The Case for Al Jazeera
All Americans, not just those in senior governmental positions, could benefit from having the option to watch Al Jazeera English—or at least having the option not to watch it.
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Egyptian president Mubarak closed Al Jazeera’s offices, confiscated our equipment and arrested our journalists. The Egyptian government has removed Al Jazeera from NileSat, the state-owned satellite carrier, delaying our ability to be easily found in Egypt and North Africa. We have reappeared through other carriers, while instructions on how to find us go viral across the internet. Elsewhere, in the U.S., Al Jazeera faces a different kind of blackout, based largely on misinformed views about our content and journalism. Some of the largest American cable and satellite providers have instituted corporate obstacles against Al Jazeera English.
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