A Methodological Approach to the Study of Al-Jazeera: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

Soon after its establishment in 1996, Al-Jazeera emerged as a major international broadcaster. In particular, it attracted global attention by broadcasting exclusive videos of Bin Laden and a series of investigative reports on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it became a strong competitor of well-known international broadcasters such as BBC and CNN. From late 2010, Al-Jazeera also played an important role in the “Arab Spring.” Al-Jazeera is now the subject of hundreds of studies by numerous researchers. This research note has two purposes. First, in order to suggest future directions for the study of Al-Jazeera, it looks closely at previous studies about the company, points out three developmental stages in these studies, and presents some issues to be solved. Second, it proposes an analytical framework for better understanding of the structural transformation of Al-Jazeera with particular focus on political and economic factors. Although many studies have discussed Al-Jazeera’s political and social impact, studies that explain its structural transformation are inadequate. With reference to political communication theories, this research note attempts to propose better analytical framework for future studies of Al-Jazeera.