Al Jazeera Phenomenon

Few phenomena in the Arab world are probably more curious and more controversial than Al Jazeera Satellite Channel. In spite of its relatively short history, this Qatar-based news network seems to have left an indelible mark in the Arab world and changed the face of the otherwise parochial Arab media - although in the West, it is largely perceived as a channel that is set on countering Western ideologies. Edited by the reputed scholar Mohamed Zayani, this collection of essays provides a unique insight into and a critical analysis of a media phenomenon that still defies understanding. This long-overdue study, which brings together diverse but complementary perspectives of media scholars from the Arab world, the United States and Europe, assesses the role Al Jazeera has been playing in the shaping of ideas and the reconstructing of Arab identities during a crucial juncture in Middle Eastern history and politics. The book sheds light on various aspects of the network, including its politics, its agenda, its programs, its coverage of regional crises, and its treatment of the West, in an attempt to gauge its impact on ordinary Arab viewers, understand its effect on an increasingly pronounced Arab public sphere, and map out the role it plays in regional Arab politics.