Q&A:SteveAndersonfromOpenMedia.

caandAviLewisfromAlJazeera
English
May18,2010

S:WhatdoyoudoforAlJazeeraEnglish(AJE)?

A:IcohostFaultLines,ahalfhourdocumentaryshowthatairseverytwoweeks.Itistheonly
longformatshowonAJEthatisbasedinNorthAmerica.Ourbrief,inlargemeasure,istotell
storiesabouttherealityoflifeforpeopleintheUnitedStatesandthathasnowexpandedtoinclude
Canada.

S:WeveheardthattwojournalistshavebeenhiredfortheCanadianbureaualready.Doyou
knowifthereareplanstoexpandthat?

A:Atpresent,AJEhasfourbroadcastcentresinDoha,KualaLumpur,London,andWashington,all
withstudios,controlrooms,andafairnumberofemployees,andthenthereare70bureaus,many
withanonairperson,aproducer,acameraperson/editor.IexpecttheCanadianbureautobe
similarinsizetotheotherbureaus.IknowthatwhensomepeoplehearthatAlJazeeraiscomingto
town,theythinkthatwellopenupabuildinglikeCITYTV,with150peoplebehindastorefront,but
thatsnotthewayitgoes.Thatsaid,AJEistheonlyinternationalnewsorganizationthathasa
bureauinCanada,soIthinkthatourpresencehereisalreadyanimportantone.

S:IsAJEcurrentlyavailabletoU.S.TVviewers?

A:InmostoftheUnitedStateswearenotavailableonCableyet.MostofAJEsNorthAmerican
audiencehasbeenonlinesofar.OurYouTubechannelhasbecomethemostpopularnewschannel
onYouTube,receiving2.5millionviewsamonth.Halfofthose2.5millionviewscomefromNorth
America,whichreflectsthefactthatwearenotavailableoncableinmostoftheUnitedStatesand
untilrecently,inCanada.

ThispastyearwehadourfirstmajorbreakthroughinWashington,D.C.andAJEisnowavailableon
cableto3.5millionhomesintheD.C.area.Wereworkinghardtobuildouraudienceandmakethe
caseforcarriageofAJEtocablecompaniesacrosstheUnitedStates.ThearrivalofAJEonCanadian
televisionsetsisabsolutelycriticaltoourbreakingintotheU.S.,whichIfeelweareonthevergeof
accomplishing.

S:RightnowAJEisonlypartofthestandardpackageforVideotronsubscribers.Doyouknow
whythatis?

A:Idonttalktothecableoperators,asajournalistthatsfarremovedfrommyworkinglife.That
said,Ithinkthecablecompaniesaregoingtogetatremendousresponseinthefirstfewmonths.So
iftheonlyreasonthattheyrenotmakingAJEmorewidelyavailableinthecableworldisthat
theyrenotsurethatpeopleareinterested,theyregoingtoseequicklythatpeopleareinterested.I
thinktheyllbeconvincedwhentheyseehowmanypeoplesubscribeinthefistfewmonths.

S:HowwouldyousaythatAJEisdifferentfromothernewsbroadcastersinCanada?

A:ThefirstdifferencebetweenAJEandanyothernewsbroadcasteranywhere,isthatweare
growingandtheyareallshrinking.Ihavewatchednewsorganizationsshrink,experiencecutbacks,
layoffs,andmergers,andnowtheyreconfrontinganexistentialcrisisabouttheveryviabilityof
theirjournalisticmodel,inanageofcompletelydifferentmediaconsumption.Whenitcomestothe
moreexpensiveandmoredifficultprocessofgatheringinternationalnews,myimpressionisthat
allmediacompaniesinthetelevisionworldhavebeenretreating,whereasAlJazeeraisadding
morebureausallthetime.

ButIthinkwhatmakesAlJazeeratrulydifferentthenothernewsorganizationsinCanadaisthatit
isorganicallyinternationalinitsveryconcept.AlJazeeraisthefirsttelevisionnewsnetworkbased
intheglobalSouthandithasitsstatedaimistoreversethenewsflowsontheplanet.AJEisthe
worldsfirstselfconsciously,postcolonial,newsnetwork,andunliketheCBC,BBC,CNN,andother
majornetworks,AJElargelyhirespeopleinthecountriesfromwheretheyreport.Themajorityof
theworldspopulation,resources,conflicts,challenges,andpossibilitiesarelocatedintheglobal
South,yetasmallminorityoftheinformationcomesfromthesenations.

Basingthemajorityofournewsbureausintheglobalsouthprovidesaplatformfromwhichthe
globalsouthcantellitsownstoriestotheworld.

Weareabigglobalnewsorganization,whichisinherentlyachaoticbusiness,andwedontsucceed
ineverything,butrightdowntoitsDNA,AJEisfundamentallydifferentfromanyothernews
organization.

S:HowdoyouthinkAJEwillaffecttheCanadianmediaenvironment?

A:WellthatsthethingImmostexcitedabout.IvespentthepastthreeyearsintheUnitedStates
workingforAJEbutwhenIgohomeandwatchCanadianTV,IfindCanadiantelevisionnewsan
increasinglyclaustrophobicenvironment.MilitaryengagementinAfghanistanmeansthatalarge
portionofwhatremainsofinternationalnewscoverageinCanadahasgonetocoveringAfghanistan,
withhugeemphasis,understandably,oncoveringthelifeandexperiencesofCanadiantroopsin
Afghanistan.Butasamediaconsumer,ImalwaysfrustratedthatIdonthearmoreAfghanvoices,
morecontextfromthepeopleonthegroundinthecountrywhereourtroopsareincombat.Also,
becausesomanyresourceshavebeendevotedtocoveringthatstory,therestoftheworldhas
becomeincreasinglyinvisiblefromCanadianTVscreens.

IthinkAJEarrivingontheTVlandscapeinCanadawillbeacompletegamechanger.Forexample,
duringtheAfghanelections,AlJazeerahad15peopleonthegroundwithfourcorrespondentsand
theirteams.Ourcommitmentofresourcesandtogivingavoicetothosepeopleaffectedbythese
internationalpoliciesandmachinations,makeourcoveragetotallydifferent.Ithinkitwillbe
nothingshortofrevolutionaryforCanadiantelevisionwatcherstohaveaccesstoacompletely
differentlevelofinternationalnewscoverage.

S:DoyouthinkthatthepresenceofAJEinCanadawillhaveaneffectonCBCandotherpublic
broadcasters?

A:Ido.WhileImmostexcitedabouthowCanadianseyeswillopenuptotheworld,Imalmostas
excitedabouttheimpactthatthiscanhaveontheCBCandotherCanadianbroadcasters.Ithinkit
willremindthemthatCanadiansarenotaparochial,inwardlookingbunchbutratherayoung,
multicultural,internationallymindedcountrywherehugenumbersofCanadiansreallycareabout
whatsgoingonintherestoftheworld.Ithinkitwillpushthemtouptheirgame.

HavingworkedatCBCforsomeyearsandCityTVfortenyears,Iknowthereisthistiredoldclich
abouttheneedtotellCanadianstoriestoCanadians.Ithinkthattheresadefensivecrouchthat
CanadianmediaproducersgetintoaboutobsessivelyfocusingontheCanadianangleineverything,
whichisreductionistforthestories.IthinkthatwhenCanadianshaveaccesstoatrulyglobalnews
channelthatdoesntprivilegeoneperspectiveoveranother,theyllloveitandlapitup.Theyllfind
itrefreshingandmyhopeandbeliefisthatotherjournalisticorganizationswillseethattheresa
hugeappetiteinCanadaforglobalnewsthatisfilteredthroughthewidestpossiblelens.

S:DoyoufeelthatAJEscoveragewillhaveaneffectonCanadianpoliticsandculture?

A:AlJazeerawilllargelybeawindowforCanadianslookingontotherestoftheworld.Because
wereaglobalnetworkbroadcastinginover100countries,thespaceofcoveragethatCanadawill
takeupwillbegloballyproportionate,meaningthatNorthAmericannewswillnotalways
dominatethecoverage.Ithinkfairreportingfromaroundtheworldwillgivepeopleabroader
perspectivewithwhichtoseetheirowndomesticpolitics,butIdontmakeanyclaimsthatany
particularlynewsorganizationcanshakethepoliticalfoundation.

S:DoyouthinkitspossiblethatAJEwillexplorepartnershipswithindependentmedia
organizationsinCanada?

A:Thatsareallyinterestingquestion,onethatIdontbelievehasbeenconsideredspecificallyby
thenetworkyet.WithourbreakthroughonTVscreensinCanada,wewillbeprovidingalotmore
coverageofCanadianissuesthanwedidpreviously.

TherehasbeentalkinthepastyearintheU.S.aboutpartneringwithothermediaorganizations,I
thinkthereareinterestingnewpartnershipsemerginginmedia.Iknowmediapartnershipis
somethingthatAJEisinterestedinexploring.

S:Oneissuethatdoesntreceiveenoughattentioninmediaisthemediaitself:thelevelof
mediaconcentration,theeffectithasonoursociety,thedominanceintelecommunications
byafewcompanies.DoyouknowifAJEplanstotouchontheseissues?

A:Itotallyagree.Ivealwaysbeenastrongadvocateformediacriticismandforamorehonest
appraisalofwhatshappeninginthemediaworld.Ifwereonlylookingattheflowandnotthepipe,
thenwearemissingthestory.AlJazeerasmediashowiscalledtheListeningPost,andtheydoa
fantasticjobofdeconstructingmediaspinandmediamanoeuvringonaweeklybasis.SoIthink
thatsoneofanumberofAlJazeeraprogrammesthatCanadiansaregoingtoenjoy.Ibelievetheyre
basedinLondonbuttheytouchafairamountontheU.S.andfrequentlyhaveguestsfrommedia
watchdogorganizationsandmediacriticalorganizationsthatgivereallyfantasticcontexttothe
waystoriesarereportedandtheforcesbehindthat.

S:YoucouldalwaysdoashowonFaultLinesaboutit?

A:Itsfunny,wevetalkedaboutit,butitsabitnavelgazingisntit?Usandthemedia,reportingon
howthemediareports.ThatswhyIthinktohaveamandatetocoverthemediaisreallyimportant.
Illtakeittothegroup.

S:WellfeelfreetotakethebattlefortheopenInternettothemaswell.Itsalittlelessnavel
gazing.

A:Imwithyou.Itsvisuallychallenging,butitsareallyimportantstory.

S:IsthereanythingelseyoudliketosaytotheOpenMediacommunityandCanadiansin
general?

A:IwouldliketosaytotheOpenMediacommunitythatAlJazeerasarrivalinCanadaisa
tremendouslyimportantmomentinwhichtheyhaveplayedarealrole.Theresponsefrom
OpenMedia.camembersandotherorganizationstoAlJazeeraslicenseprocessinCanadawastruly
inspiring.Somanypeopleexpressedpassionatelytheirdesire,notjustforAlJazeera,butfortheir
countrytohaveaccesstoatrulyglobalnewssourcewithauniquepointofview.Imgratefulforthe
supportthatmediaactivistsandothersinCanadahavegivenAlJazeerathusfar.Nowthatwere
finallyontheair,ifwecanjustgetahandfulofpeoplewatching,Ithinkitwillspreadvirally.SoI
thinkthisisanimportantmomentformediaactivistsandthemediaactivistcommunityinCanada
hasalreadyrespondedwithphenomenalenergytothearrivalofAlJazeera.

IthinkasmoreCanadiansgetalookatwhatwedo,itwillsparkalotofreallyinteresting
conversationsinthathaventbeenhappening.Andformediaactivists,itwillgiveyoualotofraw
materialtodiscussandtakeoutintotheworld,andIthinkwehavealotofstuffwecandotogether.

S:Thanksalotfortakingthetimetodothis.

A:Itwasatotalpleasure.