Control Room
Control Room, by Jehane Noujaim (Startup.com), an award-winning Arab-American filmmaker who has lived within and embraced both worlds, provides an opportunity to re-examine what is perhaps the most pressing question of international relations today: "is America radicalizing or stabilizing the Arab world?"
Without miring itself in shadowy conspiracy theories, Control Room provides a balanced view of Al-Jazeera's presentation of the second Iraq war to their worldwide Arab audience, and in so doing calls into question many of the prevailing images and positions offered up by the U.S. news media.
Control Room'sview inside Al-Jazeera-a network branded "Osama Bin-Laden's mouthpiece" and subject of intense criticism from U.S. administration officials for showing images of Iraqi casualties and American POWs that American viewers never saw-suggests that its views on news reportage might actually be more in tune with democratic ideals than those of its Western counterparts.
Control Room neatly bridges the gap between timeless and timely; timeless because it locates itself in the midst of the ongoing cultural clash between Western and Arab worlds, timely because it does so through the prism of satellite television's impact on how viewers receive information worldwide - from news providers, driven by the patriotism of their audiences, to Army information officers, driven by military objectives. Control Room is a seminal documentary that explores how Truth is gathered, presented, and ultimately created by those who deliver it.
Al jazeerah needs to return their affairs back to the Ulema because this is a misguided group of journalist, are they Muslim's? or anyone can report at this station? does anyone have religious knowledge advising them?
A very well produced and informative documentary...thanks for showing the other side of the coin. Thanks for the truth..
USA is a lough out, trough the government out, people, you are not that imbecile. Are you?
these were the days the Al Jazeera was viewed as 'balanced'. Alas. it is owned by Qatar govt. The same country who is using its fleet of (bought by the US) warplanes to attack Libya. A puppet. It's no surprise that Al Jazeera was Al Quaida's mouthpiece. Al Quaida, is after all, an arm of CIA. These days Al Jazeera is busy creating exaggerated/false reports on 'democracy protest' in middle eastern countries to create regime changes to fit the western agenda. Al Jazeera is a foe (of the anti-imperialists) disguised as a friend.
Hijacked media.
Here's the only thing in the middle east on the western agenda , stop strapping explosives to yourselves and blowing s*** up.
"The first casualty of war is truth."
Nice view on Al Jazeera in their days before Al Jazeera English. It also shows how shamefull the role of the other media was leading to that war. It has come a long way but they were even then the only ones who tried to bring both perspectives.
"Osama Bin Laden's Mouthpiece" ? Surely if that was the case the US would have tried to ban viewing in Islamic countries not the US and other Western States. Are they afraid we will all convert and start forming cells? The east vs west theme is hyped up and would not be credible if left to the informed democratic will of East and West. I hate the way we are expected to believe that Muslims like nothing better than a blood fest with Christians. Funny how all the proven Arab despots took power with the help of western agents provocateurs and hit squads ( some prefer to call them special forces or intelligence agents but they have acted as hit squads. )
Salaam from your Christian brethren.
So it's the media's fault, what a crock. Christians who convert to a muslim faith don't get stoned to death by other Christians. Christians don't burn down embassies over cartoons. It wasn't Christians who flew airplanes into buildings killing thousands in the name of their god. The muslim faith is not one of peace and tolerance, but one of hate and violence. It's not some of them or a few of them, it's all of them. Nobody ever says a few radical klansmen have given the KKK a bad image. It's time to quit being politically correct and call this cult of goofballs the violent pack of hypocrites that they are.
Really liked this documentary, its worth a watch if you've got a free 90 mins.The role of media in warfare is paramount and this documentary gives an insight I haven't seen portrayed as thoroughly before.
Excellent! I wish the US media would show the other side of the story, and let the American people decide for themselves what they think is right.