Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

english.aljazeera.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 104 posts

Re: Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

#3

Post by dpatru »

hasenj wrote: post #2

Al Jazeera's bureau ALWAYS gets shut down anytime there are breaking news any where. EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera#Attacks_on_and_censo... (keep scrolling down to Controversy)

If this is not true about other news bureaus, this says a lot about Al Jazeera.

Re: Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

#4

Post by srean »

hasenj wrote: post #2

Al Jazeera's bureau ALWAYS gets shut down anytime there are breaking news any where. EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera#Attacks_on_and_censo... (keep scrolling down to Controversy)

For a news organization that can be taken as a complement.

Re: Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

#5

Post by yequalsx »

I guess this is a ringing endorsement of Al Jazeera. It's the network the dictators fear. I can see some people saying they are being shut down because they are supporters of radical Islam but from what I've seen of them this is pure nonsense.

It's nice to have a news network that doesn't suck so bad. It's shocking that this network does better (in my opinion) at news reporting than American news networks given that it comes from a part of the world where free speech isn't a concept rooted in law.

Look for the network the dictators hate. The network that the ruling class denigrates. That's the one more likely to be telling the truth.

Re: Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

#6

Post by iwwr »

srean wrote: post #4
hasenj wrote: post #2

Al Jazeera's bureau ALWAYS gets shut down anytime there are breaking news any where. EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera#Attacks_on_and_censo... (keep scrolling down to Controversy)

For a news organization that can be taken as a complement.

A news organization that isn't causing controversy is probably not doing their job (although controversy alone is not enough).

Truth and controversy are often complementary :)

Re: Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

#7

Post by _b8r0 »

dpatru wrote: post #3
hasenj wrote: post #2

Al Jazeera's bureau ALWAYS gets shut down anytime there are breaking news any where. EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera#Attacks_on_and_censo... (keep scrolling down to Controversy)

If this is not true about other news bureaus, this says a lot about Al Jazeera.

Part of the reason for actions against Al Jazeera are because of where it is and where it focuses on. The BBC and CNN are Western-based media, and they toe the line when it comes to western media principles so dictators know what to expect.

For Al Jazeera, it's based in an Arab state, focuses on the Arab and North African world and many of these countries are either in a state of dictatorship or are relatively unstable. It also adopts what can be described as a mostly pan-arabian world view, much to the chagrin of the west. Therefore it's not surprising that a) given it's location and orientation and b) it's relative youth compared to the BBC, CNN et al and c) it's willingness to go against the grain in various countries, including against the will of the west, that it's attacked.

It's also important to note that while it's based in Qatar, it doesn't tend to provide the same level of criticism in Qatar as it does elsewhere.

Re: Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

#8

Post by [deleted] »

iwwr wrote: post #6
srean wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For a news organization that can be taken as a complement.

A news organization that isn't causing controversy is probably not doing their job (although controversy alone is not enough). Truth and controversy are often complementary :)

[deleted]

Re: Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

#9

Post by dfaasdfasdf »

yequalsx wrote: post #5

I guess this is a ringing endorsement of Al Jazeera. It's the network the dictators fear. I can see some people saying they are being shut down because they are supporters of radical Islam but from what I've seen of them this is pure nonsense. It's nice to have a news network that doesn't suck so bad. It's shocking that this network does better (in my opinion) at news reporting than American news networks given that…

I doubt that Ahmadinejad or Bashar elAssad have anything to fear from al-Jazz. In fact, I'm pretty sure that those two would agree with your glowing assessment of their activities.

President Obama has expressed his disdain for Fox News on several occasions. Wouldn't that make Fox a network that is hated by the ruling class?

Re: Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

#10

Post by tybris »

yequalsx wrote: post #5

I guess this is a ringing endorsement of Al Jazeera. It's the network the dictators fear. I can see some people saying they are being shut down because they are supporters of radical Islam but from what I've seen of them this is pure nonsense. It's nice to have a news network that doesn't suck so bad. It's shocking that this network does better (in my opinion) at news reporting than American news networks given that…

> where free speech isn't a concept rooted in law.

Actually, it all makes sense now. In the West we're used to having free speech as a given right. We don't do much to protect, expand, or enhance it.

Post reply on HN