Since the eve of the war in Afghanistan Al-Jazeera has become a global household name and a
news source that cannot be ignored. Globalization theorists argue that Al-Jazeera promotes a
cross-cultural debate enforcing a counter-hegemonic perspective on the West not evident in
former crises. Through a comprehensive empirical analysis covering the re-broadcasting of
Al-Jazeera's images on major U.S. television networks since 9 11 this book draws an
alternative picture revealing that the advent of Al-Jazeera has actually eroded the
counter-hegemonic debate in U.S. war reporting. It shows how the U.S. government persuaded
television networks to systematically reformat legitimate war images from Al-Jazeera labeling
it a deviant network in order to eliminate criticism of the war. Moreover an examination of
the U.S. reception by bloggers and network carriers of Al-Jazeera's English-language website
and channel reveals the U.S. administration's continued resolve and ability to limit public
discourse.
