Rein in the media and you rule the world. Control and filter what the masses hear and see and you control their minds. Throughout time immemorial the manifestation of real power has always been in the hands of those who were capable of manipulating the media whether it be by forceful means or through the gift of speech.
In the not so distant past when print and radio were the only means available for dispersing news, controlling the flow of necessary information to the public was easily attained. The limitations of the technology available then, made it possible for the Czars of the day to tailor the news to suit their own agendas. Limiting the flow of information and allowing only what was deemed to be inconsequential to the ruling class was a strategy that worked well for many autocracies. Editors, subscribing to a certain thought and ideology or belief were strategically placed within news organizations. They acted as the filters to the public, ensuring that the slant or version of their sponsors and employers be heard or read.
In the golden age of radio, unlike in our present time, the love of language and its persuasive effects were cultivated and nourished. Powerful orators were keen and extremely shrewd in their efforts to inspire the hearts and influence the thoughts of the masses. Glibness of the tongue was a gifted quality and it was used effectively.
Adolph Hitler and Winston Churchill were two leaders at either end of the good and evil spectrum. Both were renowned for their ability to articulate the spoken works capturing the hearts and soul of their audience. These men were masters of an art that sadly has been overshadowed by the Mac world that has overtaken us. Some say that their uncanny ability to mesmerize the masses and challenge their detractors with the spoken words is an accomplished art that only a few will attain. Tony Blair it appears is one who has achieved that distinction. He is now being trumpeted as the new Churchill following his speech to the British people and the world in the prelude to the war on terrorism. Fortunately, only a few would even dare to emulate Hitler.
In his now famous speech to congress, George Bush received worthy mention for his delivery of the written word. In a time of great tribulation, this man previously dogged by his apparent dyslexic problem, rose to the challenged and delivered the words that inspired his people and galvanized their support. His steely, fixed stare into the eyes of the world through the medium of television, his southern drawl, his deliberate pauses and the interspersed lengthy applause were components that made the message more emphatic. Today, hardly a mention is made of the boys in the back room, those who penned each and every word that the President finally read. This is precisely their job. This is what they are paid to do: Write speeches that inspire the hearts and influence the minds of the people.
During the Desert Storm, the war against Iraq, CNN emerged as the world’s leader in television broadcasting. Poised along the front lines they returned images of the horror of a war that appeared to us much like a video game on our TV screens. Nevertheless, the world for the first time in history was witness to a conflict that unfolded daily in living rooms, bars and restaurants etc. Wolf Blitzer, Bernie Shaw and Christianne Amanpour soon became household names. Their unflinching reports from within the arena of a modern war gave a new meaning to television journalism. CNN became the benchmark and all other networks were left in the dust playing catch up.
In this, the first war of the new century, there has emerged a bold and influential player on the scene. Al-Jazeerah, a welcome breath of fresh air is a satellite network, based out of Doha, Qatar. What makes Al- Jazeerah so interesting is the fact that it has earned the distinction of being the CNN of the Mid East and Arab world. It has suddenly eclipsed Al-Manar television. Al-Manar TV is owned and operated by Hizbullah and based out of Lebanon. Launched in the mid 90’s Al-Jazeerah appealed to a wide cross section of the Arab and Muslim world mainly because of what it did differently from the local stations. It prided itself in unbiased professionalism and broadcasted without fear of the despotic regimes in the Arab world.
In the short time that it has been up and running it has come in for some harsh criticisms especially from the ruling class. In a world where the news is constantly sifted and filtered to suit the dictates of the rulers, it is easy to understand the threat that Al-Jazeerah poses to the regimes in the Arabian Peninsula. With the ability to reach all of the Arab nations and the whole world on Satellite, its effects are widespread. The plight of the Palestinians, the struggles in Kashmir, Chechnya, Afghanistan and other parts of the Muslim world can now be viewed live at home in the Muslim world, unfiltered and unbiased. No longer is the loss of lives, persecution and destruction from a second hand unreliable source. It comes directly from the front lines.
In Afghanistan, this couldn’t be more evident. CNN, the network with bureaus and reporters all over the world is now openly questioning why they couldn’t get the scoop or break the news or get the exclusive tape of Bin Laden’s call to Jihad or the “errant bombing” of the village. Now they have to wait on Al-Jazeerah to provide them with a feed of the news that they would have had exclusively in the past.
CNN, like the rest of the Western news organizations, chose to have their hands tied. They opted to toe the line. Pressured by the Bush Administration, they are forced to obey or be seen as against the US in this new war. Colin Powell in his trip to the Mid East was furious with Al-Jazeerah for not falling in line with the ultimatum of his administration. He requested from the Emir of Qatar that the network be muzzled. Following the broadcast of the two taped statements both supplied by Al-Jazeerah, CNN and all other networks were told that they should refrain from re-broadcasting any such tapes for fear of compromising national security. This is nothing but paranoia, absolute paranoia. Al-Jazeerah has no such constraints for now.
The Arab and Muslim world is witness to two very different views of this war. Whilst CNN has been effectively censored, Al-Jazeerah has continued its coverage by airing live footage of children whose bodies have been severely maimed and mangled as a result of an errant bomb. And amid all of this, the Arab and Muslim voice cries in unison at the double standard that they are witness to. It couldn’t be any clearer. Isn’t it Ironic that on one hand the nation that prided itself on freedom of the press and free speech has muzzled its media and on the other a region previously known for suppressing the press has given birth to the new CNN of the Arab world?
Does this not represent a reversal of roles? Maybe the West should ask itself, have we become like them?
Jay Mobeen
jaymo