Getting the point across
Critics of the administration's policy have advised the United States to respond to Al-Jazeera in the same way it would respond to critics at home—by getting out its own message instead of trying to censor the channel. In fact, Al-Jazeera has complained that U.S. officials have been unavailable to present their side of the story to viewers. Hafez al-Mirazi, Al-Jazeera's Washington bureau chief, points out that while he secured an interview with Colin Powell shortly after the September 11 attacks, U.S. officials did not show a keen interest afterward in making further appearances.
But the administration appears to have grasped the channel's importance as a medium to reach millions in the Arab world. The State Department has now assigned at least one official per day to speak with the channel, according to al-Mirazi. He has already interviewed Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East William Burns, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. President Bush is said to be considering an appearance of his own. In addition, U.S. government is considering taking out paid advertisements on the channel.
By putting administration officials on the air, the United States hopes to exploit Al-Jazeera's reach in the Arab world and make its case to the public in a region where anti-American sentiment runs strong. As Al-Jazeera continues to cover the war in Afghanistan—and its effects on civilians—such a policy may become more essential.
Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera staff stand behind their coverage. An anchor at Al-Jazeera argued that his channel is not biased. "Every press conference of every U.S. leader or the Pentagon or the State Department is aired directly live on the channel," he said. "We try to have lots of viewpoints."
soon
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24-12-2001
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