Jazeera, Al-, is a satellite television news channel based in the country of Qatar. It broadcasts in the Arabic language, 24 hours a day, to many nations of the Middle East and to outlying regions. The channel reflects the perspective of its Middle Eastern audience, but it also aims to present all of the sides of a story. The term al-jazeera is Arabic for the island, but it is also used to refer to the Arabian Peninsula.
Al-Jazeera was founded in 1996 and is funded by a grant from the Qatari government. However, the government allows the channel great editorial freedom. Because of this freedom, Al-Jazeera has gained great popularity among the people of the Middle East. Historically, the national governments of Middle Eastern countries have maintained strict control over the media. Al-Jazeera has often angered rulers of these countries by broadcasting controversial political commentaries and by presenting viewpoints opposing government stances on sensitive issues. Many governments have lodged complaints against Al-Jazeera, and some have temporarily closed its bureaus or banned its journalists.
United States officials have complained that Al-Jazeera broadcasts attacks on U.S. policy concerning the Middle East and that its editorial stance fosters anti-American sentiment among its viewers. However, Al-Jazeera provides airtime to American officials in its attempt to present many sides to every situation. In addition, the channel broadcasts live briefings by the U.S. Department of State.
In addition to its news programming, Al-Jazeera specializes in talk shows that air opposing perspectives on controversial topics. The channel has a faithful following among Arabs living in Europe and North America. These people rely on Al-Jazeera for extensive coverage on the Middle East that is not available through other news sources.
Besides its primary news channel, Al-Jazeera operates two sports channels, a children’s channel, an English-language channel, and a channel that broadcasts live events without editing or commentary. In 2013, Al-Jazeera acquired the U.S. cable TV news channel Current TV, which was cofounded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Later that year, Al-Jazeera closed down Current TV and launched a new channel called Al-Jazeera America. Al-Jazeera also offers news coverage on an Arabic-language website (http://www.aljazeera.net) and an English-language website (http://english.aljazeera.net).
