Al Jazeera: Reflections on the Arab Spring

Abstract

Since its establishment in 1996 Al Jazeera has established a formidable reputation for the reliability and the (largely) uncensored nature of its news, the professionalism of its staff and the quality of the programmes it airs. The channel increasingly became a source of annoyance to many regimes in the Arab world which had relied for many years on heavily censored national media. But most importantly, it began to be seen as a powerful catalyst for change in the Arab world, winning armies of supporters of all ages in a relatively short period of time. The article examines this phenomenon and challenges some of the views that have attempted to explain some of the motives behind the creation and support of this channel by the Qatari regime. It also explores the challenges of expansion, credibility and survival that are currently facing this controversial Arab satellite channel.