Comcast Should Say No to Al-Jazeera

[ClydeR]

Al-Jazeera is in discussions with Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator, about bringing the network’s English-language channel to millions of U.S. homes, the Qatar-based news service said Tuesday.

More... (http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/02/al-jazeera-comcast/)


As recently as a few weeks ago, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly labeled Al-Jazeera as “anti-American.” Later on the same program Fox News commentator Monica Crowley called the network a “propaganda outfit for the autocrats who sit on the sands of the Middle East.”

This might come as a surprise to Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who accused the channel of “fomenting unrest.” Or to embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who in a rambling and defiant speech Tuesday said Al-Jazeera was trying to portray Libyans as “bad people … a people of turbans and low beards,” according to one translation.

Al-Jazeera met with Comcast in Philadelphia this week. Watch a debate (http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/the-comcast-al-jazeera-debate-on-fox-29) on Philadelphia's Fox affiliate.

I think that Comcast will lose a lot of subscribers if they take this unAmerican action.

[Ardwen]

last time I checked there was still freedom of the press, no matter how ridiculous or biased that press may be, its not like we dont have tons of ridiculous and biased news outlets already, as long as they arent breaking any other laws they like everyone else have a right to say what they like. Always assuming of course theres some American heading the effort of course, wholly owned foreign companies have totally different rights then american ones.

[Kid Danger]

last time I checked there was still freedom of the press...

Didn't ya hear? We only have that freedom for press that we agree with. Kinda like we have freedom of religion as long as you are not building a mosque where we don't want. Fox News says so.

[Latrinsorm]

I mean, wouldn't the autocrats be sitting in chairs, though? Or at least some kind of blanket? Sitting directly on the sand strikes me as peasant behavior.

[BriarFox]

What uninspired writing. It should have read, "autocrats coiled on the sands of the Middle East."

[Nilandia]

I've been watching Al Jazeera's coverage of the Middle East turmoil and I have to say I've been rather happy with their work. I've seen several Western journalists working for them, including one I recognized as having once worked for the BBC. I've even seen Fox News using their footage or information: http://www.foxnews.com/topics/politics/reporters/al-jazeera.htm

Gretchen