Meeting the Needs of Multiple Audiences: An Examination of the Aljazeera and English Aljazeera Websites from the Public Relations Perspective

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Abstract

Five years after the inception of the Aljazeera satellite news network in 1996, the organization created a companion Arabic Web site (www.aljazeera.net), effectively increasing its reach to any reader of Arabic with Internet access worldwide. While a fairly stable entity, Aljazeera.net has faced a number of challenges over its short history. Some mirror those of the parent organization such as criticisms from many governments about its reporting as well as struggles to move to an advertiser-funded model. Other problems have been unique to the web experience including difficulties with video streaming, hacker attacks, and the challenges of developing a foreign language (English) version of the site. This essay will review the past, current status, and future prospects of Aljazeera’s companion Web sites from a public relations perspective. It will deal with the Web site’s startup, its link to Aljazeera TV, the difficulties with video streaming, and the challenges with English Aljazeera.net. Meeting the Needs of Multiple Audiences: An Examination of the Aljazeera and English Aljazeera Websites from the Public Relations Perspective