Sunday, March 12, 2006

Al-Jazeera has plans to create an English-language television news network, similar to CNN International, for distribution in the United States. There have been a several recent stories, including this Knight-Ridder story outlining the political and public relations battle the Quatar-based news network faces.

The Middle Eastern news network appears to have a savvy strategy for influencing public opinion.  Al-Jazeera recently hosted conference called "Defending Freedom, Defining Responsibility".  On another front, the network is inviting certain American journalists and academics to serve on a board for the new international service. Several bloggers documented the conference including Ethan Zuckerman and a contributor to Blairwatch in the UK.

Alvin Snyder is a senior fellow at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School for Communications.  He wondered if attending the conference on the network's dime is equivalent to accepting a gift. "Is that a confict of interest?" he asked me earlier this week. For a journalist it would be, I told him. And it's an interesting PR tactic for a journalism organization that claims to be independent, as Al-Jazeera does.

Snyder published a piece online Thursday, examining the discrepancy. He interviews Daniel Glover, a blogger critic, who points out some of the hypocrisy:

 "Those bloggers won't even consider the possibility that as they gain access and influence, their own ethics could be compromised. Even worse, they ridicule and attempt to ostracize anyone who dares suggest that bloggers may be susceptible to manipulation, whether knowingly or unknowingly. That's exactly the kind of hubris that ultimately leads to ethical breaches and outright corruption."

While Snyder suggests that bloggers should conform to ethical standards like journalists do, that's not likely to happen. Very few people actually make money off their blogs. That kind of independence is a privilege (and sometimes a ball and chain) for journalists lucky enough to work in a newsroom that pays them a full-time salary. Not all bloggers are journalists, nor should they be.  Zuckerman agrees that financial relationships and certain affiliations may influence judgment. As part of his disclosure statement he points out that he gets a modest amount of income from consulting and public speaking .

This story is certain to heat up as Al-Jazeera seeks access to American cable or satellite companies. It's a perfect target for politicians and talk show hosts. It would be a shame if the the coverage devolved into a polarized shouting match. Because this story is a great place to start a conversation about the ethical standards of journalists of all stripes and what sets journalists apart from entertainers and talk-show hosts and bloggers.
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