Al Jazeera English
The bureau -- which opens next month -- is Al Jazeera English's fifth in the U.S. It will be staffed by John Hendren, formerly with ABC News in Washington, D.C., who starts today. The network says it's ramping up its U.S. coverage for the 2012 elections. (more...)

Al Jazeera English
"Although I have written critically of some of Iran's policies, I was treated with respect, courtesy and care thoughout my detention there," writes Al Jazeera reporter Dorothy Parvaz, who was freed Tuesday after being detained in Syria and Iran for weeks.

My room was spotless, my interrogator flawlessly polite, and the women who looked after me at the Evin Prison Women's Detention Centre saw to it that my every need was met – especially the sleeping pills I required, because every night, without fail, I would hear the cries of men screaming in Syria "Wallahi! Wallahi!" and wonder how their wounds will ever heal.

Romenesko Misc.
The Columbia Journalism Award is given annually during the school’s commencement ceremony to recognize an individual or organization for “singular journalism in the public interest." Dean Nicholas Lemann says: “Al Jazeera English has performed a great service in bringing the English-speaking world in-depth coverage of the turmoil in the Middle East. We salute its determination to get to the heart of a complicated story unfolding in countries where news has historically been difficult to cover.” (more...)