The Culture of Al Jazeera: Inside an Arab Media Giant
In the mid 1990s, the emir of Qatar conceived the idea of a satellite channel that would further the progressive image he hoped to establish for his small Arabian/Persian Gulf state. At the same time, a short-lived partnership between the BBC and a Saudi company had left a handful of BBC-trained Arab journalists and broadcasters up for grabs. That was the inception of Al Jazeera-a satellite channel which changed forever the face of Arab broadcasting with its uncensored news and bold talk show...
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In the mid 1990s, the emir of Qatar conceived the idea of a satellite channel that would further the progressive image he hoped to establish for his small Arabian/Persian Gulf state. At the same time, a short-lived partnership between the BBC and a Saudi company had left a handful of BBC-trained Arab journalists and broadcasters up for grabs. That was the inception of Al Jazeera-a satellite channel which changed forever the face of Arab broadcasting with its uncensored news and bold talk show programs. The September 11 attacks on the United States and the war on terrorism vaulted Al Jazeera to international prominence but also turned it into a source of controversy. Despite the controversy-or perhaps in part because of it-in less than a decade the channel has transformed itself from an obscure regional news broadcaster to a multi-channel, multi-lingual, multi-service global enterprise.This book's in-depth look at Al Jazeera examines whether its global success reflects particular organizational strengths. It explores whether Al Jazeera is merely a fad thriving on the thirst for free speech in the Middle East, or a new medium whose success will be sustained by its organizational culture and model. This work delves deep into the culture, workings and challenges of this powerful media organization to provide insights on its achievements, its future, and the true measure of its success.
Acknowledgments VPreface 1Introduction 13An Unconventional Media Player 23Critical Success Factors 35In Search of a Core Capability 43Unraveling the Business Model 50Values and Beliefs 57The Power Game 69The People Organization 86Beyond Money 108The Knowledge Imperative 115Al Jazeera at the Crossroads 132Surviving Change 151Innovation and Expansion 163The Road Ahead 171Chapter Notes 179Bibliography 191Index 201
