Key staff quitting, discontent among the ranks - the channel that attracted star names has gone from broadcasting darling to a state of upheaval. So what’s going on at al-Jazeera English? By Ben Dowell
When it launched in November 2006, the combination of star signings with state-of-the-art technology and grand ambitions made al-Jazeera English one of the most talked about news channels in the world. People are still talking but, less than two and a half years later, their comments are no longer so positive.
Staff defections, discontent in the broadcaster’s four offices across the world, and an alleged lack of direction and purpose after only 18 months on air have culminated in the departure of two key personnel in the past fortnight: head of news Steve Clark, described by one staffer as a “linchpin of the launch”, and David Marash, a former ABC Nightline presenter who was the senior anchor in Washington.
With Clark’s departure the original self-styled “magnificent seven” of mainly British launch directors at the sister service to the Arab-language channel have all but gone. Although perhaps not an immediately recognisable name to UK audiences, Marash was a star signing, comparable for US audiences with Sir David Frost, the British anchor who was hired to present a live weekly current affairs programme three years ago.
In the past two months, more than 15 staff in total have quit amid varying complaints ranging from contractual disputes to budgetary pressures. A possible relaunch later this year is also causing uncertainty.
Paul Gibbs, the broadcaster’s first director of programmes, who left two years ago, said last week: “Usefully, I invested some of my substantial compensation in the recruitment business, for barely does a day go by without someone from al-Jazeera emailing a CV.”
So what has gone wrong at the channel that started so well with Frost’s exclusive interview with Tony Blair in the opening week, and which continues to employ reporter Rageh Omaar and presenter Stephen Cole among others?
No one still working for al-Jazeera would talk to the Guardian on the record. According to one senior staff member, however, a series of issues, including the removal of benefits and a lack of pay rises despite a falling dollar, has added to the growing discontent about working conditions at the company.
Clark’s departure was perhaps inevitable after his wife, Jo Burgin, the former head of planning at al-Jazeera English, launched a claim for sex, race and religious discrimination which is still outstanding.
Others suggest that the seeds of discontent were sown as early as pre-launch. Not only was the date consistently pushed back but on the eve of the launch a split between the management of the original channel, launched in 1996 and funded by the emir of Qatar, and the new international version meant that the name was changed to al-Jazeera English from al-Jazeera International in what seemed like a “last-minute panic”.'
When it launched in November 2006, the combination of star signings with state-of-the-art technology and grand ambitions made al-Jazeera English one of the most talked about news channels in the world. People are still talking but, less than two and a half years later, their comments are no longer so positive.
Staff defections, discontent in the broadcaster’s four offices across the world, and an alleged lack of direction and purpose after only 18 months on air have culminated in the departure of two key personnel in the past fortnight: head of news Steve Clark, described by one staffer as a “linchpin of the launch”, and David Marash, a former ABC Nightline presenter who was the senior anchor in Washington.
With Clark’s departure the original self-styled “magnificent seven” of mainly British launch directors at the sister service to the Arab-language channel have all but gone. Although perhaps not an immediately recognisable name to UK audiences, Marash was a star signing, comparable for US audiences with Sir David Frost, the British anchor who was hired to present a live weekly current affairs programme three years ago.
In the past two months, more than 15 staff in total have quit amid varying complaints ranging from contractual disputes to budgetary pressures. A possible relaunch later this year is also causing uncertainty.
Paul Gibbs, the broadcaster’s first director of programmes, who left two years ago, said last week: “Usefully, I invested some of my substantial compensation in the recruitment business, for barely does a day go by without someone from al-Jazeera emailing a CV.”
So what has gone wrong at the channel that started so well with Frost’s exclusive interview with Tony Blair in the opening week, and which continues to employ reporter Rageh Omaar and presenter Stephen Cole among others?
No one still working for al-Jazeera would talk to the Guardian on the record. According to one senior staff member, however, a series of issues, including the removal of benefits and a lack of pay rises despite a falling dollar, has added to the growing discontent about working conditions at the company.
Clark’s departure was perhaps inevitable after his wife, Jo Burgin, the former head of planning at al-Jazeera English, launched a claim for sex, race and religious discrimination which is still outstanding.
Others suggest that the seeds of discontent were sown as early as pre-launch. Not only was the date consistently pushed back but on the eve of the launch a split between the management of the original channel, launched in 1996 and funded by the emir of Qatar, and the new international version meant that the name was changed to al-Jazeera English from al-Jazeera International in what seemed like a “last-minute panic”.'
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