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Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

theguardian.com

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Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#521

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a loaded argument that requires citations. Since you're making the claim, can you please link specific articles from the Arabic site that make your point? As well as linking which Arab countries banned it and when? It's easy to just claim something, but it's crucial to back your point up front when it's particularly sensitive so as to not inadvertently spread misinformation. You may be correct, but that's why…

>which Arab countries banned it and when? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1980191.stm https://english.alarabiya.net/media/digital/2017/05/24/Websi... https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/apr/28/al-jazeera-ban... https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-censorship-idUSKBN1...

I hope you actually read those articles, because 2 of them are saying Al Jazeera is biased towards Israel - hence why the ban, and not what you are trying to prove.

Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#522

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why would you allow that to continue in your country? We have a constitution that protects our rights, and among them a right to make up our minds on the basis of an uncensored discourse. That's the other, implicit half of the first amendment: the right to listen to what others want to tell you.

The U.S. Constitution provides rights for citizens to have free speech — not non-citizens. And in fact, the U.S. does not allow broadcast companies (along with various others, e.g. common carrier and aeronautical radio companies) to be more than 25% owned by foreign entities unless the FCC specifically approves them: https://www.fcc.gov/general/foreign-ownership-rules-and-poli... And for 60+ years the cap was 20%, an…

Free speech in the US is not limited to citizens. The first amendment reads “Congress shall make no law”. It doesn’t say anything about citizens. That’s a complete misunderstanding of the first amendment.

Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#523

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why would you allow that to continue in your country? We have a constitution that protects our rights, and among them a right to make up our minds on the basis of an uncensored discourse. That's the other, implicit half of the first amendment: the right to listen to what others want to tell you.

This is fine but you have to realise that war isn’t just about bombs. It’s about information too. An information war. In order to make up your mind correctly you need to be feed accurate information. Al Jazeera making up causality figures in real-time isn’t how you make up your mind.

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Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#524

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On what basis in Al Jazeera a fake news outlet?

As someone who was only familiar with Al Jazeera's English reporting (and thought it was pretty good), it was eye opening to check out their Arabic website translated into a language I speak. Maybe Google Translate was erasing some nuance, but I saw a huge number of controversial, disputed, or downright false claims that were reported uncritically as facts.

When did Israel make controversial, disputed or downright false claims illegal?

The current prime minister and the IDF make controversial, disputed and downright false claims as well.

Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#525

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why would you allow that to continue in your country? We have a constitution that protects our rights, and among them a right to make up our minds on the basis of an uncensored discourse. That's the other, implicit half of the first amendment: the right to listen to what others want to tell you.

The U.S. Constitution provides rights for citizens to have free speech — not non-citizens. And in fact, the U.S. does not allow broadcast companies (along with various others, e.g. common carrier and aeronautical radio companies) to be more than 25% owned by foreign entities unless the FCC specifically approves them: https://www.fcc.gov/general/foreign-ownership-rules-and-poli... And for 60+ years the cap was 20%, an…

> The U.S. Constitution provides rights for citizens to have free speech — not non-citizens.

This is basically untrue. At times, the court has applied different standards to speech by residents, but this does not mean that they would allow the government to apply any kind of limit on their speech, or indeed, more than very narrow ones.

In addition, the first amendment also covers the right to receive information.

Foreign ownership rules are not the same thing as the EU banning RT through legal means, or Israel shutting down Al-Jazeera and instituting internet blocks. You will notice that RT is not blocked in the US, nor is any other foreign media company.

Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#526

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why would you allow that to continue in your country? We have a constitution that protects our rights, and among them a right to make up our minds on the basis of an uncensored discourse. That's the other, implicit half of the first amendment: the right to listen to what others want to tell you.

This is fine but you have to realise that war isn’t just about bombs. It’s about information too. An information war. In order to make up your mind correctly you need to be feed accurate information. Al Jazeera making up causality figures in real-time isn’t how you make up your mind.

> In order to make up your mind correctly you need to be feed accurate information.

Haha. And we're going to let the government decide what is "correct" and "accurate"?

Letting whoever is currently in power control what information the electorate has access to is one of the single biggest threats to democracy.

> Al Jazeera making up causality figures in real-time isn’t how you make up your mind.

The correct response is pointing out that their numbers are made up. In a working democracy you get people to see truth through public discourse, not censorship.

Don't make a deal with the devil just to shut up the neighbor's annoying dog.

Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#527
post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are no direct examples I could find. Do you have a direct link?

https://www.aljazeera.net/news/2024/5/3/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3%D... "Russia is ready to discuss serious peace proposals, and Zelensky is rushing British weapons " Just a minute of searching directly.

This is about Russia not Hamas or what OP has been asked to link and thanks for the condescending tone.

Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#528

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On what basis in Al Jazeera a fake news outlet?

At the risk of being downvoted as the parent comment. There were many reports in Israeli media showing their reporters framing a false narrative around the conflict. To be fair, I think that blocking etc. is a dumb move by the government. Even though they are clearly a very biased organization the damage of closing their offices is probably worse than the alternative. The fear mongering of the top parent comment is u…

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Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#529
post #176

Just a point about Al Jazeera that is worth mentioning. There are two Al Jazeeras. One which is presented to Western audiences and one which is presented to Middle-Eastern audiences. The media and articles are politically aligned in each region. Don't assume what you read in the US/UK/wherever is the same as over there. In the case of Israel, the Middle-Eastern unit were literally showing videos demanding further upr…

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Please make your substantive points without breaking the site guidelines.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Israel shuts down local Al Jazeera offices

#530

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is fine but you have to realise that war isn’t just about bombs. It’s about information too. An information war. In order to make up your mind correctly you need to be feed accurate information. Al Jazeera making up causality figures in real-time isn’t how you make up your mind.

> In order to make up your mind correctly you need to be feed accurate information. Haha. And we're going to let the government decide what is "correct" and "accurate"? Letting whoever is currently in power control what information the electorate has access to is one of the single biggest threats to democracy. > Al Jazeera making up causality figures in real-time isn’t how you make up your mind. The correct response…

> In a working democracy you get people to see truth through public discourse, not censorship.

in an idealistic world, this is true.

Unfortunately, it is also empirically true that, at least in the USA, the majority of the voting population has become a bit dumb, and does not personally try to verify these things they see or hear on the news.

Civic duty in democracy includes this sort of scrutiny, but sadly this level of critical thinking has been in decline in recent decades.

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