Leadership of Strategic Change in Al Jazeera Channel - Case Study Example

Leadership of Strategic Change in Aljazeera Channel

Introduction

The Al Jazeera Satellite Channel, simply known as A Jazeera, has been a key element in the discussion on the transformation of the Arab World. Aljazeera was initially started as an Arabic satellite news network by Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani of Qatar in 1996 and has grown to a network of a number of outlets owned and managed by the Al Jazeera Media Network that has headquarters in Doha, Qatar. The channel has become a strong competitor to world’s largest networks such as British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Cable News Network (CNN) and Deutsche Welle (DW). The growth of the channel from its regional confinement to become a global channel has been due to a change in leadership and strategy.

The relationship between media and democracy, as well as human rights, has been evident since the introduction of Al Jazeera. According to the founder, the channel had the goal of “providing the sort of independent news that the region's state-run broadcasters had long ignored (Reuters, 2011).” The need to distinguish reporting and propaganda and give an opportunity for expression and opinion to the Arab world has also been a key goal in management. The narrative propelled by the Western media was much influenced by the opinions of the agenda shapers about the East, which is an agenda that Al Jazeera has been stern in countering by giving the Arabs a platform to narrate their story. The channel has also been a catalyst in breaking the one-sidedness in the presentation of issues pertaining the East, which have not only been influenced by ethnocentrism but also stereotyping – an argument held by Edward Wadie Said (Weiss, 2004, 5). To achieve this milestones, leadership has played a major role by taking a strategic turn.

Identifying the Gap in the Global Industry and the Leadership Challenge

The desire to have an autonomous news channel in the Middle East that has the independence to shape the social, political, and economic agenda was the primary factor that drove the launch of Al Jazeera 20 years ago. Although the independence of the channel has been contested, especially in North America, it was a factor considered in the globalization strategy. Before the introduction of English channels, Al Jazeera created ad enjoyed the monopoly in the Middle East through constant criticism of governance in the region. However, it did not touch on the way that the Qatar government ran its affairs, which could be one of the reasons it remained autonomous but unpopular among leaders in the region (Tilley & Cokley, 2005, 75).

Notably, some governments started state-funded news channels to counter the constant criticism from Al Jazeera but failed to gain audience as they were understood to be platforms to propel state propaganda. For instance, the Saudi royal family started the Al-Arabiya news channel to face the Al Jazeera’s criticism. In addition, the US government launched Al Hurra to broadcast in Arab as a way to counter the critical coverage of the Iraqi war, which was noted to be highly biased in regard to America’s foreign interests. Despite the emerging competition and criticism, Al Jazeera remained resilient and held its viewership base among Arab speakers in the Middle East and North Africa.

The ability of the channel to conquer the Arab media industry became a strength that it was ready to spread to the rest of the world through an English channel. Nonbiased reporting was to be the main tool to use in countering the ethnocentric reporting by the Western Channels, which would give an avenue for the rest of the world to view the Arab sphere as it is. In this regard, much effort was required of the leaders during the restructure in 2006. The then managing director of the Arabic Channel, Wadah Khanfar, played a crucial role in ensuring that the replication of culture within all the emergent channels was successful. The major task for Khanfar to ensure that the channel was accepted by English viewers and maintain its credibility as a nonbiased broadcaster. Unlike in the Middle East where the Arab channel had countered competition to become a pace-setter, the global market had its veterans with CNN and BBC being top of the list (Martin, 2003).

The coverage of the Iraqi war was one of the factors key in the identification of the gap in the Global industry. Reporting was seen to be heavily biased either because of political influence or individual opinions with the majority seemingly supporting the efforts by the US government against Saddam Hussein. According to Streissguth (2007, 83), reporting by North America news channels was conducted under the control of the military and the US government: “Instead of a free and open press, coverage was provided by an obedient handmaiden of the military.” American news channels, including CBS, CNN, ABC, NBC, and FNC were biased through the direct commentary of news anchors or the source of their stories. For instance, some channels such as FNC identified with the American troops by referring them to as “our troops” or identifying the antiwar protests as “sickening” (Poe, 2015, 78). Poe also suggests that media remained biased either because of what they covered as well as what they failed to cover while in some cases, media used standards of neutrality to conceal their biases at other levels (79). On the other hand, Carville and Buckwalter-Poza (2009, 45) points out that the time spent airing different events indicated the level of bias. For instance, Fox News was one of the most criticized channels with the argument that it focused more on the war activities than it did for domestic scandals such as Department of Justice fiasco.

Besides the biases of the media, freedom has also influenced its integrity, which offered an opportunity for Al Jazeera. In many cases, the government has tried to directly or indirectly influence the content aired by media, especially when Africa and the Middle East are the subject. Streissguth (2007, 84) gives various instances where the government has jeopardized media freedom by criticizing. For instance, the Pentagon influenced the Newsweek newspaper to retract the credibility of a photograph of an Al-Qaeda detainee in the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in 2007 that caused riots in the Middle East, especially in Afghanistan. Protestors in the region alleged that the infiltration and detention by the Christian West was against the Koran. Newsweek retracted the article by admitting the incorrectness of the story even as it did not have the desired effect. In light of the issues within the market, the desire to accommodate the political and economic interests within the market was high as it would probably be a tool for market entry but deny the authoritarian journalism that the Al Jazeera channel had exuded since conception (Samuel-Azran, 2010, 7). Despite this dilemma, the Western media market required an additional and nonbiased view of the East through liberal journalism and reporting.

The Al Jazeera Leadership Model

The Channel’s journalistic practices can be defined by a distinct media model that became the framework for building other satellite channels in the Middle East and beyond. The uniqueness in the model applied by the channel is one of the key factors behind its success; the model can also determine the milestones that the channel will reach in the next decade. According to Franklin (2013, 159), the channel demonstrates the evolution of media model in the Arab sphere that involves the disregard to taboos that other channels in the region and globally have feared and not dared. In addition, leadership has taken a different turn in the incorporation of journalism and Islam culture. Despite the criticism of the Western media, it has played a major role in shaping the unique model applied at Al Jazeera. Without much emphasis on foreignness, the model is considerate of the Islamic values besides having high value for media freedom, balance and neutrality, and contextual objectivity. The uniqueness of the model can also be viewed through the lens of regional development and transformation through well-articulated strategies and leadership. In this regard, it is important to consider the models that can influence or explain the functioning of organizations in the media industry.

There are three distinct leadership and control models that can be used to define the operations of satellite channels not only in the Arab world but also in the global domain as described by Ayish, (2002, 143). First model represents the government-controlled and authoritarian broadcasters whose primary duty is to drive government agenda and messages. Such channels are mainly used to serve the purpose of the individuals in power and can be either government or privately owned. They are highly biased on the issues pertaining the duty of the government and always fight hard to defend its actions; such media is common in North Africa and Middle East. Semi-commercially owned channels represent the second model, which run on the basics of liberal and free media. The model is prevalent in the Western media industry where content is selected wit accordance to its worthiness depending on the population coverage of the particular channel. Besides airing news impartially, the model emphasizes on reflecting critical views of the environment and spreading the virtues of integrity, transparency, democracy, and freedom of speech. In this regard, Al Jazeera can be seen as an embodiment of the model as declared by Ayish (2002). Finally, the third model includes the channels that are under full government control although they push for reformist agendas following the realization that television stations were losing viewership for liberal channels such as Al Jazeera. A majority of the stations in this group are owned by the government or by people in power.

Besides the three models proposed by Ayish (2002), the cascading model can describe the leadership culture at Al Jazeera in the presentation of foreign news and general public opinion. The model developed by Entman (2004, 9) sought to examine the power interchange between media and the White House. The cascading model was also developed to explain the attempt of the government to influence the media’s framing of topics in the news in a bid to influence the opinions held by the public. Within the US media field, the power seems to be wielded by the highest administration, especially the White House, followed by other elite sources of power within the government such as the Congress and Ex-officials as illustrated in Figure 1. The model is illustrative of the approach used in management and control at Al Jazeera in its transition to become a global media powerhouse as demonstrated by Cherribi (2006, 135).

Figure 1: Cascading Network Activation

Source: Entman (2004, 10)

In Cherribi’s application of the cascading model, the role played by the Emir of Qatar, which represents the power over media in Qatar is well defined. The author focuses on the controversies surrounding the use of veils among French Muslim women and according to him, “Al-Jazeera may, on the surface, look as if it offers pluralism with its variety of programs and opinions. In the case of the veil, however, there is only one perspective, an Islamic perspective that is to encourage women to wear the veil” (p. 134). The intensive discussion on the veil represents Al Jazeera’s cultural conformity and the sense of belonging that has been part of the channel’s model in the global market. It can also be an indicator of the influence of the environment on the framing of issues in the news considering that the Western channels disguised the cultural item.

Another illustration of the cascading model by Justus and Hess (2006, 8) identifies Al Jazeera as an exceptional and non-biased media whose leadership works on the maintenance of a balance between reporting and the values of democracy and integrity. According to their model, there is the possibility that one message is received and perceived in different ways depending on the channel of influence, bias, and or intention of the broadcaster. With reference to the case of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s death, the authors argue that there were three types of media as illustrated in Figure 2. In the modified model, there is the opportunity to reconstruct messages in a formal manner to present news with respect to the objectives of the broadcaster or influencer. Notably, the first two levels of the model remains unchanged as the staff and administration have a significant level of control over the type of information that reaches the public. From the model, it is evident that the leadership at Al Jazeera has respect for the duty to deliver the highest quality of unbiased news through minimalist approaches where it advocated for moderate political policies. The leaders failed to go the way of the North American channels; it also did not stick with the Jihadist forces but chose to perform the duty to the viewers, which is not to tell them what would make them pleased but the truth.

Figure 2: Global Cascading Activation Networks Model

Source: Justus and Hess (2006, 8)

Funding Al Jazeera

Even as Al Jazeera Channel has been seen as independent, it is under the ownership of the State of Qatar. Al Jazeera is highly dependent on state funding to ensure the flow of its operations considering that the Arab market does not offer reliable funding. Relying on the market subscriptions was a major problem, especially before the launch of the Al Jazeera English; a move that can be seen as economically strategic. In addition, it has launched Al Jazeera Sport in 2003 to improve viewership and revenues, which grew to become a FIFA license and acquired rights to broadcasts the 2012 and 2018 World Cups.

The funding structure of the Channel had been a point of criticism, especially in consideration of independence. According to Zayani and Sahraoui (2007, 53) Al Jazeera’s model is very loose and does not integrate well-sophisticated systems. Similarly, Iskandar (2006) belittles the achievements made by the Arab Channel in the view of an alternative media. The authors does not dissociate Al Jazeera with the mainstream Arab media in the manner of management and framing of issues in news. Key in his argument is the ownership and funding of the channel where he argues that the structure does not allow adequate freedom. Political oversight by the state’s ruling family and ambiguity in the model of decision-making and financing prompt questions pertaining independence, which also casts doubt on the credibility of the channel as a substitute. The channel’s funding framework has also been seen as a continuation of the dominant authoritarian model that has been key within the region since the 1980s (Bruyer & Jacobs, 2012, 130).

Continued criticism on the funding and structure of the channel signaled the need for change and integration of strategic corporate plans to improve the credibility of the channel as an alternative media. The critical challenge for the leadership was to reduce the attachment of the brand to its owners, which was mainly through the consideration of other funding approaches. Another major challenge concerning funding was the perceived fragility and vulnerability to financial constraints in a region that is highly dependent on oil prices (Abdulrahim, al-Kandari, & Haque, 2008, 151). Strong governments in the region had the character of bullying advertisers and, as a result, media had become highly dependent on handouts. Financial instability could easily influence the ability of media to perform its functions as it would be subjected to cuts in funding. Nonetheless, Qatar being one of the largest economies in the region in consideration of its gross domestic product per capita, provided a significantly safe ground for Al Jazeera to operate. Still, the ability of the channel to remain strong even in dire economic situations was a cause of worry, especially in consideration of the expected expansion (Sun-Hee Park, 2008, 387). The emergence of better financed competitors could eventually drive the channel out of the market. The understanding that media success relies on numbers did not favor Al Jazeera as for it to be successful, it had to relax on the government funding dependence.

The new model for Al Jazeera’s venture into the global market had to ensure that there was a distinction between those that own the channel and those that produce the news. This was to ensure that the viewers had more trust on the messages conveyed through the media and did not see them as government propaganda, which would further amplify the channel’s status as autonomous and unique as it had been seen in many parts of the Arab sphere. The market was to be assured that even as the channel broadcasts from Qatar, it does not in any way present the views and ideas of the Qatari government, which was the notion in the West and particularly the United States. As a result, global expansion sought alternative sources of funding, especially with reliance on advertisers. It is important to note that unlike in the Middle East, Western countries offer much opportunity for commercial channels and the leadership at Al Jazeera was ready to leverage that strength (Sinardet & Mortelmans, 2006). Internally, Al Jazeera could be viewed without its relationship with the Qatari government as it maintained adequate freedom to present credible and not state-controlled news. However, the biases brought forward by many spectators was the primary concern for the venture into the economics of the market, which could likely result into the deterioration of the channel’s ratings as independent.

The leaders were not very optimistic about the channel’s venture into the market economics for funding as such a move would leave it begging for advertisers in different coverage areas. As expected, the initial funding strategy was much well-thought in light of the capacity to sustain independence in reporting. Advertisers tend to avoid the channel due to the lack of the courage to face off with the powerful opponents, especially the governments in the wealthy markets, especially Egypt and Saudi Arabia (Jamal & Melkote, 2008, 7). Nonetheless, the strategic move invited a number of advertisers from the West, which reduced the dependence on state funding by significant margins. Despite the implementation of the strategy, it is important to note that the leaders in managerial positions were not willing to cut all state funding as it would keep the channel away from some market pressures such as protests by advertisers (Gerhards & Schafer, 2013, 18). Without doubt, the funding model utilized gives the channel sufficient autonomy in the delivery of content on the terms it develops without needing to appear appealing or pleasant to particular markets even as it may impair the competitive ability in new markets. The disregard of the attention sought by commercial news channels, Al Jazeera does not have to apply the same approach as other channels seeking to attract advertisers (Sim, 2006, 279). The use of other traffic driving platforms such as the internet, movies and children stations has also played a major part in reducing reliance on markets and, in this regard, Al Jazeera can be viewed as a broadcaster who provides news as a public service.

Staffing and Programming

Al Jazeera has a taste for professional journalists with adequate knowledge of their environment, which can be seen as part of the channel’s strategies in leadership. A majority of the employees for the channel have been attached to other television organizations that made the change to a more diversified global channel easy and effective. The collapse of the BBC attempt to the East that was facilitated by the denial foe satellite by Saudi Arabia brought together a pool of Arab professionals that was taken up by the management. The integrity of BBC to broadcast in the Middle East was the major point of contention as it was seen as an approach by the West to influence leadership and culture within the region. Employing experienced employees makes orientation much simpler as they already have knowledge of the expectations. In addition, flow of the culture becomes more coherent as professionals find it much easier to transition or adapt to new environments (Loomis, 2009, 151). Knowledge of the environment is key in the delivery of informed news as the individual is able to integrate with the surrounding community and, therefore, able to deliver content bot based on assumptions.

Entry into the global market, especially through the English Channel, required a differentiation strategy to ensure that the channel did not simply apply the paradigms used by Western broadcasters. One of the most crucial aspects of the channel that distinguish it from the rest is the failure to align with particular interests in reporting and framing as indicated by the modified cascading model. Unlike the leading competitors such as CNN ad BBC, which are seen to represent the views of the US and UK respectively or those of the West, Al Jazeera has been seen to take a neutral position even in matters pertaining the Middle East, especially in politics (Zöllner, 2006, 554). The integrity of their ‘product’ has been refined through their programming approach. For instance, Al Jazeera took a steadfast stance in the removal of Hosni Mubarak from leadership by airing from the center of the conflict and protests. Due to the active role played by the channel in airing the grievances of the public concerning his rule, journalists suffered extensive humiliation by being beaten and detained besides the destruction and confiscation of their equipment (Miladi, 2006, 955). This forced Mubarak to seek the intervention of the West to force the exit of Al Jazeera with the claim that the channel deliberately focused on the mounting tension following the pressure from Iran. The network has turned out to become an effective agent in shaping the opinions of the public on governance through the promotion of the values of democracy.

According to a study conducted by Al-khazendar and Ali (2013, 72), Al Jazeera is viewed as a credible source of information and news with respect to the objectivity and professionalism metrics applied. The study showed that 45.8 percent of the respondents believe that Al Jazeera is highly credible while 50.2 percent argued that the channel is relatively credible; only 2.7 percent doubted its credibility. On the other hand, 55.2 percent of the respondents pointed out the high commitment of the channel to the use of classic language while another 39.5 percent said that the channel is relatively dedicated to the use of classical language. To probability of the channel to apologize and acknowledge misinformation was also found to be high as a measure of professionalism. The following paragraphs present the model used in programing at Al Jazeera

Messages are worldly recognized; the information given at press conference for the military is consumed by domestic media. Sometimes, ambiguous information through messages can be information that is appropriate for dialogue generation. It can be unfortunate that it becomes impossible for everyone to be pleased with just one message because there rises a difference in religious believes, culture, or even the circumstances in a nation. An instant situation presentation shall be evidenced if one group is pleased by that information (Wang, 2006, 196). The suggestion is that in unfortunate situations, government should be adopting a non-stop strategy for the media to focus strategic cultures needs as it is in the Middle East and leave alone other options.

The idea of releasing the dead leader’s images should be reconsidered. For instance, photos of Zarqawi death are believed to be progressive signs in GWOT for domestic viewers, regardless that the global audience had different interpretations. In reality, the information is crafted for the global audience not leaving out the domestic and that the information, strategy of the media, mechanisms used to reinforce that require complexity as well as subtlety in a wide range that the present situation (Wicks, 2005, 341). As a result of credibility level being low, third party sources becomes credible in releasing information that is controversial as well as images in confirming the diplomats validity and acts of the military actions in obtaining them (Hafez & Skinner, 2007, 76). In Zarqawi’s political case, it would have served better if the government of Iraq released the story of his death officially. The Western character of engaging in malpractices to sway public opinion and sooth advertisers should be avoided. The Zarqawi’s body display is compared to beheading clips, which he orchestrated that clearly illustrates the United States military barbaric acts. In this regard, media tactics in allowing comparison of Jihadi organizations and the United States should be avoided. Suppose Osama Bin Laden was not captured, the media had no right to use his death symbolic display in support of martyrdom ascension (Zayani, 2008, 219).

Conclusion

Al Jazeera started out as one of the few promising satellite channels in the Middle East. From the humble beginnings in 1996, it has grown to become one of the most respected news channels around the world with the rise being largely attributed to proper leadership and application of effective strategies and plans. Al Jazeera’s dominance in the initial stages and its growing monopolization of the Arab media industry was due to the ability to develop an agenda and shape the opinion of the public on leadership and politics. Failing to take the path of the mainstream media can be applauded as one of the greatest leadership achievements for the channel considering that the media operates in a highly volatile ground where gears shift depending on the political and economic forces.

Al Jazeera’s entry into the global market, mainly through the English Channel, came with a number of challenges, which the management eventually subdued. One of the most evident challenges was criticism and lack of trust that was a result of the funding and ownership structure. Being owned by Qatar’s ruling family, the independence of the channel in reporting impartially was highly doubted. Many saw it as another manifestation of the Arab world to correct Western view, especially on politics and conflict. Despite the criticism, the channel has remained steadfast in fostering the agenda of democracy and good governance. With the aim of reducing dependence on state funding, the leadership took the strategic plan to globalization where it encouraged advertisement besides running other programs for sports, movies, and children to draw additional revenue. However, it was important for the management to strategically sustain state funding as a way to ensure that the credibility of the channel was not influenced by the economic and political needs of some individuals in certain markets.

The revised cascading model illustrates the impartiality adopted by the channel in the framing of Zarqawi’s death. The degree of professionalism and credibility as indicated by Al-khazendar and Ali is also evident in the manner that the channel aired the invasion on Iraq and the exit of Mubarak from office. In this regard, it is prudent to conclude that Al Jazeera’s leadership respects the values of freedom and democracy as well as impartiality in the delivery of content. In addition, the leaders have undertaken major strategic steps in ensuring that the channel becomes a market leader and continues to provide credible and professional news.

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