has become a true global network, delivering insight reflecting the full range of viewpoints regarding issues of importance. It is a highly respected news source with broad appeal across many different demographic categories. Indeed, over the past 25 years, Al Jazeera has become a vital bridge that helps us all understand a region and a world that is ever changing. On a daily basis, it provides quality journalism and credible information, reflecting both the urgent matters of our time as well as challenges that are underreported. This includes stories that challenge convention, stories that make governments uncomfortable, stories that make us all take notice and adapt our thinking. Just think about recent events. Four countries in the Middle East and North Africa — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco — joined Egypt
the United States went to war against a movement that used religion to justify violence against innocent civilians. Al-Qaeda’s leader, Osama bin Laden, regularly dispatched recorded messages through a courier network to Al Jazeera, which broadcast them to the world. Covering a global and regional challenge from every point of view is the definition of independent journalism. Discomforting, yes. Controversial, yes. Courageous, yes, and necessary. The world has changed dramatically across these 25 years. In many ways, it seems smaller. Who could have envisioned that the emergence of a novel coronavirus in a market in Wuhan, China could impact every community on earth so profoundly. We are all different people living different lives than we were even a year ago. And that’s the point. At any time, something that happens a world away can change everything. Wherever we live, we need bridges that can transport us around the world we all share. We need reporters that help us understand events and trends that have the ability to reshape the world. This is what Al Jazeera has done, and why it continues to be important.
and Jordan in establishing normal diplomatic relations with the State of Israel. But Al Jazeera long ago established a bureau in Jerusalem, adding an Israeli perspective to the ongoing debate about the region’s future. Al Jazeera’s coverage of the uprisings across the Middle East in 2011 was so powerful and insightful that regional governments cracked down on the network in the aftermath. A number of journalists were jailed, not because they were doing something wrong, but because they were doing what independent media are supposed to do. Some countries advocated shutting down the network entirely as a condition of future normal relations. Qatar was right to refuse. Here in the United States, the importance, impact and value of Al Jazeera was quickly felt but not universally appreciated. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks that struck the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon,
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