Global Media News

Threats Against Al Jazeera Journalists in Syria

According to The Telegraph, a Syrian businessman, Fahim Saqr, has issued threats against Al Jazeera reporters working in Syria and offered a bounty of 10 million liras (about $95,000) to any citizen who brought those journalists to the Syrian authorities. Saqr was quoted as saying, "These people mislead Syrian citizens inside and outside the country, mislead the Arab world and mislead the whole world with their false reporting, which aims to fragment the country and Syria's social fabric."

The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned these threats and Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said, "Our Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya colleagues face enormous risk in their coverage of the Syrian conflict, and this reckless announcement can further raise the danger"

The Al Jazeera Media Network has also denounced the threats. The director of news for Al Jazeera Arabic, Ibrahim Helal, said,  “Al Jazeera prides itself on honest and objective reporting, people who feel Al Jazeera does not reflect their point of view have no basis for any argument when they use threats of intimidation and violence through social media portals like Facebook and Twitter."

The danger is very real for journalists working in turbulent countries like Syria. They are at risk simply for being where they are and threats for simply doing their jobs make things that much harder. Al Jazeera is a powerful media presence in the Middle East - if even its reporters aren't safe from threats, can any really be?

Square Up On The Competition

    Although the Square application has received a great deal of recognition and popularity throughout the few years that it has been out, there are other companies that have come out with a concept similar to the Square application.

    An example of this is Intuit’s GoPayment credit card reader, which provides its customer with the same benefits as Square because it allows its users to get paid while on the go. However, according to The Business Insider, “there’s no credit check or sign up fee with Square, but you still have to pay 2.75% plus $0.15 for each transaction. On the other hand, Intuit’s GoPayment requires a credit check, but you get a slightly better rate at 2.7% plus $0.15”.

    Another application that’s similar to Square is GoPago, which is also based in San Francisco, CA, and bankrolled by JP Morgan Chase. Unlike Square, GoPago does not give its merchants a card reader and software. It gives them a free Android tablet and Verizon 4G wireless data to be used solely for GoPago purposes. One main disadvantage that GoPago has is that it charges .10 percent more than Square. GoPago charges 2.85% per transaction while Square charges 2.75%. The slight advantage that GoPago has over Square is that it allows you to place a takeout order in advance when using its application.

   According to a CNN Money article, “The Company says it is currently processing transactions at an annualized rate of $6 billion, up from just $2 billion late last year. It has grown from 80 employees to over 300 in the past year… But Square is also under attack from a growing number of deep-pocketed competitors. In recent months, eBay's (EBAY) PayPal unit introduced a competing card reader for mobile devices as well as a set of apps that mimic the functionality of Square's apps. VeriFone, the giant maker of point of sale terminals, followed suit with its own card reader and a new business unit that is going after the same kind of mom-and-pop merchants that have been Square's core market. And others, like Groupon (GRPN) and Google, are said to be close to introducing products that will directly compete with Square's”.

All in all, as more technological advances come into place the Square application will face more competition, but as of right now Square is one of the most well-known card readers out right now. 

Al Jazeera: Leader in international news media

What was a failed venture of the BBC is now an independent 24/7 television news channel based in Qatar.  Al Jazeera was launched in November 1996. Sheik Hamad of Qatar was disappointed by the lack of press freedom in the Arab world that he pledged to back the network and give it full editorial and content control.  Sheik Hamad said:

"I believe criticism can be a good thing," the emir said in a 1997 speech, "and some discomfort for government officials is a small price to pay for this new freedom."

In a history about Al Jazeera on Allied-Media.com it gives a brief overview of where Al Jazeera began and where it is now.   What started as a small network is now one of the leaders in global media.  Here is information about present day Al Jazeera:

"The station has come a long way since it was launched in November 1996. With more than 30 bureaus and dozens of correspondents covering the four corners of the world Al Jazeera has given millions of people a refreshing new perspective on global events. Free from the shackles of censorship and government control, Al Jazeera has offered its audiences in the Arab world much needed freedom of thought, and room for debate."

Al Jazeera gives a new and different perspective about world news.  It has been both praised and criticized about it coverage of world news.  During the second Gulf War, Al Jazeera covered the war and showed images of the war that people were not prepared to see.  There is a documentary film "Control Room" that follows Al Jazeera network and its journalists during the the second Gulf War.  During that war some label the network the "mouthpiece of Osama Bin Ladin", supporters of Al Quada and the Taliban.

Al Jazeera Still Streaming Live from Tahir Square

 
Tahir Square, Cairo,  1/25/11 . Source: CBC.

Al Jazeera has a live feedfrom the protest in Tahir Square in Cairo.  

How is that possible?

The New York Times Media Decoder  blogger Brian Stetler posts that Al Jazeera is being assisted by other channels from the region:

"In a show of solidarity, ten channels in the region have started to simulcast Al Jazeera’s broadcasts, according to Al Jazeera. Twitter messages from viewers said A Hewar, Al Jadeed, Al Karama, Al Suhail, and Aden were among the channels that have participated in the simulcast."

Twitter blocked?   Yes and no.   Yes,Twitter itself is being blocked but th tweets are still flowing out of Egypt  because of some fascinating work-arounds that allow Egyptians to call a phone number and record a message that is tranformed into a Tweet.  

New York Times reporter Christine Hauser describes the service as combining Google, Twitter and a  "voice-based social media platform" called Saynow .    Check this out: