The Washington Examiner recently published an opinion piece about Al Jazeera riddled with erroneous claims and tired, false narratives. The piece also curiously aligns with the aggressive lobbying and online disinformation campaigns orchestrated by regional rivals of Qatar, the country in which Al Jazeera is headquartered.
As public records show, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are spending millions of dollars to spread disinformation about Al Jazeera in an attempt to undercut its credibility with U.S. policymakers and the public. For more than two years, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have tried, and failed, to silence Al Jazeera and its affiliates; in fact, this is one of the leading demands imposed as a condition of lifting their blockade of Qatar, which the United States has called on these countries to end. Unsuccessful in these attempts, these countries are now attempting to accomplish the objectives of the blockade through other means, including weaponizing U.S. laws improperly.
As Bloomberg recently reported, the UAE has been particularly aggressive in its lobbying efforts, spreading erroneous information in Washington, stirring up various Washington groups, and engaging in some questionable behavior, such as showing “bizarre” and “slickly produced” videos on laptops. The UAE has also engaged Definers, a PR firm with a spotty track record. Not to be outdone, the Saudis have targeted Al Jazeera on social media platforms through an elaborate ecosystem of troll and bot accounts.
With millions of dollars being spent to spread disinformation against us, we cannot remain silent. We recognize the importance of telling Al Jazeera’s story and refuting false claims.
The fact is, Al Jazeera channels and platforms operate with editorial independence while receiving public funding. In this respect, we are similar to most global media organizations, including the BBC, CBC, and Deutsche Welle. Al Jazeera Media Network is a private foundation for public benefit under Qatari law; Qatar does not own it, and its reporting is not directed or controlled by the Qatari government, nor does it reflect any government viewpoint.
The network’s independence is further demonstrated by content that occasionally runs counter to the laws and societal norms of Qatar and is sometimes explicitly or implicitly critical of Qatar. For example, we have run stories about alleged labor abuses in Qatar, particularly those connected to construction projects underway for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We have also covered alleged discrimination faced by pregnant employees of Qatar Airways.
Don’t just take our word for it. Consider, rather, the many independent voices who have praised Al Jazeera’s work, including U.S. elected officials from both sides of the aisle. The late Sen. John McCain, for example, said of the network, “What Al Jazeera has done is achieved something that all of us I think want to achieve, particularly as we grow older, and that is to make a contribution that will last and will be brought to future generations that lie ahead of us.”
On Al Jazeera’s independence, Margaux Ewen, formerly with Reporters Without Borders, stated, “Al Jazeera’s award-winning journalism contributes to media pluralism on a global scale, and reducing it to a Qatari government agency is irresponsible.” More recently, the National Press Club declared its support for Al Jazeera and called on U.S. lawmakers to drop their geopolitically driven calls for the network or its channels to register as a foreign agent.
Al Jazeera has not only received praise for its journalism, but the network and its channels have also received more than 300 prestigious awards since 2011, including three Emmys, four Peabody Awards, Broadcaster of the Year for three consecutive years at the New York Festivals TV and Film Awards, the Overseas Press Club’s prestigious Edward R. Murrow award in 2018, and the inaugural U.N. Women for Peace Association’s Awareness Award in 2017.
At Al Jazeera, we are immensely proud of our team and the award-winning content we produce, and we believe our journalism speaks for itself. Our content is open and accessible to everyone, and we invite you to watch, read, and evaluate it for yourself.
Mostefa Souag is acting director general of Al Jazeera Media Network.
