Al-Jazeera

[LondonGirl1968]

I was in the office this week and noticed that instead of BBC or Sky News as usual someone had turned on Al Jazeera. I have to say I was taken aback. It felt like a bit of a slap in the face. Felt very pointed in a week where such brutality has taken place.

@Asthebellcurves that's a valid position. But since OP has said she doesn't know anything about the channel, it's clearly not the reason for her immediate dislike of it. Her issue wasn't based on content, history, previous reporting, or funding. So I think it's reasonable for people to question what automatic assumptions she has made about a channel based solely(?) on its name and where it's from.

You don't see it as being at all problematic that, despite knowing nothing about the channel, the OP leapt to the conclusion that it couldn't be a reputable broadcaster because it is a Middle East based company? You think that's a reasonable assumption to make?

Sure, that's fine, but people on this thread are presenting Al Jazeera as a phenomenal news platform that has a solid perspective of the Middle East - when actually it faces significant restrictions on broadcasting in much of the region due to the extremism they platform. Equally, given the current crisis, it's important people understand any and all links between news sources and terror funding.

The are a far better new outlet than the BBC,itv or sky.

But why assume it's a slap in the face? Why not go hmm interesting, maybe this news source being nearer to the location of a major event in world news at the moment has some news that may be worth watching- I'll find out more about the source. Why go "middle east = slap"

Yes exactly! Fair enough if she researched and thought hmm hang on that's a slap in the face. But instead she went "middle east = slap"

And you get more slap here OP. The state of things 😂

This!

Dear God, the virtue signalling here😄.
Perfectly reasonable of OP to assume that a news channel with a Middle Eastern name may have reporting biased towards Palestine. Indeed it has been accused of bias in the past by various Israeli and US parties. If OP happens to be standing with Israel (I’m standing with neither of the two violent regimes myself but OP may be Jewish or Israeli) she might well w

Exactly this. Its why the OP hasn't been back.

History will look back in shame at the way Muslims were treated, in the same way we did with other religions and races.

Might well wonder.

my uncle (my parents friend kind of uncle) just retired from working for Al Jazzera, he was a white ginger haired atheist, he was on Bin Ladens hit list many moons ago. It’s definitely not a weird channel to watch lots of people watch Al Jazzera, it sometimes gives a different point of view and something to challenge thinking.

Are you trying to dig me out now too? I explained how I perceived it to be, but you keep going on, don't you think it's reasonable being a bit wary when we have seen the hostility towards the Jewish community in London and elsewhere this week? Don't know why you can't just leave it? I spoke up as I could see everyone jumping on the OP which seemed unfair, I explained why I commented, not apologising for what I said, and won't be responding anymore, is that OK?

Arabic sounding > Middle East > Muslims > Enemy

Usually that, often unconscious, thinking is heavily shaped by Western media, and so people will automatically think a Middle East based news channel will be full of terrorist sympathisers (or similar).

A lot of it stems from when Bush said on American news “you either stand with us, or you stand with terrorists” and the entire population of Iraq (and seemingly every other country in the Middle East - just in case!) were considered terrorists overnight to a lot of Westerners. A well-used tactic so people don’t feel too much sympathy for the people being bombed and revolt, but unfortunately the narrative sticks even when the bombing has stopped.

I'd rather watch Al Jazeera than the BBC any day.

Rather than assuming that a news service from an area might be on because they report more about that area.

If there had been a massive event in Italy, and someone had Rai1 on, I'd think, "because of that event in Italy" rather than "what a slap in the face". It's clearly biased.

As are all news outlets in one way or another.

They all have their own quirks. People just end up picking the reports that match their own views and all the rest are seen as biased.

Dig you out? What does that even mean?

I don't keep going on. I asked you a perfectly reasonable question which you have chosen not to answer. Fair enough, your call.

I will answer your question though, and say that it's utterly unreasonable and islamophobic to suggest that we should all be wary of anything or anybody from the Middle East without knowing anything about them.

It's terrible that the Jewish community are experiencing hostility as a result of recent news stories, but being against antisemitism is not an argument in favour of islamophobia. They are both unacceptable.

Why would you even feel that? Its a respected source of journalism.
Do you often feel slapped in the face.?

Op , do your due diligence.

Yes they are all biased as you say. Hence, not unreasonable of OP to wonder about the wisdom of playing a channel biased towards Palestinians.

Personally I watch Al Jazeera all the time. It’s the faux shock and sanctimony in the replies - the sheer lack of ability to understand why anyone might think or do things differently (they must be racist if they do) that are jarring. The type of narcissistic worldview that’s precisely why the middle east is in this mess tbh.

You should watch all the news channel’s

of course we should avoid all things vaguely muslim/arabic/middle Eastern...

let's start with Algebra!

I suspect the OP would have been happier to see GB News on the screen...

Ideally yes of course. But I dislike the sneering attitude from some on here towards people who may not have the time to sit around all day watching multiple news outlets or may for all sorts of reasons not be aware of which of the thousands of non-UK channels they “should” be watching.