Al Jazeera’s News Sources: Network of Correspondents and Significance of Location Mohamed Daoud el-Ali
Introduction One of the main factors determining the success or downfall of media organisations is the source of their news. The more engaging, reliable and breaking stories they may have access to, ahead of oth- er networks, the more they stand a chance of beating the competition. The long-term success of media rests, for the most part, on the cultiva- tion of exclusive news sources, and their ability to have access to those sources in a timely manner, all in a highly competitive environment. In this context, many research works have addressed Al Jazeera from different aspects; but none seemed to have tackled the issue of sources and their pivotal role in the Network’s success and leading position in the media scene in both the Arab and international arenas. Perhaps the reason behind the researchers avoiding this issue may lend itself to the fact that it requires hands-on familiarity with news-making techniques and processes. To bridge this gap in the existing literature about Al Jazeera, this chapter addresses news sources and their importance in making a dif- ference in media coverage. It sheds light on a score of documented field encounters reporters have had in getting unparalleled access to strategic locations. Reporting stories from such remote and important locations, not only brings to viewers exclusive and breaking news, but also brings viewers themselves closer to the social, political and cultural context in which those stories take place. To that end, three questions will be answered in the paragraphs that follow. How critical are news sources
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