Following in their Footsteps  Natalia  Fraser  5/12/201 6  9:27:15  PM    Al Jazeera is the most widely and globally known Arab international news channel with a reputation  to go with it.  Born in November of 1996, it has “an estimated audience ranging from 30 million to  50 million” (Owen & Purdey, 2009). They were controversially known to obtain interviews and  footage from some of the most wanted and dangerous terrorist in the world, most notable Osama  Bin Laden and Al Qaeda.  I believe that they set the tone for that realm of being able to access  some of the most dangerous and most wanted individuals in the world in the post 9/11 era.    The emir of Qatar, set the tone for how the rest of the world viewed the Arab world “as they would  project a progressive image for his small state and an alternative perspective on world affair”  (Owen & Purdey, 2009) because now they had their own voice. Al Jazeera from the onset, set out  “to be the voice of the voiceless” (Owen & Purdey, 2009).  They were not state controlled and was  a medium for those to voice their political opinions on a range of topics.  This is one of the reasons  why they are seen as the model for other news channels in “the South” of the world such as Africa  to follow.  I believe that an African all­news channel can make a huge change in the international news  agenda if they follow the strategy of A Jazeera.  Salim Amin said it best when he stated the “by  presenting the real Africa as a place of good and bad, honesty and corruption, economic vibrancy  and poverty, eager entrepreneurs as well as those who still rely on foreign aid, A24 will present to  Africans the truth about their world” (Owen & Purdey, 2009).   References  Owen, J. & Purdey, H. (Eds.). (2009).​ International news reporting:  Frontlines and deadlines​. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  Lessons from Abroad  Jason  Hoekem a​    5/12/201 6  5:39:28  PM    Jason Hoekema  JRN 339  D. Stave  May 12, 2016  Lessons from Abroad              I will admit that despite having access to Al­Jazzera’s English broadcast, I have  never accepted them as a legitimate news source. I have long depended on the BBC  and American news outlets to provide the information on relevant events at home and  overseas.              Part of this is due to the negative connotations engrained into my way of  thinking. Having deployed and seen the worst of the region’s offerings, I didn’t think I  would ever want to look into such news sources. That being said, I can only comment  on the information in the text.              “Al Jazeera’s success as a broadcast operation surprised most industry  observers. Apart from creating a radical opening for democratic debatein the Arab world  – something which was praised by the U.S. government in the network’s early years – it  had lessons for broadcasters in other parts of the developing world.” (Owen & Purdey,  2009)              Inspiring the idea of creating a 24­hour new ...

1. Following in their Footsteps Natalia
Fraser
5/12/201
6
9:27:15
PM
Al Jazeera is the most widely and globally known Arab internati
onal news channel with a reputation
to go with it. Born in November of 1996, it has “an estimated a
udience ranging from 30 million to
50 million” (Owen & Purdey, 2009). They were controversially
known to obtain interviews and
footage from some of the most wanted and dangerous terrorist i
n the world, most notable Osama
Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. I believe that they set the tone for tha
t realm of being able to access
some of the most dangerous and most wanted individuals in the
world in the post 9/11 era.
The emir of Qatar, set the tone for how the rest of the world vie
wed the Arab world “as they would
project a progressive image for his small state and an alternativ
e perspective on world affair”
(Owen & Purdey, 2009) because now they had their own voice.
Al Jazeera from the onset, set out

2. “to be the voice of the voiceless” (Owen & Purdey, 2009). The
y were not state controlled and was
a medium for those to voice their political opinions on a range o
f topics. This is one of the reasons
why they are seen as the model for other news channels in “the
South” of the world such as Africa
to follow.
I believe that an African all-news channel can make a huge chan
ge in the international news
agenda if they follow the strategy of A Jazeera. Salim Amin sai
d it best when he stated the “by
presenting the real Africa as a place of good and bad, honesty a
nd corruption, economic vibrancy
and poverty, eager entrepreneurs as well as those who still rely
on foreign aid, A24 will present to
Africans the truth about their world” (Owen & Purdey, 2009).
References
Owen, J. & Purdey, H. (Eds.). (2009).
International news reporting:
Frontlines and deadlines
. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lessons from Abroad Jason
Hoekem
a

3. 5/12/201
6
5:39:28
PM
Jason Hoekema
JRN 339
D. Stave
May 12, 2016
Lessons from Abroad
I will admit that despite having access to Al­Jazzera’s E
nglish broadcast, I have
never accepted them as a legitimate news source. I have long de
pended on the BBC
and American news outlets to provide the information on releva
nt events at home and
overseas.
Part of this is due to the negative connotations engraine
d into my way of
thinking. Having deployed and seen the worst of the region’s of
ferings, I didn’t think I
would ever want to look into such news sources. That being said
, I can only comment
on the information in the text.
“Al Jazeera’s success as a broadcast operation surprised
most industry
observers. Apart from creating a radical opening for democratic
debatein the Arab world
–
something which was praised by the U.S. government in the net
work’s early years – it
had lessons for broadcasters in other parts of the developing wo
rld.” (Owen & Purdey,
2009)

4. Inspiring the idea of creating a 24-hour news network f
or its own people in the
African continent and the text’s claim of the agency making “ag
gressive” efforts to show
and harness feelings of public “powerlessness,” perhaps the new
s agency deserves
another look.
“They clearly portray themselves as serving the interest
s of their viewers, not
advertisers or politicians.” (Owen & Purdey, 2009) This is an id
eal I can get behind, as
my personal ambitions are to serve the consumer and not the cor
porate string pullers
who ensure my paycheck does not bounce. So again, I find myse
lf generating interest
in the broadcast company based on these claims.
The text also claims that Al Jazeera focuses on the voici
ng for the weak and
their “notable” coverage of the third-world has been something
U.S. satellite companies
have not let in. American corporate politics are in the way of th
e freedom of information
around the globe.
Considering that some of the world’s greatest tragedies
are in progress on the
African, South American, and Asian continents; my eyes have b
een opened to realizing
how much western broadcast companies ignore these events. Rar
ely covered are the
famines, spread of diseases (except for those threatening U.S. s
hores), genocides, and
civil wars. American news outlets focus on American-relevant i
ssues only.

5. Not that there is anything wrong with catering to your a
udience, but the two-way,
open-ended discussion Al Jazeera appears to promote warrants a
closer look.
Resources:
Owen, J. & Purdey, H. (Eds.). (2009).
International news reporting: Frontlines and
deadlines. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Dangers and Benefits of 24/7
TV News Coverage
Tamika
Mahome
s
5/12/201
6
7:01:43
PM
Around the clock journalism provides an opportunity for news t
o reach the busy person

6. of today. In today’s society, many people have jobs that call the
m away from watching
the news at peak times. In having a 24-hour news broadcast, one
can get the updated
information on a story at any given time. The advantage in havi
ng news aired in such a
manner is that people are less likely to miss the news as they ca
n quickly know what is
going on at all times. With the expansion of technology, many p
eople are even able to
take this live coverage with them on the go. Having 24-hour ne
ws is a significant benefit
as if there is a breaking story taking place, such as the 9-11 atta
cks, a person does not
have the limit of sitting in front of their television to get update
s, but rather can access it
anytime on a mobile device.
Having coverage at all times requires much creativity which can
also lead to barriers.
According to Nick Pollard: “It’s clear that all organizations that
want to be major players
in news will have to offer their products through a whole range
out outlets – and most
already do. "This means having – for the moment –
networked programmed, a rolling
news service, a strong internet presence (a news website), plus a
section for streamed
channels and news items to a set-top box, headlines, and clips s
ent to mobile phones,
and probably a radio service as well” (Owen & Purdey, 2008, pg
. 125). Pollard explains
that many around the clock news services need this variety of pr
oducts. Having a lack
of technological opportunities may be a disadvantage, as being l
imited in any of these

7. areas can lead to an absence of viewer support. Another signific
ant drawback is that
news can become dull if a reporter does not keep it interesting.
Reporting things
internationally around the clock can lead to a lot of repetitive in
formation. This
information must be presented in an engaging manner to gain an
d keep the view
attention. As mentioned in Pollards text…a company must genui
nely put a lot of effort
into coming up with the right approach to stories (Owen & Purd
ey, 2009, pg. 116).
When this method is not thought out and planned, it can cause a
company to suffer.
Creativity in story presentation and details is imperative and ne
cessary.
References:
Owen, J. & Purdey, H. (Eds.). (2009). International news reporti
ng: Frontlines and
Deadlines. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tamika N. Mahomes

8. 24/7 News Jason
Hoekem
a
5/10/201
6
2:42:52
PM
Jason Hoekema
JRN 339
D. Stave
10 May 2016
24/7 News
“The one things that won’t diminish is the public’s hun
ger to know what’s going on in their
world, to absorb well-informed opinion and explanation about it
, and to have their own say in it as
well.” (Owen & Purdey, 2009)
There will always be a demand for news. Civilization it
self depends on the existence of the
social construct that is the media. Even in today’s “Web 2.0” w
orld, information flies as fast as a
mobile device can download it.
Having a continuous feed of information has its advanta
ges. It keeps the public informed
and can break news at a moment’s notice. There is no waiting fo
r the next broadcast or print
edition to hear about a bombing or other international news. Inv
asions such as the launch of
Operation Shock and Awe in 2003 can be streamed into the hom
e of nearly any family on

9. American soil. In a sense, the whole world was there when the
first JDAMs fell on Baghdad as
journalists documented the start of the fall of the Saddam regim
e. History was being learned at the
same instant it was being written.
The constant flow of information on an international sca
le does come with its drawbacks.
Many argue that good journalism has been replaced by a rat race
and ratings. “Rolling news is a
ferociously competitive business…” (Owen & Purdey, 2009) Br
eaking news is rarely accurate and
is often filed with misinformation or distorted numbers. Tragic
events happen on a near daily basis,
and the preliminary information is often inaccurate and inflame
d by the chaos unfolding at the
scene. Shootings are often reported with higher than accurate nu
mbers, misleading the consumers
of the information being published. Some would argue that there
is just no time for good journalism
when your deadline is always minutes away.
One other issue I would like to touch on concerning the
“live” report. “One strong argument
against this reliance on ‘liveness’ is that it prevents reporters fr
om getting on with real journalism.”
(Owen & Purdey, 2009) This is especially true with local televis
ion reporters. They are often
tethered to the leash that is their microphone cable (or wireless
reach). They must quickly find new
facts and information to present in the next live broadcast. This
takes away from finding truths and
other information newspaper writers have the time to collect, di
gest, and disseminate in a
well-written piece. Most television reports are short and shallo
w when compared to the printed
counterparts in the “dead tree” media.
Resources:

10. Owen, J. & Purdey, H. (Eds.). (2009).
International news reporting: Frontlines and deadlines
. Malden,
MA: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.