The Public Diplomacy of Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera is one of the most important news organizations in the world today. This chapter suggests that the Arab network also functions as a significant political actor in the international sphere with a clear agenda and means to accomplish it. Moreover, the study further argues that Al Jazeera has adopted two discreet roles: internal and external. The internal is exemplified by the network’s initiation of discussion on controversial and taboo topics in the Arab and Muslim public sphere, as well as by its continued scrutiny of Arab regimes. The external role is exemplified by Al Jazeera’s claims to represent to the world Arab and Muslim perspectives on regional and international events. It manages the images and representations that much of the West draws on when thinking of the Muslim world, as well as its coverage of political events of geopolitical importance to Western nations, such as the war in Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli violent confrontation (Second Intifada). Al Jazeera’s self-adopted dual roles have won considerable support for the network in the Arab street, but also severe criticism from many circles.