Al Jazeera loses respect over Egypt coverage Senior officials say there is direct interference by government to project pro-Islamist view Cairo: Over 18 days early this year, the Al Jazeera network and its main arm in Egypt Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr, alongside social media, played a crucial role in changing political life in Egypt. Founded in 1996 and funded by Qatar, Al Jazeera was supported by many Egyptian revolutionaries. Demonstrators in Tahrir Squar chanted for it. Also, Al Jazeera staffers were feeling proud that they contributed to the Egyptian revolution with their work and coverage. They made the network the most popular channel in the country. However, when the now ousted president Mohammad Mursi pushed through an unpopular consistution last November, many Egyptians found themselves flipping from Al Jazeera to other Egyptian networks. Distrust over its coverage reached unprecedented levels and took it from being the most popular to the most hated channel — its staff were now feeling embarrassed as their reputation was dragged through the mud. A senior official at Al Jazeera who did not want to be named said that while the network appeared to be a neutral media network it was still a political tool in the hands of the Qatari emir. “He personally visited the studios during the Iraq war to make sure no footage of dead of abducted soldiers was aired. It was clear he was under US pressure,” the official said. gulfnews/news/region/egypt/al-jazeera-loses-respect-over-egypt-coverage-1.1208966?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=&utm_term=%26291638
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 09:38:52 +0000
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