10 ms·

Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau

244 points by borism 16y ago

hasenj 16y ago
Al Jazeera's bureau ALWAYS gets shut down anytime there are breaking news any where. EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera#Attacks_on_and_censorship_of_Al_Jazeera http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera#Attacks_on_and_censo... (keep scrolling down to Controversy)
- dpatru 16y ago
  If this is not true about other news bureaus, this says a lot about Al Jazeera.
  - iuguy 16y ago
    Part of the reason for actions against Al Jazeera are because of where it is and where it focuses on. The BBC and CNN are Western-based media, and they toe the line when it comes to western media principles so dictators know what to expect. For Al Jazeera, it's based in an Arab state, focuses on the Arab and North African world and many of these countries are either in a state of dictatorship or are relatively unstable. It also adopts what can be described as a mostly pan-arabian world view, much to the chagrin of the west. Therefore it's not surprising that a) given it's location and orientation and b) it's relative youth compared to the BBC, CNN et al and c) it's willingness to go against the grain in various countries, including against the will of the west, that it's attacked. It's also important to note that while it's based in Qatar, it doesn't tend to provide the same level of criticism in Qatar as it does elsewhere.
    - iuguy 16y ago
      Actually just to be clear and to make sure I don't sound like an ignorant European with some sort of MSM superiority complex, the British media is also pretty bad. The BBC is not exactly completely impartial - compare coverage of the BP oil spill on the BBC to CNN and you'll see some obvious differences. In the UK we get BBC News, Sky News (owned by the same guy that owns Fox, and just as fair and balanced), Russia Today (which is hilarious to watch sometimes because of the blatant pro-russian bias) and Al-Jazeera, as well as some minor news programmes on other channels. All of them have their own bias to at least some extent, some greater, some worse. The trick is spotting where the bias lies and compensating for it. It's even worse with newspapers here in the UK - have a look at http://tabloid-watch.blogspot.com/ http://tabloid-watch.blogspot.com/ Of course, the most transparent newspaper in the UK appears to be the Daily Sport. They don't really care about news, just sport and topless women. (http://www.sundaysport.com/ http://www.sundaysport.com/ - warning, NSFW)
- srean 16y ago
  For a news organization that can be taken as a complement.
  - iwwr 16y ago
    A news organization that isn't causing controversy is probably not doing their job (although controversy alone is not enough). Truth and controversy are often complementary :)
    - deleted 16y ago
      [deleted]
yequalsx 16y ago
I guess this is a ringing endorsement of Al Jazeera. It's the network the dictators fear. I can see some people saying they are being shut down because they are supporters of radical Islam but from what I've seen of them this is pure nonsense. It's nice to have a news network that doesn't suck so bad. It's shocking that this network does better (in my opinion) at news reporting than American news networks given that it comes from a part of the world where free speech isn't a concept rooted in law. Look for the network the dictators hate. The network that the ruling class denigrates. That's the one more likely to be telling the truth.
- dfaasdfasdf 16y ago
  I doubt that Ahmadinejad or Bashar elAssad have anything to fear from al-Jazz. In fact, I'm pretty sure that those two would agree with your glowing assessment of their activities. President Obama has expressed his disdain for Fox News on several occasions. Wouldn't that make Fox a network that is hated by the ruling class?
  - hasenj 16y ago
    Fox is a Republican outlet. Al-Jazeera does indeed endorse certain "causes", if that's what you're hinting at. Usually that cause is the freedom of the people. They don't support the governments of Syria or Iran nor run any of their propaganda. They regularly interview opposition figures.
    - dfaasdfasdf 16y ago
      Have you seen any criticism of the Iran or Syrian regimes on al-J? Have you seen any criticism of Hamas or Hezbollah? Are these guys really beyond reproach?
      - hasenj 16y ago
        > Have you seen any criticism of the Iran or Syrian regimes on al-J? Have you seen any criticism of Hamas or Hezbollah? All the time. > Are these guys really beyond reproach? What? Have you seen anything of Al Jazeera? probably not. Now, does any western media channel regularly host speakers from Hamas? I doubt it. Al-Jazeera always interviews people from the Israeli side (and they get a lot of heat for it).
JonnieCache 16y ago
Just so you know, aj jazeera is still broadcasting live from cairo. The egyptian authorities have revoked their license, but they are still carrying on regardless just as they have in previous days. I think the title should be changed, they have not in any real sense been "shut down."
- corin_ 16y ago
  It reads that the bureau has been shut down, not their activities. They are still doing their coverage, but: - They have been kicked out of their Cairo office [1] [2] - Their "tv uplink" has been shut down [3] - Their correspondants in Egypt are no longer being named when reporting on air "for their safety" [1] http://twitter.com/nolanjazeera/status/31681013461557248 http://twitter.com/nolanjazeera/status/31681013461557248 [2] http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/2011130164532649572.html http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/2011130... [3] http://twitter.com/nolanjazeera/status/31755344522772481 http://twitter.com/nolanjazeera/status/31755344522772481
  - JonnieCache 16y ago
    I am watching it right now and they are showing a live feed of Tahir square, Cairo. Maybe their studio there is down and they're feeding from a lone camera on the ground, straight back to their studios elsewhere in the world. EDIT: This does in fact seem to be the case.
mixmax 16y ago
Around a month ago a good journalist friend of mine was taken prisoner in Algiers because of his reporting. After a few days of heavy pressure from the embassy he was released unharmed. A lot of friends were worried and continually asked if he was OK and whether his profession was really worth it. I congratulated him on his new status as a real grown-up journalist, whose reporting was so good that he scared regimes enough that they would want to imprison him. This is the same - Al jazeera is doing such a good job that they're a threat to the Egyptian regime. They do what journalists are supposed to be doing but often aren't. They should be congratulated for that.
- phlux 16y ago
  Wouldn't it be interesting if someone like Keith Olberman went to Al Jazeera.
  - pmorici 16y ago
    Why? Keith Olberman isn't a journalist by most objective measures, he's a partisan talking head.
    - phlux 16y ago
      My point was more; "Wouldn't it be interesting if [big, well recognized american media personality] went to Al Jazeera"
      - dantheman 16y ago
        It'd be bad because I want the news, I don't care who is giving it to me as long as its accurate and up to date. In fact I think media personalities are bad for the news.
      - rajbot 16y ago
        David Frost, while not American, has had a show on Al Jazeera English since 2006: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/frostovertheworld/ http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/frostovertheworld/
ck2 16y ago
While this is a really bad sign, another really bad sign is they are flying F-16s low over civilian crowds right now, for no other reason than to intimidate them. Just saw it on CBS and it's pretty freaky and scary. I'm starting to think this is going to end really really badly. Are democratic revolutions even possible anymore today, given the technology and sheer firepower the small number in power can wield against the masses (which ironically the USA sells them).
- btilly 16y ago
  How quickly we forget. Tunisia, earlier this month. In fact that example was the impetus behind the Egyptian protest movement. If (as seems likely at this point) Egypt falls, expect to see several other governments fall as well. This is as momentous a time for the Middle East as the fall of the Iron Curtain was for Eastern Europe. (Incidentally said fall gives several more examples of how military might doesn't prevent democratic revolutions.)
  - drags 16y ago
    Not to be too pedantic, but the Eastern European "refolutions" were made possible because a) the Soviet Union and b) local Communist governments simultaneously made the decision not to use force. Those decisions (and their publicity) were a necessary condition; it's what made the difference between 1956, 1968 and 1980 on the one hand, and 1989 on the other. It will be a long and dark road for Egypt if Mubarak can successfully order the military to slaughter the protesting masses. The revolution will fail, both the government and the opposition will lose credibility in the eyes of the people and it will be years or decades of strict martial law.
    - btilly 16y ago
      Military might does not prevent the possibility of democratic revolution. However many pre-conditions are necessary before democratic revolution can happen. For instance the military response to 1980's events in Poland were much less nasty than the earlier examples because of the economic trouble Poland was in, and its dependence on loans from Western banks. The economic fallout from the regime's attempts to navigate their way through conflicting demands helped set the stage for the events of 1989. Without that backdrop, 1989 would have turned out very differently. No matter how much the people wanted otherwise. As for Mubarak, I'd be willing to bet money that it is too late for him. Yes, the army can crack down. But the public images from any attempt to do so will make it unpalatable for Western companies to do business with Egypt for a long enough period of time to recreate his problems.
swaits 16y ago
Is this Hacker News?
- felixhummel 16y ago
  I would think so since censorship is a topic that "gratifies one's intellectual curiosity".
  - swaits 16y ago
    Fair enough.
- DrJokepu 16y ago
  Yes. On Hacker News, we discuss subjects that people who like startups and hacking find interesting. That's not solely hacking, programming, IT or startups, there are a lot of things that young, educated people like to talk about, and major political events are one of them.
netmau5 16y ago
This is a very sad day for objective journalism. My family is from Iran and I've spent plenty of time watching it over satellite. I liken them to CNN in the 90s before they too started getting politically charged. I'm angry that Al Jazeera has such a bad rap in the states, but frankly, I think we'd believe Nickelodeon was evil too if Fox News caught them broadcasting a single frame with both Bin Laden and their network emblem.
luke_s 16y ago
According to the Al Jazeera live blog for today 6 of their journalists have just been arrested in Cairo! Since the liveblog is always updating the relevant posts are: 2:40pm: Our correspondent tweets: Unsure if arrested or about to be deported. 6 of us held at army checkpoint outside Hilton hotel. Equipment seized too. #Egypt 2:11pm BREAKING NEWS: Six Al Jazeera journalists arrested in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. Our correspondent there just tweeted this: 4 soldiers entered room took our camera. Wr ae under military arrest #Egypt #jan25 From: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/01/30/live-blog-311-egypt-protests http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/01/30/live-blog-...

244 points by borism 16y ago

Al Jazeera's bureau ALWAYS gets shut down anytime there are breaking news any where. EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera#Attacks_on_and_censorship_of_Al_Jazeera http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera#Attacks_on_and_censo... (keep scrolling down to Controversy)

dpatru 16y ago
If this is not true about other news bureaus, this says a lot about Al Jazeera.
- iuguy 16y ago
  Part of the reason for actions against Al Jazeera are because of where it is and where it focuses on. The BBC and CNN are Western-based media, and they toe the line when it comes to western media principles so dictators know what to expect. For Al Jazeera, it's based in an Arab state, focuses on the Arab and North African world and many of these countries are either in a state of dictatorship or are relatively unstable. It also adopts what can be described as a mostly pan-arabian world view, much to the chagrin of the west. Therefore it's not surprising that a) given it's location and orientation and b) it's relative youth compared to the BBC, CNN et al and c) it's willingness to go against the grain in various countries, including against the will of the west, that it's attacked. It's also important to note that while it's based in Qatar, it doesn't tend to provide the same level of criticism in Qatar as it does elsewhere.
  - iuguy 16y ago
    Actually just to be clear and to make sure I don't sound like an ignorant European with some sort of MSM superiority complex, the British media is also pretty bad. The BBC is not exactly completely impartial - compare coverage of the BP oil spill on the BBC to CNN and you'll see some obvious differences. In the UK we get BBC News, Sky News (owned by the same guy that owns Fox, and just as fair and balanced), Russia Today (which is hilarious to watch sometimes because of the blatant pro-russian bias) and Al-Jazeera, as well as some minor news programmes on other channels. All of them have their own bias to at least some extent, some greater, some worse. The trick is spotting where the bias lies and compensating for it. It's even worse with newspapers here in the UK - have a look at http://tabloid-watch.blogspot.com/ http://tabloid-watch.blogspot.com/ Of course, the most transparent newspaper in the UK appears to be the Daily Sport. They don't really care about news, just sport and topless women. (http://www.sundaysport.com/ http://www.sundaysport.com/ - warning, NSFW)
srean 16y ago
For a news organization that can be taken as a complement.
- iwwr 16y ago
  A news organization that isn't causing controversy is probably not doing their job (although controversy alone is not enough). Truth and controversy are often complementary :)
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]

yequalsx 16y ago

I guess this is a ringing endorsement of Al Jazeera. It's the network the dictators fear. I can see some people saying they are being shut down because they are supporters of radical Islam but from what I've seen of them this is pure nonsense. It's nice to have a news network that doesn't suck so bad. It's shocking that this network does better (in my opinion) at news reporting than American news networks given that it comes from a part of the world where free speech isn't a concept rooted in law. Look for the network the dictators hate. The network that the ruling class denigrates. That's the one more likely to be telling the truth.

dfaasdfasdf 16y ago
I doubt that Ahmadinejad or Bashar elAssad have anything to fear from al-Jazz. In fact, I'm pretty sure that those two would agree with your glowing assessment of their activities. President Obama has expressed his disdain for Fox News on several occasions. Wouldn't that make Fox a network that is hated by the ruling class?
- hasenj 16y ago
  Fox is a Republican outlet. Al-Jazeera does indeed endorse certain "causes", if that's what you're hinting at. Usually that cause is the freedom of the people. They don't support the governments of Syria or Iran nor run any of their propaganda. They regularly interview opposition figures.
  - dfaasdfasdf 16y ago
    Have you seen any criticism of the Iran or Syrian regimes on al-J? Have you seen any criticism of Hamas or Hezbollah? Are these guys really beyond reproach?
    - hasenj 16y ago
      > Have you seen any criticism of the Iran or Syrian regimes on al-J? Have you seen any criticism of Hamas or Hezbollah? All the time. > Are these guys really beyond reproach? What? Have you seen anything of Al Jazeera? probably not. Now, does any western media channel regularly host speakers from Hamas? I doubt it. Al-Jazeera always interviews people from the Israeli side (and they get a lot of heat for it).

JonnieCache 16y ago

Just so you know, aj jazeera is still broadcasting live from cairo. The egyptian authorities have revoked their license, but they are still carrying on regardless just as they have in previous days. I think the title should be changed, they have not in any real sense been "shut down."

corin_ 16y ago
It reads that the bureau has been shut down, not their activities. They are still doing their coverage, but: - They have been kicked out of their Cairo office [1] [2] - Their "tv uplink" has been shut down [3] - Their correspondants in Egypt are no longer being named when reporting on air "for their safety" [1] http://twitter.com/nolanjazeera/status/31681013461557248 http://twitter.com/nolanjazeera/status/31681013461557248 [2] http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/2011130164532649572.html http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/2011130... [3] http://twitter.com/nolanjazeera/status/31755344522772481 http://twitter.com/nolanjazeera/status/31755344522772481
- JonnieCache 16y ago
  I am watching it right now and they are showing a live feed of Tahir square, Cairo. Maybe their studio there is down and they're feeding from a lone camera on the ground, straight back to their studios elsewhere in the world. EDIT: This does in fact seem to be the case.

mixmax 16y ago

Around a month ago a good journalist friend of mine was taken prisoner in Algiers because of his reporting. After a few days of heavy pressure from the embassy he was released unharmed. A lot of friends were worried and continually asked if he was OK and whether his profession was really worth it. I congratulated him on his new status as a real grown-up journalist, whose reporting was so good that he scared regimes enough that they would want to imprison him. This is the same - Al jazeera is doing such a good job that they're a threat to the Egyptian regime. They do what journalists are supposed to be doing but often aren't. They should be congratulated for that.

phlux 16y ago
Wouldn't it be interesting if someone like Keith Olberman went to Al Jazeera.
- pmorici 16y ago
  Why? Keith Olberman isn't a journalist by most objective measures, he's a partisan talking head.
  - phlux 16y ago
    My point was more; "Wouldn't it be interesting if [big, well recognized american media personality] went to Al Jazeera"
    - dantheman 16y ago
      It'd be bad because I want the news, I don't care who is giving it to me as long as its accurate and up to date. In fact I think media personalities are bad for the news.
    - rajbot 16y ago
      David Frost, while not American, has had a show on Al Jazeera English since 2006: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/frostovertheworld/ http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/frostovertheworld/

ck2 16y ago

While this is a really bad sign, another really bad sign is they are flying F-16s low over civilian crowds right now, for no other reason than to intimidate them. Just saw it on CBS and it's pretty freaky and scary. I'm starting to think this is going to end really really badly. Are democratic revolutions even possible anymore today, given the technology and sheer firepower the small number in power can wield against the masses (which ironically the USA sells them).

btilly 16y ago
How quickly we forget. Tunisia, earlier this month. In fact that example was the impetus behind the Egyptian protest movement. If (as seems likely at this point) Egypt falls, expect to see several other governments fall as well. This is as momentous a time for the Middle East as the fall of the Iron Curtain was for Eastern Europe. (Incidentally said fall gives several more examples of how military might doesn't prevent democratic revolutions.)
- drags 16y ago
  Not to be too pedantic, but the Eastern European "refolutions" were made possible because a) the Soviet Union and b) local Communist governments simultaneously made the decision not to use force. Those decisions (and their publicity) were a necessary condition; it's what made the difference between 1956, 1968 and 1980 on the one hand, and 1989 on the other. It will be a long and dark road for Egypt if Mubarak can successfully order the military to slaughter the protesting masses. The revolution will fail, both the government and the opposition will lose credibility in the eyes of the people and it will be years or decades of strict martial law.
  - btilly 16y ago
    Military might does not prevent the possibility of democratic revolution. However many pre-conditions are necessary before democratic revolution can happen. For instance the military response to 1980's events in Poland were much less nasty than the earlier examples because of the economic trouble Poland was in, and its dependence on loans from Western banks. The economic fallout from the regime's attempts to navigate their way through conflicting demands helped set the stage for the events of 1989. Without that backdrop, 1989 would have turned out very differently. No matter how much the people wanted otherwise. As for Mubarak, I'd be willing to bet money that it is too late for him. Yes, the army can crack down. But the public images from any attempt to do so will make it unpalatable for Western companies to do business with Egypt for a long enough period of time to recreate his problems.

swaits 16y ago

Is this Hacker News?

felixhummel 16y ago
I would think so since censorship is a topic that "gratifies one's intellectual curiosity".
- swaits 16y ago
  Fair enough.
DrJokepu 16y ago
Yes. On Hacker News, we discuss subjects that people who like startups and hacking find interesting. That's not solely hacking, programming, IT or startups, there are a lot of things that young, educated people like to talk about, and major political events are one of them.

netmau5 16y ago

This is a very sad day for objective journalism. My family is from Iran and I've spent plenty of time watching it over satellite. I liken them to CNN in the 90s before they too started getting politically charged. I'm angry that Al Jazeera has such a bad rap in the states, but frankly, I think we'd believe Nickelodeon was evil too if Fox News caught them broadcasting a single frame with both Bin Laden and their network emblem.

luke_s 16y ago

According to the Al Jazeera live blog for today 6 of their journalists have just been arrested in Cairo! Since the liveblog is always updating the relevant posts are: 2:40pm: Our correspondent tweets: Unsure if arrested or about to be deported. 6 of us held at army checkpoint outside Hilton hotel. Equipment seized too. #Egypt 2:11pm BREAKING NEWS: Six Al Jazeera journalists arrested in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. Our correspondent there just tweeted this: 4 soldiers entered room took our camera. Wr ae under military arrest #Egypt #jan25 From: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/01/30/live-blog-311-egypt-protests http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/01/30/live-blog-...