More importantly, it has been a champion for democracy and human rights in the Middle East, thereby provoking the ire of Arab autocratic rulers, which went to great lengths to silence the Qatar-based television news network. The satellite-broadcasting network has played a leading role in bringing stories and perspectives that other international media do not always cover, if at all. In the information age, the ability to execute a successful public diplomacy strategy strongly depends on aĪl Jazeera (AJ) has been a defining feature in developing news media in the Middle East and beyond. Public diplomacy is defined as " efforts by the government of one nation to influence public or elite opinion in a second nation for the purpose of turning the foreign policy of the target nation to advantage " (Manheim, 1994, p. Accordingly, the article discusses the interplay among news networks, ownership, and use of public diplomacy tactics in contemporary international broadcasting. Based on an 8-year study of Al-Jazeera's coverage of Saudi affairs throughout the Qatari–Saudi conflict, which revealed a strong correlation between Al-Jazeera Arabic's tone toward Saudi affairs and the development of the Qatari–Saudi conflict, the article argues that Qatar invented a new model of public diplomacy by operating Al-Jazeera as a hybrid state-sponsored/private network, effectively transforming the network into a highly potent public diplomacy tool. The second began with the emergence of privately owned global news networks (e.g., CNN, Sky News, and MSNBC) in the 1980s and 1990s, which were deemed more credible than government-sponsored stations. The first, which began during World War I and declined in the post–Cold War era, was characterized by international government-sponsored radio broadcasters. The use of international broadcasting, a tool of public diplomacy since World War I, can be divided into two chronological periods. This article examines the challenges posed by such developments for Qatar and Al Jazeera. The intersection of these themes illustrates the geopolitical rationale which allowed Qatar to develop a distinctive international media presence and to become a player in the international community. The reasons for this stance are examined as well as their implications. The third theme addressed is the considerable airtime provided by Al Jazeera in support of the Arab uprisings and particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. However, after 2007, for a few years, the Qatari and Saudi royal families addressed their longstanding differences and seemingly aligned their foreign policy objectives vis-à-vis certain dossiers, although the relationship between both parties has become tense again more recently.
The failed coup compelled the Qatari rulers to invest heavily in soft power, and especially media. Cold and cautious at best, relations reached their lowest ebb in February 1996, when a Saudi-backed coup was foiled in Qatar. The second theme considers the centrality of the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and its resulting impact on Al Jazeera’s editorial line. The first concerns the extent to which Al Jazeera’s overall editorial line has aligned with Qatar’s foreign policy, in contrast to the initial stance, in which Qatari officials avoided any flagrant interference in Al Jazeera’s affairs. This paper explores the changing political economy of Al Jazeera satellite television network by examining three broad yet interrelated themes.
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