| Junior's Academic Essays - Control
Room, Al Jazeera, and the Public Sphere
†
September 2006
Control Room, Al Jazeera, and The Public
Sphere
Investigating Noujaim’s Control Room
will demonstrate how this documentary promotes the role of the Al
Jazeera network as a means of providing an Arabic public sphere.
By its display of differing world views pertinent to the audience
of Al Jazeera, it will be shown that the film delivers representation
of public sphere for the Arabic world, in regards the network, thereby
serving as a critical source of free debate.
The fledgling Al Jazeera network was born out of
a failed attempt by the British Broadcasting Corporation to form
its own Arabic channel. It has since become the most influential
and transformational broadcaster in the Middle East. Of the network
Mohammed El Oifi says:
“Al Jazeera has helped expose the limits
of (dominant) Saudi media: the tendency to be politically conservative
[…] and the omnipresence of Lebanese journalists to the
detriment of other Arab nationalities.”
As a result the network has brought with it many
Western influences in global media while strengthening the Middle
East region in regards free and public debate. This is expressed
by their guiding principle of “The opinion… and the
other opinion”. Being that opinion and freedom of expression
are central to the concept of public sphere, this culminates into
having a great impact on the region in this regard.
Public sphere is deemed a “space where rights
and responsibilities can be discussed”. It consists of constant
debate of public opinion, the promotion of democracy, and to “investigate
on behalf of the public”. Habermas argues that to contravene
the public sphere is to deliver “control of our information
into the hands of international conglomerates”. Conversely
he suggests that a free market “would be able to respond to
the actual preferences of the public”. The concept of free
and independent press is championed by Western cultures and expectantly
connections with this Western media experience have helped solidify
Al Jazeera’s place in the Arab world.
Hugh Miles comments:
“The anchors look much like they do
in the West. […] Al-Jazeera’s news looks and feels
like any Western news station.”
This is prevalent in Control Room demonstrated visually
, lending itself to suggest the open, free and expressive sense
consistent with the Western media. This further reinforces the sense
of media democratisation via Al Jazeera. It is concerned with free
distribution of information for public consumption, with the least
possible influence from external powerbrokers, and accessibility
to the greatest possible cross section of society.
Distribution and public consumption is made possible
through mass media and thereby journalism. Quoting Kovach and Rosenstiel
(2001) Mark Deuze refers to journalists being active collectors
and disseminators of information, objectivity, autonomy, and ethics.
These ideas reinforce both the notion of democracy and freedom and
circulation of information. Additionally, Zelizer Barbie states:
“Western journalists (through a primarily
U.S. model) set standards of action around values like responsibility,
accuracy, impartiality, balance, objectivity, and truthfulness”.
Control Room demonstrates the Al Jazeera
network’s ability to effectively inform its audience in the
aforementioned manner, while serving as a source of free debate
throughout the documentary.
Ethics are challenged in regards the showing of POWs and war dead
yet empathy is shown by the major parties - the Arab network and
the US military. Attempting to show and understand both sides of
the war in Iraq, Control Room provides objectivity.
Lieutenant Josh Rushing, press officer for Central
Command says: “It’s about the 23 million people of Iraq,
and bringing them freedom.” While the discussion in the coffee
shop is the Arab public opinion being broadcast, concerning the
prospect of war and the impact it will have on the Iraqi people.
In this way, Control Room presents all sides of the story.
Control Room, via another US press officer,
acknowledges the requirements of operational security , which, for
practical purposes on the ground limits the circulation of information.
In regards this, Tom Mintier comments that there “Seems like
there is an effort to manage the news. [...] They buried the lead,
and they’re pretty good at it.” Here professionalism
reflects appreciation of the military situation, though the scenario
represents a hindrance to the notion of free press and therefore
is a frustration for the journalists.
Through diverse circumstances Control Room
is able to show various personalities, providing differing standpoints,
both cultural and professional, thereby establishing their impact
in relation to the Arabic public sphere.
Ibrahim and Rushing discuss the issue of Weapons
of Mass Destruction - the officer arguing the “will”
to use, while the reporter argues the question of “when”.
Even under confusion and hardened rhetoric Control Room
displays Al Jazeera’s willingness to better understand the
parties and their respective views.In showing the Al Jazeera reporter
presenting the views of the Arabic people to Rushing Control
Room denotes the core essence of public sphere. While the popular
opinion is refuted by the military liaison this is a definitive
example of public debate. Further into the piece this is additionally
emphasized when the military press officer declares Saddam as a
threat to the Arabic people, while Abdallah Schleifer clarifies
the Arab perception by making the Israeli and Palestinian comparative
with US forces in Iraq. This creates increased understanding between
the parties.
Furthermore, Iraqi Dissident Abdul Jabbar Al-Kubeisi
questions that, if the information for the news agencies is supplied
by the US military, how can it be anything other than their propaganda?
He considers the alleged capture of a bridge over the Tigris River,
and demonstrates how such information can be interpreted in differing
ways.
Nabeel Khoury of the US State Department remarks
on the openness of Al Jazeera. The network is willing to invite
the US to present their point of view, commenting on their wide
reach. He then uses historical record to show how the media has
subverted the truth in reporting to the Arab people, citing the
Six Day War. Mohammed Jasem, General Manager of Al Jazeera, responds
that such truths are always a point of view, referring in more detail
to the fall of Basra.
David Shuster of MSNBC News remarks of Al Jazeera
reaching many viewers and having become the cause for much debate,
which promotes publicity, even though he says, they lack the tradition
of independent public expression in media.
As such, in a multitude of ways, Control Room
is able to present various perceptions from both cultural and professional
standpoints in regards both the invasion of Iraq and democracy.
This further defines the documentary in regards public sphere on
behalf of the Arabic people.
According to Samir Khader the first role of Al Jazeera
is to “educate the Arab masses” in regards democracy,
in respect of “the other opinion”, and free debate,
“without any taboos”, to “wake people up, give
them an awareness”. This awareness provides the audiences
with a means to be informed and to generate this opinion via unbiased
media. A counter to this is demonstrated when Hassan Ibrahim asks
“Democracy?” as he is viewing the bombing of Iraq. Objectivity
is challenged by cultural suffrage and the dramatic impact of war.
Regards objectivity Joanne Tucker , Manager, Al
Jazeera.net presents an effective standpoint when she says there
were understandable reactions to the display of US dead and POWs,
thereby reflecting empathy. “This is a war and people are
dying,” she says, which also deals with the hard realities
of the circumstances.
Additionally Tucker states that there is a “mirage”
concerning objectivity, implying that, as human beings, confronted
with such horrific conditions we can never be truly objective. Everyone
has an opinion on the war. “If there was no agenda, if there
was true neutrality, there would be a welcoming of any and all information.”
Commenting on the impact of the images of dead US
soldiers, Rushing reflects on the Basra bombing the previous night
admitting to not being so affected though the scenes were “equally
if not more horrifying” of Iraqi killed and injured. He gains
empathy of Al Jazeera personnel and Arabic people as a whole through
an understanding of the culture and also via his reaction when his
own people are captured, wounded, killed and televised.
Control Room effectively comments on the
Al Jazeera network’s capabilities as a tool for Arabic public
sphere by presenting a cross section of cultural and professional
views, broadcasting the hard realities of war, while holding to
a unique, therefore powerful position in Arabic mass media.
Inversely though, as can be shown when Rushing makes comparisons
of Al Jazeera and Fox , presenting the driving issues of nationalism,
these cultural and political conditions provide both motivators
and limitations on the relative benefits of public sphere.
Control Room reminds us it is our cultural
roots that define us, while it makes clear Al Jazeera’s attempts
to follow the principles of effective, objective and ethical displays
of truthful broadcasting. This reinforces the notion of democracy
and freedom of speech. As a result the documentary has clearly fulfilled
its objectives in demonstrating Al Jazeera’s ability to facilitate
the Arabic public sphere, to the larger world.
By Leon T. Harrison for MDIA 102, Victoria University,
Wellington
Bibliography
Barbie, Z. (2004) Taking
Journalism Seriously: News and the Academy Sage Publications:
Thousand Oaks
Deuze, M (2005) ‘What is Journalism? : Professional
identity and ideology of journalists reconsidered’. Journalism
6.4: 442-464
Miles, H. (2005) Al-Jazeera Grove Press: New York
Stevenson, N. (2002) ‘Habermas, Mass Culture
and the Public Sphere’, Understanding Media Culture
Sage Publications: London
Zayani, M. (ed.) (2005) The Al Jazeera Phenomenon
Pluto Press: London
Films
Noujaim, J. (2004) Control Room Storyville
Lectures
Jutel, Dr. T. (2006) Lecturer MDIA102, Victoria
University Wellington
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