I knew I was forgetting to do something, I just thought it was something along the lines of not paying my cable bill or forgetting to feed my fish. I don't have a fish anymore, but that's beside the point.
But the idea I've had stewing in my mind since Thursday has to do with the Powers and el-Nawawy article - how they note that audiences who turn to Al-Jazeera English for their news tend to be less dogmatic in their political views and analyses. What this assumes is a Western audience, particularly one that is American-based. My question is, for an audience in, say, the Middle East, does watching the BBC or CNN in addition or in place of Al-Jazeera make their views less dogmatic? That is, if dogmatism comes from paying attention to media organizations that reinforce one's worldview. While Al-Jazeera is an excellent news organization, like all others one cannot say that no bias nor slant exists.
Getting people to change their viewing patterns is hard, to change opinions even harder. I wouldn't watch Fox News without being compensated a tidy sum, and even if I did I know it would not cause a shift in my opinion. But I may be the atypical news consumer, as the average audience likely doesn't analyze the source of their news and what the organization's aims and biases may be. In my opinion, anyone who buys that Fox News is indeed "fair and balanced" likely doesn't do too much thinking about what they're learning on the news and accepts most things at face value. I realize how arrogant I'm about to sound, but I'm fully aware that NBC, which is my primary news source, has a liberal bias. Which, fulfilling one of Powers and el-Nawawy's theories, goes hand in hand with my liberalism. I follow a news outlet that reinforces my world view, I admit it. But NBC and its affiliates aren't my only sources - I also get my news and analysis from the BBC, the Guardian, the Washington Post, and the Boston Globe, the Economist, and Al-Jazeera English. Before Rupert Murdoch got greedy and decide to put up a paywall on The Times of London, I read it too. Obviously, I don't have time to comb all these sources every day. If I did, I'd never get anything else done. But I diversify where I get my information, and I like to think that I'm not dogmatic in my views. But I acknowledge my biases, and filter my information. I don't take something at face value just because it comes from a source in line with my political views. It's not an easy thing to do, but necessary.
Another thing on my mind is the unavailability of Al-Jazeera English in the United States. I find it absurd that they have a bureau here in DC, but I can't access it with my basic Comcast setup (hmm, maybe I do need to pay the cable bill...). Yet I can get all the Fox News I want. Unfortunately I think if I called Comcast and asked for them to remove Fox News from my available channels and replace it with AJE I'd get laughed off the phone. I'm with what the military analysts making the rounds to news outlets in the Middle East said - there's nothing wrong with exposing people to ideas. Ideas themselves are not dangerous, alternate views are not dangerous. Just because a news organization doesn't constantly laud the United States and its actions seems to be enough for cable and satellite providers to band together to keep it off the air in North America. Censorship, it seems, is alive and well.
Now for that cable bill...
Al Jazeera English is channel 275 on Comcast. Maybe it depends on the cable package you have ...
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to me that foreign audiences become less dogmatic in their views after watching Al Jazeera English. It makes me wonder what would happen to Americans if Al Jazeera English was widely available and accepted in the United States. How would that change the dogma of the Democrats or Republicans? How would our perceptions of the Middle East or other countries change?
It's interesting to note the difference between how Western media covered the earthquake in Haitis versus how it has covered the floods in Pakistan. After the earthquake in Haiti, aid and donations poured in as the media kept a constant focus on the relief efforts. This is perhaps a way that media effected policy. However, floods continue to devastate Pakistan after they began several months ago. Similar issues of destruction and disease are affecting Pakistan as much as Haiti was affected, but hardly any coverage has been given to the relief efforts there.
It seems like devastation as a feature of international reporting would be consistent; however, the framing of Pakistan as a country that allows terrorists to operate within its borders has biased Western audiences against it. The West doesn't feel as much of a responsibility to help Pakistan.
If we all watched Al Jazeera, would our perceptions of Pakistan change? Would we be as willing to help Pakistan as we were to help Haiti?
Allison - whoa, I get it! Comcast is all sneaky, doesn't actually list it as AJE.
ReplyDeleteI also find it to be a very interesting debate and something that definitely needs to be considered for those people that study how we get affected by the news.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of the fact that during the Iranian election a lot of people that were supporters of the opposition did link to the President's website only to criticize it. That also shows that people use the opposite side of their own view to reinforce their believes.
This is very interesting and its consequence should definitely be looked into.
Diversifying news sources is always good to broaden views and increase exposure. which I think helps forming solid understanding of the incidence or the news. But I think there is always a source that a person would find the most reliable or credible that speaks for one's self. This trust would come with time that this source compliments and touches one's reality. Unconsciously it becomes the trusted source of news despite the diversification of other news sources. In Middle East, the most popular news sources are Aljazeera, Alarabiya and Abu Dhabi. Interestingly although Abu Dhabi is a state base source, it has wide credibility among viewers in Arab countries. Even in Saudi, I notice people watch Abu Dhabi news. I think this stems from the Emirati transparent public policies and media industries.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that the power of Al Jazeera will give rise to other international news corporations? I think that for recently starting new organizations, Al Jazeera should be an inspiration of how to compete against CNN and BBC. I think an African nation needs to get its voice out and produce its own international news network.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Comcast is notorious for having the worst customer service. There was actually a book pretty much written about it. So, if you have a complaint about them, you shouldn't expect much of a response.