Al-Jazeera America began broadcasting on August 20th. But will Americans tune in?
RNS:
Although once ranked among Apple, Google, Ikea and Starbucks as one of the world’s most influential brands, many Americans still view Al-Jazeera with suspicion — in part because of Al-Jazeera’s decision to air messages it received from Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks.
The take-away for many viewers was that Al-Jazeera was nothing more than a mouthpiece for terrorists….
…John Esposito, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the author of several books on contemporary Islam, said Al-Jazeera America will have to deal with a segment of the population that is biased against Islam.
The Tampa-based Florida Family Association, which opposes what it perceives to be the “Islamization” of America, recently launched a campaign demanding major companies stop advertising on the channel….
…Esposito hopes Al-Jazeera America will do a better job than its network and cable rivals at presenting a more nuanced view of Muslims. According to Esposito, news coverage of Muslims in the context of religious extremism has grown exponentially since 9/11, while coverage of mainstream Islam has remained low.
Al-Jazeera America will need to provide greater context and background to world events, especially those unfolding in the Middle East, to rectify this imbalance, he said.