One key factor was missing, though, at least early on. Al Jazeera has played
a vital, instrumental role in framing this popular narrative by its intense,
innovative coverage of Tunisia and its explicit broadening of that experience
to the region. Its coverage today has been frankly baffling, though. During the
key period when the protests were picking up steam, Al Jazeera aired a
documentary cultural program on a very nice seeming Egyptian novelist and
musical groups, and then to sports. Now (10:30am EST) it is finally covering
the protests in depth, but its early lack of coverage may hurt its credibility.
I can't remember another case of Al Jazeera simply punting on a major story in
a political space which it has owned.
Watching Egypt (but not on Al Jazeera) | Marc Lynch - 0 views
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More broadly, it's astonishing how much is now in motion in Arab politics after such a long period of seeming stagnation. There's a vivid sense of an era coming to a close and an uncertain new vista opening. Even if Al Jazeera's release of the so-called "Palestine Papers" doesn't bring down Abu Mazen's negotiating team or the PA it feels like the autopsy of a long-dead peace process. Hezbollah's Parliamentary maneuver to bring down the Hariri government and replace him with veteran politician and businessman Najib Miqati, a response to the Special Tribunal's reported indictments which has sparked violent protests by Hariri backers, may mean an end to the era of U.S. alliance with a March 14-led Lebanon. It's hard to know where to focus --- but in fact I continue to see these seemingly unrelated events as part of a broader story of the crumbling of an Arab status quo which has long seemed unsustainable.
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3pm: Al-Jazeera's lack of coverage of the protests has become a major story. It doesn't seem to have gotten any better since this morning --- since getting back on line I've seen an episode of a talk show, more Palestine Papers, and only short snippets of breaking news on Egypt. Al-Arabiya apparently hasn't done any better. My Twitter feed and email are full of comments like "AJ Arabic is covering childrens gymnastics programs in Indonesia right now. Good call." (@mwhanna1) and "Exposed. Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya's failure in covering #Jan25" (@SultanAlQassemi). Egyptian activists are complaining bitterly, and most seem to think that Mubarak cut a deal with the Qatari and Saudi governments.
Calvinball in Cairo | Marc Lynch - 0 views
The Islamic Monthly - Winter/Spring 2012 : International: Ghostwriter for the Arab Leader - 0 views
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Its nerves showed in July 2010, when King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa split his Ministry of Culture and Information into two unequal parts. The incumbent minister, an Al Khalifa woman, kept responsibility for culture and tourism. The more telling and urgent action concerned the information portfolio. In a public statement, King Hamad declared that Bahrain had become the target of "planned media provocations, particularly from Iran, to which the Bahraini media has not been able to respond as it must." He then decreed the creation of an Information Affairs Authority (IAA) to meet the Kingdom's "immense" political challenges. The man the king picked to lead the new authority is Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa. As IAA chief, Sheikh Fawaz enjoys ministerial rank and is effectively Bahrain's Minister of Information, although only unofficial media use that Orwellian title.
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Sheikh Fawaz is courteous, unquestionably loyal, and, at base, unimaginative. He is also relentlessly competitive
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Tone-Lōc's Funky Cold Medina was a favorite
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