Will Al Jazeera herald new wave in Asia?

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In a move that could have significant implications for the media industry in South-east Asia, Malaysia has welcomed plans by Arab television network Al Jazeera to base its Asian operations in Kuala Lumpur when it launches an English-language satellite channel next year.

Malaysia’s Information Minister Abdul Kadir Sheik Fadzir has said that it was "a very good development".

He hopes Al Jazeera's coverage of mainly Muslim Malaysia will be less "biased" than that of the Western media.

On that score the good minister can rest assured.

If its reputation is any indication, the Qatar-based satellite TV station can be counted on to deliver the goods.

After all, didn't it blaze into worldwide fame by running Osama bin Laden interviews soon after 9/11, thereby raising the hackles of the United States which has constantly accused it of bias and anti-American conflict coverage?

But the US is not its only critic.

Since its launch in November 1996 the channel has revolutionised news reporting in the Arab world to such an extent that it has earned the ire of many Arab governments for its hard-hitting coverage of Middle-East affairs.

In August this year, the channel was banned for a month in Iraq on the grounds that it was inciting violence and hatred.

And indeed, Al Jazeera has significant flaws.

It revels in featuring views from the far end of the spectrum rather than from differing shades of moderates.

Most famously, it has a reputation for airing graphic and insensitive footage of the killings of hostages by extremists.

But for all that, Al Jazeera’s supporters call it a vital and reliable news channel that covers news professionally from an Arab perspective.

Indeed, the channel’s editorial edginess is its distinguishing mark.

More than anything, the channel has capitalised on controversy with its investigative reporting, which have on occasions taken the wind out of the sails of more established channels, such as CNN.

During the first Gulf War and the US invasion of Afghanistan, American networks scrambled to bid for the rights to rebroadcast the frontline Al Jazeera footage that none of their own correspondents were apparently able to secure.

And yes, the channel does have a tendency to play up and showcase Israeli and American "misdeeds".

But it is equally adept at riling Islamic sensitivities by discussing subjects that conservatives consider to be beyond the pale, such as the Sharia or Islamic law.

Therefore, news of its entry into South-east Asia is significant.

In a region where the media has often been accused of being static and non-questioning, how will a hard-hitting, investigative channel fit in?

Generally speaking, national broadcasters are mostly state-owned and what is aired often adheres to "culturally acceptable" standards.

So, will Al Jazeera with its no-holds barred reporting run afoul of the authorities or will it lead the way for more independent journalism in the region?

It is too early to say, but Al Jazeera has never been known to cave in to attempts to gag it.

In August when it was banned in Iraq the channel's spokesman said it would not compromise its independence.

This "independence" and its propensity to air the "other side's views" or more specifically what critics call the "Muslim view" could be a double-edged sword.

On the one hand it might help kick-start a new era of greater editorial independence in the region.

On the other hand it might ignite racial and religious hatred.

After all, this region is the next target of terrorist groups, say experts.

"Although press freedom in the region has a long way to go, to allow Al Jazeera in is not a good move for the Malaysian government," said Dr Ho Khai Leong, senior researcher at the Institute of South-east Asian Studies.

He has a point there. With Southern Thailand a tinderbox of Muslim separatist insurgency and Al Qaeda's strong presence in the region, Al Jazeera’s adversarial reporting could have an inflammatory impact.

But in the end, it is the commercial imperative that may tone down the voice of Al Jazeera, which is known to be cash-strapped apparently due to an advertising boycott.

For better or worse, Al Jazeera's roar may then turn into a modified purr.

Source: Channel news Asia

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