A Sad Day For International News Buffs Indeed!

I just received this Editorial from a journalist friend of mine stationed in the Middle East.  It's not entirely unexpected, especially if you understand the scope of interference by corporate stakeholders endemic in America's top media outlets.

See also - Why the Arrival of Al Jazeera America Today Matters

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Editorial:   So Long AJE

It is a sad day. A recurring theme for those who care about news these days. Al-Jazeera English (AJE) has left the US today. One of the most important resources for international news coverage in the US has gone dark for Americans. CNN, Fox News and MSNBC long ago relinquished their role as providers of international news. Al-Jazeera English, France24 and BBC World News stepped into the fold years ago and became the sole, reliable purveyor of knowledge. 

In IntelCenter's operations center, CNN was booted from the 100" main screen and in came AJE. For hard news reporting of international events it could not be beat. No more breaking away from key international stories for Tammy Faye Baker interviews with Larry King as CNN did during the 2005 Sharm al-Sheikh bombing. There is nothing more depressing than when you have 18 screens up covering critical events from around the world and the three American 24-hour news networks are showing reality tv court coverage. Apparently TMZ has left gaps to be exploited.

The very thing that made AJE great is being lost to create al-Jazeera America (AJA). America has enough domestic news and American-centric reporting. AJE was good for the simple fact it did not have an American focus. It is the same reason that CNN International continues to provide solid news coverage, albeit unbeknownst to Americans who are stuck with CNN Domestic and Headline News (HLN).

I do not want to see American personalities talk about what marketing surveys say Americans care about.

I do want to see hard news coverage of events in Nigeria, Libya, Syria, Pakistan and India. I also want that coverage to remain on when the rating gods ordain some local domestic trial worthy of around the clock coverage. Yes it is cheaper then sending reporters to Pakistan and Mali if you do not count the involuntary collective brain rot of those in the US trying to remain informed.

How many Americans do you know that can find Niger on a map? After of course you explain to them that you do not mean Nigeria.

The US does not need al-Jazeera America or even BBC America. It needs easy access to al-Jazeera English, BBC World News and France24. If Americans are not going to be informed in school, if their careers do not require it, if the news does not cover it, please explain to me how America will ever climb out of its abyss of ignorance?

International channels should not debase their coverage to the current level of American broadcast news. They should bring their multitude of perspectives and insights to challenge Americans to expand their minds. The moment one confines themselves to the singular perspective of those who think and see as they do, is the moment of their inevitable demise.

Yes, I know. Many of you will say there is the Internet. Alas, but no there is not. AJE is blocking its Internet stream to American customers.

Perhaps Americans can use the same censorship dodging web proxies the Iranians use...

by Ben Venzke