Al Jazeera

We receive several news channels here in London as part of the satellite service available from Sky Television. Sky has their own news show, BBC also offers news, Fox News is the only news show available from the U.S., and the Arab news show, Al Jazeera, is broadcast in English.

This evening I watched two shows on Al Jazeera. One was a debate between an Iraqi college professor and an American statesman on whether or not Iran is interfering in Iraq by training Shiite muslims to fight against those Iraqis who are cooperating with the U.S. The format was very similar to many news discussion shows in the U.S. A moderator asked questions of both parties, and each person defended his position and refuted his opponent's assertions.
The second show was a special feature about the 60th birthday of Israel. A history of that country was presented and hosted by none other than David Frost.

When I watch Al Jazeera, I feel as if I am getting a look into a world that has been closed to me until now. I no longer view the network as just a propaganda tool for the Arab world; rather I see it as a network trying to provide a news and information service to an English speaking audience.
I am certain they have a point of view - just as Fox News has one. It is very interesting, though, to be able to hear what Al Jazeera has to say - along with the other news networks.