Al-Jazeera Buys Current TV

Al-Jazeera Buys Current TV -- NPR

Al-Jazeera announced Wednesday that it was acquiring Current TV, the network launched by former Vice President Al Gore.

"By acquiring Current TV, Al Jazeera will significantly expand our existing distribution footprint in the U.S., as well as increase our newsgathering and reporting efforts in America," Al-Jazeera Director General Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani said in a statement.

The new channel, Al-Jazeera America, will be based in New York. The Qatar-based Arabic-language network already operates an English-language arm, Al-Jazeera English. The New York Times reported that roughly 60 percent of the new network's programming will be produced in the U.S.; the rest will come from Al-Jazeera English.

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More News On Al Jazeera Buying Current TV

Al Jazeera Buys Al Gore’s Current TV in U.S. Expansion -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Al-Jazeera in talks to buy Current TV, gain stronger foothold in US television market -- Washington Post/AP
Al-Jazeera to Buy Current TV -- Wall Street Journal
Al Jazeera Acquires Current TV -- New York Times
Al Jazeera Completes Purchase of Current TV (Updated) -- Reuters

My Comment: They want to expand into the American market .... but will Americans want to watch their take of the news? Aside from Arab Americans, I have doubts that they will be able to penetrate the other demographics. I link to Al Jazeera stories in this blog all the time .... and while I know that their perspective is an Arab one .... I do try my best to balance things out by linking to other sources and opinions.

U.S. Distrust Of The Media Continues To Rise

U.S. Distrust In Media Hits New High -- Gallop

Fewer Americans closely following political news now than in previous election years.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' distrust in the media hit a new high this year, with 60% saying they have little or no trust in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly. Distrust is up from the past few years, when Americans were already more negative about the media than they had been in years prior to 2004.

The record distrust in the media, based on a survey conducted Sept. 6-9, 2012, also means that negativity toward the media is at an all-time high for a presidential election year. This reflects the continuation of a pattern in which negativity increases every election year compared with the year prior.

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My Comment: 40% still have some trust in the media .... hmmm .... that tells me that more work needs to be done.

Time Magazine Suspends Fareed Zakaria For A Month Over Plagiarism

Fareed Zakaria Suspended From Time Magazine For Plagiarism -- The Telegraph

Fareed Zarakia has been suspended from Time magazine after it was revealed that he had plagiarised another writer's work for one of his articles.

The international columnist and television anchor immediately apologised, saying he had made a "terrible mistake" but was also suspended from CNN, where he presents a weekly show.

Several sections of Mr Zakaria's August 20 column, entitled "The Case for Gun Control", appeared to have been taken from an article Harvard University history professor Jill Lepore published in April in The New Yorker magazine.

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My Comment: I must admit I was shocked when I read this story. I have been reading and watching Fareed Zakaria for years. While he is someone that I am almost always disagreeing with, he is also someone that I respect and admire. I have always posted his articles and comments in this blog, and I sincerely hope that CNN will not discharge him from his position nor cancel his show. He made a mistake .... and he has admitted it. Time to move on.

Fareed Zarakia's statement is here.

Update: The knives are out for him. It is going to be difficult for him to recover from this. What a shame.