Dubai Forums Dubai Discussions Dubai Politics Talk Philosophy and Religion Forums

Actually I thought the coverage onm Sky was very good, and covered pretty much all sides. They had reporters based in both Lebanon and Israel and came live from both locations throughout the day with what was happening in each territory. They seemed to be making a conscious effort to keep and even opinion on everything, which was more than some channels did.

With regard to Al Jazeera, no other network anywhere in the world broadcasts the tapes of beheadings and the like, like they do. I see them as encouraging people, and they certainly portray a biased opinion. If they didn't broadcast such things and allow them onto their website, then these people would have less of an outlet for their actions. They have received many complaints for this in recent times, and it's certainly not in the public interest to show such things.

Repeat post - sorry.

Choco who r u kidding when u said "Sky was very good, and covered pretty much all sides"!!! Are you kidding me!!!!

Even one of ur English MP's had a go at Sky news a week ago cuz they are not objective at all!!

Sky news is like Fox News!! They are 2 faces of the same coin!!!!!!

I've never watched Sky, but a British friend of mine once told me it is also pretty much like Fox.

Chocoholic wrote:Actually I thought the coverage onm Sky was very good, and covered pretty much all sides. They had reporters based in both Lebanon and Israel and came live from both locations throughout the day with what was happening in each territory. They seemed to be making a conscious effort to keep and even opinion on everything, which was more than some channels did.

With regard to Al Jazeera, no other network anywhere in the world broadcasts the tapes of beheadings and the like, like they do. I see them as encouraging people, and they certainly portray a biased opinion. If they didn't broadcast such things and allow them onto their website, then these people would have less of an outlet for their actions. They have received many complaints for this in recent times, and it's certainly not in the public interest to show such things.

totally agree with you Chocs.

This is why they play video's on behalf of Al Quada, Al Jazeera is just an outlet and an advetisment for terrorists.

Stangely enough these sort of acts dont create the same amount as passion when televised as i have seen on here over the last few weeks.

Also interesting to note i dont see any passion shown whatsoever to the daily killings of innocent people in Iraq or other muslims being slaughtered in other parts of the globe.

Everyone likes to hate the Israelis, but no one seems to hate any Arab that kills another Arab or Muslim killing or slaughtering another.

Strange

Well I'm entitled to my opinion and I thought it wasn't bad. At least they had reporters in both territories! Unlike many networks that just relied on what they were being fed.

And Fox and Sky are similar because dun dun dun Sky is owned by Rupert Murdoch! But it's not s biased as Fox.

Ok, I really am blind. I still don't see anything on Al Jazeera about the toy bombs .

First, Al Jazeera has NEVER showed beheadings on air.

Al Jazeera is known for its impartiality and for their coverage of uncomfortable truths and news items that other networks don't dare touch.

I personally am not a big fan of Al Jazeera. But I am happy that the war has ended. Inshalla everyone in Lebanon is ok and will be able to start over...again. Im looking forward to going to visit my family, inshalla they are all right as well, havent been able to contact them for two weeks now

freza wrote:First, Al Jazeera has NEVER showed beheadings on air.

Al Jazeera is known for its impartiality and for their coverage of uncomfortable truths and news items that other networks don't dare touch.

No, you can just download the whole gory things from their website. It's well known, where do you think the other news channels get their imageries of hostages from? Supplied by - you guessed it - Al Jazeera.

WRONG! Al Jazeera has not shown beheadings on their website either!

While it's true that Al Jazeera has received in the past these types of videos, they don't air the full tapes. Al Qaeda have their own (temporary) websites in which the videos have been easily accessible to anyone.

I have to say that I do think Sky's reporting was balanced as well - just last night the presenter was interviewing an Israeli military spokesman and gave him a really hard time - asking uncomfortable questions and at one point saying something like "you are just telling us political ideology, we asked you here to comment on military matters.. now did you or did you not achieve the military aims.." and

"that's all good and well, but it is very clear that the destruction was caused by Israel airforce bombing (after the IDF guy said it was all Hizbollah's fault)"

at the end of the interview asked something like:

"Hizbollah have said they will help reconstruct the 15,000 houses destroyed, will Israel also help with this", the IDF guy didn't answer but effectively complained that there was media bias and no one was reporting about the Israeli houses and people - who would help them.

The interview ended with a sarcastic commment from the presenter: "We'll leave that question hanging then"


Also interesting to hear Bush say that it was Hizbollah that lost the war!


As for Al Jazeerah - there appears to be a concerted effort to discredit the channel and brand it as a supporter of terrorism. However, this is propaganda according to respected BBC journalists who have gone to work for al Jazeera (I can't personally comment, as I don't yet understand Arabic - and I take it that perhaps those commenting on Al Jazeera are basing their comments on third party reports rather than actually watching the reports on AJ)

As for hosting videos on beheadings... if what was said above is true - that they did not broadcast them but linked/hosted the videos, then I can't really see what the fuss is about. The BBC etc all reported that the videos were available and on the web - they were not put there by Al Jazeera but available on other web sites (i.e. even if AJ hosted the video instead of linking to them, they appeared on other web sites - there are many such web sites showing attacks on troops etc in Iraq.. sites which people complain are propaganda for Al Qaeda).

As far as I have seen Al Jazeera has broadcast videos that do have a public interest value - the videos of Zaharawi and BinLaden give us their view. Remember that the BBC etc all broadcast the videos/interviews of Sinn Fein/IRA etc during the troubles.

Therefore I think it harsh to criticise Al Jazeera for broadcasting Al Qaeda's video messages (when the BBC etc all quote these when they come out) and for linking to videos that are available on the web and similarly reported on other media channels.


I feel I'm sitting on the fence on this post.. supporting both Sky and Al Jazeera!

(PS Rageh Omar and David Frost now work for Al Jazeera)

Cheers,
Shafique

freza wrote:WRONG! Al Jazeera has not shown beheadings on their website either!

While it's true that Al Jazeera has received in the past these types of videos, they don't air the full tapes. Al Qaeda have their own (temporary) websites in which the videos have been easily accessible to anyone.

They still link to those sites! Which in my view is an advocation of what these groups are trying to do. So it makes them just as bad.
You won't change my opinion of the channel!

Great post Shaf.

Sky have got some pretty ballsy reporters. And good to see them giving people a hard time. It can be very difficult for journalists to stick to a non-bias position, but sometimes a little sway one way of another can really up the anti on the people they're interviewing as they don't expect it.

Good stuff.

Chocs, glad you approve of the post on Sky. (Certainly a marked contrast vs Fox)

Re Al Jazeera:

Chocoholic wrote:They still link to those sites! Which in my view is an advocation of what these groups are trying to do. So it makes them just as bad.
You won't change my opinion of the channel!

You are entitled to your opinion, of course, but I think this is harsh to say a news channel is condoning beheading when it links to videos on the internet. The BBC etc all reported that the videos were posted on the net and even named the web sites.

I would not condemn the BBC for doing so.

The BBC regularly has links to external sites which are related to the news items.

Therefore, I find it a little hard to comprehend what the accusation of unfair bias of Al Jazeera is based on? Surely not just on providing links to external sites?

There is certainly a media bias (in terms of coverage - what gets to the screen) when it comes to reporting of the Israeli/Palestine attacks in the news I could watch in the UK.

Every suicide bombing in Israel is shown within hours of it happening, sometimes within minutes. How many times have we seen smouldering wrecks in the background and ambulances and paramedics milling around?

Contrast this with the number of times we have seen the aftermath of a rocket attack in Gaza that killed Palestinian civilians and children. Contrast this with when we have seen the bulldozing of the house of the parents of a suicide bomber and the destruction of fruit orchards belonging to the family. We tend to 'hear' about these after the events and occasionally see photos and footage long after it has taken place.

Al Jazeera and similar channels have sought to re-dress this balance and show the news from the Arab side of the conflicts - a more dangerous place to be as their journalists, infrastructure have been seen as military targets by the US.

The bias in the Palestinian reporting is one imposed by the Israelis - they make it unsafe to be in Gaza etc when the offensives are going on, or they impose a media blackout - like when they went into Jenin and committed crimes against Humanity (according to Human Rights Watch etc).

(Come to think of it... I think I'll send my cv off to Al Jazeerah.. )

Chocoholic wrote:

freza wrote:WRONG! Al Jazeera has not shown beheadings on their website either!

While it's true that Al Jazeera has received in the past these types of videos, they don't air the full tapes. Al Qaeda have their own (temporary) websites in which the videos have been easily accessible to anyone.

They still link to those sites! Which in my view is an advocation of what these groups are trying to do. So it makes them just as bad.
You won't change my opinion of the channel!

Choco....Wrong again, Aljazeera doesnt even link to these sites. It never even showed once an actual beheading, they always were against showing such images. Get your facts right, cuz i am very sure this info was fed to you, and u never actually checked it. This only shows you that not everything that is fed to you should be true!

Well several people I know managed to download such things linked on their site - so I guess they must all be wrong then?!

Interesting fact UAE75 - I've been assuming that they did link to sites showing the beheadings, based on what Freza and Choco posted. But if they did not actually link to these video sites, then they are in the same boat as the BBC etc.

As I said before, i don't understand Arabic so don't watch al-jazeera so can't comment on whether they did link or not - but I am interested in hearing about why Chocs, Kanelli, Arnie etc have written that they do not approve of Al Jazeera - would their opinions change if it transpires that Al Jazeera did not link to these videos and never showed them?

To be fair, the main criticisms of AJ that I have read relate to them broadcasting the videos/audio of Zaharawi and Bin Laden, much to the opposition of the US administration. You'd expect the US administration to object - just like the UK government tried to silence the IRA in the UK. I think that it is only healthy to have freedom of the press and hear what people have to say - and then dismiss them if you don't agree with what they are saying.

Cheers,
Shafique

They are getting better. However there has been outcries over the things the network has carried over the last couple of years, featuring the things we've been talking about!

I even wrote to the heads at Al Jazeera to complain. Believe me I certainly wouldn't have done that if they weren't doing these things.

Chocoholic wrote:Well several people I know managed to download such things linked on their site - so I guess they must all be wrong then?!

Check with your friends again, and you will know the truth, I am positive

I already know. I guarantee you they got the links from the Arabic website! Nuff said, not arguin the point anymore.

shafique wrote:Interesting fact UAE75 - I've been assuming that they did link to sites showing the beheadings, based on what Freza and Choco posted. But if they did not actually link to these video sites, then they are in the same boat as the BBC etc.

As I said before, i don't understand Arabic so don't watch al-jazeera so can't comment on whether they did link or not - but I am interested in hearing about why Chocs, Kanelli, Arnie etc have written that they do not approve of Al Jazeera - would their opinions change if it transpires that Al Jazeera did not link to these videos and never showed them?

To be fair, the main criticisms of AJ that I have read relate to them broadcasting the videos/audio of Zaharawi and Bin Laden, much to the opposition of the US administration. You'd expect the US administration to object - just like the UK government tried to silence the IRA in the UK. I think that it is only healthy to have freedom of the press and hear what people have to say - and then dismiss them if you don't agree with what they are saying.

Cheers,
Shafique

Shafi, you are actually right, Aljazeera got criticized for broadcasting videos for Zahrawi and Bin Laden, and the American and UK governments did pressure Qatar to stop showing such videos, despite them trying to spread there so called "democracy" in the middle east.

I will admit, Aljazeera did piss alot of the arab governments too, and sometimes they did fall in the "bias" trap, just like many news channel. They even got me pissed from time to time, but this is the result of having a channel that expresses different views.

But in general, there objectivity is well respected in the arab community, unlike other channels.

Fair enough Chocs. I've started learning Arabic - but I've got a long way to go... the hope is to be able to watch some of these channels eventually!


As a general point though - sometimes the decision about what to show and not to show is not always clear from a journalistic perspective. For example, the BBC and other British media all broadcast the first few hostage videos of the UK hostage in Iraq (Ken Biggley?). There was some opposition to this and then subsequent videos were not shown.

Similarly, there was an outcry when UK servicemen were captured and shown on TV by Iraqi forces - the media in the UK said this was in contravention of the Geneva conventions and some media channels refused to carry the footage (although the main ones did).

By contrast, Iraqi POW were intially shown and photos of the medical examination of Saddam after capture were prominently broadcast..

I would not think that the likes of Sir David Frost and Rageh Omar would go and work for Al Jazeera if they were as biased as some make out (I'm sure the money is good, but I haven't read anyone saying that these journalists have sold out or are compromising on their journalistic integrity by working for AJ).

cheers,
Shafique

Chocoholic wrote:I already know. I guarantee you they got the links from the Arabic website! Nuff said, not arguin the point anymore.

We can keep going back and forth about who is right and who is wrong, but you are right, enough is said, cuz obviously you have your views and you'd never accept anything else.

shafique wrote:Fair enough Chocs. I've started learning Arabic - but I've got a long way to go... the hope is to be able to watch some of these channels eventually!


As a general point though - sometimes the decision about what to show and not to show is not always clear from a journalistic perspective. For example, the BBC and other British media all broadcast the first few hostage videos of the UK hostage in Iraq (Ken Biggley?). There was some opposition to this and then subsequent videos were not shown.

Similarly, there was an outcry when UK servicemen were captured and shown on TV by Iraqi forces - the media in the UK said this was in contravention of the Geneva conventions and some media channels refused to carry the footage (although the main ones did).

By contrast, Iraqi POW were intially shown and photos of the medical examination of Saddam after capture were prominently broadcast..

I would not think that the likes of Sir David Frost and Rageh Omar would go and work for Al Jazeera if they were as biased as some make out (I'm sure the money is good, but I haven't read anyone saying that these journalists have sold out or are compromising on their journalistic integrity by working for AJ).

cheers,
Shafique

Well Shafi, lets hope when Aljazeera launch their english news channel, it would be as good as the arabic version in order to show the non-arab viewers the other side of the equation.

To be honest Shaf, I was never a fan of David Frost in the first place.

The main reason many of the channels would have pulled the videos of UK hostages would be out of respect for the families, nothing more.

uae75 wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:I already know. I guarantee you they got the links from the Arabic website! Nuff said, not arguin the point anymore.

We can keep going back and forth about who is right and who is wrong, but you are right, enough is said, cuz obviously you have your views and you'd never accept anything else.

uae75, that's not the point at all. If I know I'm wrong then I'll always admit it. But in this case I know that these things have existed and happened, so I'm not going to agree just to make someone else feel better about it.

shafique wrote:As I said before, i don't understand Arabic so don't watch al-jazeera so can't comment on whether they did link or not - but I am interested in hearing about why Chocs, Kanelli, Arnie etc have written that they do not approve of Al Jazeera - would their opinions change if it transpires that Al Jazeera did not link to these videos and never showed them?

www.aljazeera.com is in English.

I think there's a difference between reporting a beheading and showing the actual event. Anyway Al Jazeera is biased because they don't report the toy bomb story ...

Chocoholic wrote:

uae75 wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:I already know. I guarantee you they got the links from the Arabic website! Nuff said, not arguin the point anymore.

We can keep going back and forth about who is right and who is wrong, but you are right, enough is said, cuz obviously you have your views and you'd never accept anything else.

uae75, that's not the point at all. If I know I'm wrong then I'll always admit it. But in this case I know that these things have existed and happened, so I'm not going to agree just to make someone else feel better about it.

If you say so my Choco...its just a friendly discussion, you express your views and I express my views, and none of us has to agree to it. Its the main objective of this debate

Edited by me because I can't be bothered to fight the point.