Dubai: Al Jazeera’s “ideological” stance has been a “huge tragedy” for the Arab media industry, which has failed to bring the real Arab perspective to the world stage, a leading academic has said.
Hopes were high for Al Jazeera when it was launched in 1996, but the Qatar-based network has become a “mouthpiece” for terrorists and pursues an “ideological agenda,” said Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics.
This has caused “tremendous damage” to the media industry as a whole, the academic said on the sidelines of the Arab Media Forum in Dubai.
“In the 1990s when Al Jazeera started, it was one of the most promising media institutions in the Arab world,” Gerges told Arab News.
“Sadly and tragically after 9/11, Al Jazeera became … a mouthpiece of Osama bin Laden.”
The academic said that the TV network had failed to become a credible media institution or source of information.
“Al Jazeera has sacrificed its institutional rubric on the altar of its ideological agenda,” he said.
“What has happened to Al Jazeera is a huge tragedy for the Arab media … It is no longer seen by large constituencies of the Arab world as a media forum.
“You turn on Al Jazeera because you agree with Al Jazeera. It has become more and more ideologically tilted toward certain perspectives.”
Gerges said that Al Jazeera and other Arab media institutions had failed in their “soft power” push.
“We had thought that Al Jazeera could really be an institution that makes a huge difference to raise public awareness of the Arab world in terms of democracy, information and debate,” he said.
“Sadly and tragically, particularly in the past 10 years, Al Jazeera has really done tremendous damage.”
The academic had hope, however, that journalists at media organizations across the region could help portray a real view of the Arab world.
“Arab media has failed to develop soft power influences (on) world public opinion … We have failed to put the Arab agendas, the Arab perspectives on the international stage,” he said.
“Every journalist, every correspondent, every media person must understand that he or she has a moral professional responsibility not to simplify, not to distort, not to exaggerate.”
Al Jazeera did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by Arab News.
Al Jazeera: A ‘tragedy’ for Arab media amid soft power failure
Al Jazeera: A ‘tragedy’ for Arab media amid soft power failure
- Hopes were high for Al Jazeera when it was launched in 1996
- Al Jazeera has become a “mouthpiece” for terrorists, says academic
Independent Arabia celebrates 7th anniversary with global journalism awards
- Journalist Aya Mansour received the Kurt Schork International Journalism Award for her rigorous investigative reporting from Iraq on highly sensitive issues
- ‘SRMG’s support enabled us to reach and connect with massive readership – These awards belong to every journalist:’ Editor-in-Chief Ahdwan Al-Ahmari
LONDON: Independent Arabia on Saturday marked seven years since its launch as a platform for “distinctive content and a bold editorial vision,” having made history as the first Arabic digital outlet to secure licensing rights from an international publication, London-based newspaper The Independent.
Over this seven-year period, the news platform has established itself as a meaningful force within Arab media institutions through political, economic, cultural, and lifestyle coverage that reimagines news delivery and journalistic purpose. By innovating content presentation and format, it has tangibly contributed to reshaping Arabic digital journalism’s landscape.
Recalling the 2019 founding, Editor-in-Chief Ahdwan Al-Ahmari said: “Our fundamental objective was connecting with the widest possible Arab readership. SRMG’s backing enabled us to achieve substantial audience reach through correspondents positioned throughout the Arab region and internationally.”
Since its launch, Independent Arabia has won 11 awards. Its latest came in January 2025 when staff journalist Aya Mansour received the 24th Kurt Schork International Journalism Award in the Local Reporter category for her rigorous investigative reporting from Iraq on highly sensitive issues.
Al-Ahmari dedicated the accolade to every Independent Arabia journalist and media professionals across the Arab world, “particularly our colleagues lost in Yemen and Palestine. I specifically honor Maryam Abu Daqqa, our journalist colleague killed while documenting Gaza’s reality through photography—posthumously recognized at the highest level in Vienna by the International Press Institute with the ‘World Press Freedom Hero’ award.”
“Our initial tagline was ‘Independent Enriches You,’” Al-Ahmari recalled. “As our understanding matured, we recognized that ‘we lie in the details’—prompting the change. Within news media, particularly across SRMG’s distinguished portfolio, integrated coverage matters most. The real competitive edge comes from delivering analytical depth unique to each publication.”
Observing this seventh anniversary milestone, Al-Ahmari expressed appreciation for “everyone contributing publicly and behind the scenes—designers, correspondents, editors, administrative teams—every individual whose dedication keeps us leading the field.”
