>Al Jazeera, the pan-Arab satellite news network, showed global media how to cover a people’s uprising—by getting right into the thick of things and keeping the cameras running, both witnessing and propelling events. Perched on a telephone booth in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on January 31, the TV in the photo above was one of many positioned so that the crowds could keep tabs on Al Jazeera’s nonstop coverage of the events, primarily the protest itself, that eventually toppled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Al Jazeera’s correspondents, like other foreign media, faced police harassment and worse as Mubarak’s forces attempted, unsuccessfully, to shut down reports that were usurping state media propaganda. Watching Al Jazeera in the moments following Mubarak’s resignation was riveting TV: the correspondents stepped aside and let the roar of the jubilant throngs tell the story. It’s a pity that at press time no major US cable system was carrying Al Jazeera or Al Jazeera English’s signal; most of us here can only watch their reports via online streaming. And there is reason to continue watching: its raw, straightforward reporting will continue to reverberate in Egypt and through other Arab countries. Stephen Franklin addresses the promise and the challenge faced by reporters in the region in his essay in the March/April issue of CJR.
Opening Shot — February 23, 2011 04:05 PM
Opening Shot
Al Jazeera showed global media how to cover an uprising
By The Editors
Subscribe to the Columbia Journalism Review at our special Web rates.
—advertisement—
Desks
The Audit Business
- Audit Notes: pyramid people, Disney and ABC, no USA Today paywall Roddy Boyd digs into a diet-shake pyramid scheme
- Hot air Rises Above on CNBC An anchor pins a minor dip in stocks on the TV appearance of a minor politician
The Observatory Science
- Dull news from Doha UN climate summit a ho-hum affair for the press
- Highway to the danger zone Following Sandy, HuffPo and NYT dig into the folly of coastal development
Campaign Desk Politics & Policy
- NBC News sets good example for Medicare reporting People perspective leads to clear explanation of impact of proposed changes
- In Pennsylvania, a niche site with wide reach PoliticsPA drives political conversation in Keystone State
Behind the News The Media
Blog
The Kicker last updated: Fri 3:00 PM
- Must-reads of the week
- The media news cycle is bananas
- Pass the #popcorn
- Must-reads of the week
- Tom Rosenstiel leaving Pew
The Future of Media
News Startups Guide last updated: Thu 10:24 AM
- TRVL A free iPad travel magazine
- TheDigitel A small chain of local news sites/ aggregators in South Carolina