(no subject)
I am finding it a little bit humourous that al Jazeera is broadcasting more live coverage of the Democratic Convention than any of the four major networks here in the United States.
BOSTON (AP) - Among the international media covering the Democratic National Convention, one name sticks out: Al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite news channel accused by the Bush administration of anti-U.S. bias.
Perhaps symbolic of its growing influence, Al-Jazeera even has a skybox in the convention hall, along with the American television networks, although it says it was denied a separate sign with its logo.
Stephanie Thomas, manager and spokeswoman for Al-Jazeera's Washington bureau, said Sunday the logo was taken down shortly after it went up, and the Democratic National Convention Committee has not explained why.
Al-Jazeera is one among many international news organizations covering the convention that will officially nominate Sen. John Kerry for president on Thursday, and Thomas wonders why the Arab network's presence is news.
``It's not really a story, it's just us doing our work,'' she said.
She says it has been difficult to accomplish that work, however, because the Democrats have not responded to Al-Jazeera's requests for interviews with leading party figures such as Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who is the convention chairman.
``Al-Jazeera is here to give them a forum'' to reach Arab Americans, she says.
At the 2000 nominating conventions Al-Jazeera had only two representatives. This time it has 16, Thomas said.
Thomas notes that because Al-Jazeera's largest audience - Arabs in the Middle East - is eight hours ahead of Boston, live coverage of the convention will be seen by relatively few there. Even so, she says the network plans about 12 hours of live coverage over four days.
``It shows Al-Jazeera really is interested in the elections process,'' she said.
In June, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice accused Al-Jazeera of ``purely inaccurate'' reporting and suggested it was presenting a biased account of developments in the Middle East.
The network issued a code of ethics this month that pledges to ``uphold journalistic values of honesty, boldness, fairness and balance.' '
BOSTON (AP) - Among the international media covering the Democratic National Convention, one name sticks out: Al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite news channel accused by the Bush administration of anti-U.S. bias.
Perhaps symbolic of its growing influence, Al-Jazeera even has a skybox in the convention hall, along with the American television networks, although it says it was denied a separate sign with its logo.
Stephanie Thomas, manager and spokeswoman for Al-Jazeera's Washington bureau, said Sunday the logo was taken down shortly after it went up, and the Democratic National Convention Committee has not explained why.
Al-Jazeera is one among many international news organizations covering the convention that will officially nominate Sen. John Kerry for president on Thursday, and Thomas wonders why the Arab network's presence is news.
``It's not really a story, it's just us doing our work,'' she said.
She says it has been difficult to accomplish that work, however, because the Democrats have not responded to Al-Jazeera's requests for interviews with leading party figures such as Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who is the convention chairman.
``Al-Jazeera is here to give them a forum'' to reach Arab Americans, she says.
At the 2000 nominating conventions Al-Jazeera had only two representatives. This time it has 16, Thomas said.
Thomas notes that because Al-Jazeera's largest audience - Arabs in the Middle East - is eight hours ahead of Boston, live coverage of the convention will be seen by relatively few there. Even so, she says the network plans about 12 hours of live coverage over four days.
``It shows Al-Jazeera really is interested in the elections process,'' she said.
In June, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice accused Al-Jazeera of ``purely inaccurate'' reporting and suggested it was presenting a biased account of developments in the Middle East.
The network issued a code of ethics this month that pledges to ``uphold journalistic values of honesty, boldness, fairness and balance.' '