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srael was unable to open an embassy there. Above all, channels, catapulted Al Jazeera from a controversial e saw the opportunity for Qatar to compete with the — channel to an acclaimed media outlet. Its journalists wealthy pan-Arab Saudi media and to own media that _ paid a high price for their courage: George W. Bush could criticise everyone except himself. stopped short of bombing the studios in Doha, Qatar, but The initial financing package included both a down- __ had Tareq Ayyoub assassinated,’ Tayseer Alouni arrested’ payment from the Frydman brothers and aloan fromthe — and Sami al-Hajj imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay.* Emir of USS150 million over five years. A boycott by the advertisers, organised by Saudi Arabia, and the ensuing The 2005 Reorganisation scantness of advertising revenues finally led to the However, all good things come to an end. In 2004-05, modification of the initial plan. after the death of David Ultimately, the Emir became the Frydman, the Emir decided to channel's donor and hence its . overhaul Al Jazeera completely sponsor. Both professionally and create new channels, 43 including Al Jazeera English, a Exemplary Journalists competent and politically a time when the global marke’ For years, Al Jazeera's audience safe, Khanfar strove was changing and all major was captivated by its internal . states were equipping pluralism. The channel took to give Al Jazeera themselves with news satellite pride in giving free rein to an ideological tinge. channels. The moment had come to leave the excitemen and impudence of the early ave it spring from the debate. period behind in order to ts flagship program—the tal capitalise on an audience now show, hosted by the iconoclastic Faisal al-Qassem, reaching 50 million viewers and to position itself as a entitled The Contrary View—took delight in shaking up player in the globalised world. prejudices. Everyone could find reason to eulogise Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa called on an international certain programs and to deplore others. Regardless, this firm that had already provided him with personal effervescence prevailed over the monolithism of its training in communication skills. JTrack had especially competitors and changed the Arab audiovisual — targeted Arab and Southeast Asian leaders to train them andscape. in the language of Davos: how to project an image that The heroic role of its reporters in Afghanistan and in the West wants to see. From Morocco to Singapore, he 2003 Gulf War, as well as their exemplary work in JTrack has trained most of the political leaders, often contrast to the propaganda of the pro-US satellite | mere hereditary puppets backed by the United States and Israel, turning them into respectable media personalities. ——. The important thing is not whether they have something to say, but their aptness to impart the globalised rhetoric. opposing viewpoints. The idea was not to tell the truth, but to channels, catapulted Al Jazeera from a controversial channel to an acclaimed media outlet. Its journalists paid a high price for their courage: George W. Bush stopped short of bombing the studios in Doha, Qatar, but had Tareq Ayyoub assassinated,’ Tayseer Alouni arrested’ and Sami al-Hajj imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. Both professionally competent and politically safe, Khanfar strove to give Al Jazeera an ideological tinge. sponsor. and Israel, turning them into a respectable media personalities. The important thing is not whether they have something to say, but their aptness to impart the globalised thetoric. However, having been assigned to high government positions in North Africa, the CEO of JTrack had to withdraw before completing the ransformation of the Al Jazeera Group. He handed over the rest of he operations to a former Voice of America journalist who had been working for the Qatari channel for bail several years and who belonged to he same Muslim congregation as he - did: Wadah Khanfar. Both professionally competent and politically safe, Khanfar strove to give Al Jazeera an ideological tinge. > While giving a voice to Egyptian journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, President Gamal Nasser's Wadah Khanfar, former Director General of the Al Jazeera network 12 * NEXUS Wadah Khanfar, former Director General of the Al Jazeera network DECEMBER 2011 - JANUARY 2012 www.nexusmagazine.com