14 posts tagged “al-jazeera”

Things are looking down for the Russian auto industry, but then, the writing has been on the wall for years. This al-Jazeera report looks at UAZ and VAZ (the latter makes the Shigulis, Okas, Ladas and other models). I would guess that even the price-conscious these days are more likely to buy Indian-built models such as the Hyundai i10 than a Lada.

   At least government departments still buy them, unlike the UK where it’s no longer uncommon to see Lexus and Subaru police cars.
   But most of the Russian brands need new models if they are to keep up with Korea, India, Turkey, the Czech Republic and even Uzbekistan. Newer cars like the Siber are still out of reach of many Russians. And there are only so many Shigulis and Volgas you can sell before people ask, ‘Wasn’t that the same shape you sold during Brezhnev?’

Since Triangle TV closed in Wellington, I have not been able to watch al-Jazeera as often as I used to. As I was asked to be on the July 31 edition of Listening Post, commenting on Kim Jong-Il and the media, I thought it would be worth sharing with more of you, especially if you are equally hampered by access to the news network. (Apologies to my Vox neighbourhood who will see two entries to the same video.) I think this marks my fifth or sixth appearance—I seem to have lost count.

I am being fair and balanced here by airing one video that attempts to paint Republican supporters in a poor light after the previous video that did the same to Democrats. This was from al-Jazeera English and the network itself critiqued it on Listening Post after there were complaints and accusations of bias. Please note that the n word is used.

It’s been a while (a year?) since I gave a TV interview—the al-Jazeera spots don’t count because the question is prepared long beforehand and I have had a day (or days) to get ready.
   Yesterday, Nick Wang fired a few good questions my way, not just on the Republic of China’s anniversary but about my political candidacy, for both Sky TV and state television over in Taiwan.
   Folks, I must have done a few Sarah Palins: providing a single answer without taking intermediate breaths.
   It’s funny what happens when the camera goes on. And you feel compelled to give an answer because you have been taught that it’s courteous.
   I have to say that was the first time I was interviewed with my political hat on, and it was a bit weird.
   I think the last time I talked politics on TV I was making fun of Sen. John McCain in 2006.
   I can talk all I like about publishing, branding and typography (with or without breathing) but these were new waters for me. I know my patch, I know most of my party’s policies, I know what some voters are thinking in wanting a change from the one party called Labour–National, but I can’t tell you who the top 25 of each party’s list are.
   Eeriely, I am campaigning on being an outsider, a reformer, and not part of the Wellington establishment.
   And you know, I actually do have a record of being a maverick.

I see from Deutsche Welle and al-Jazeera that Sen. Barack Obama’s overseas trip has received huge coverage, including a big interview on CBS’s Meet the Press.
   So, where were all these networks when Sens. John McCain and Joe Lieberman went to Iraq and Europe?
   Do most Americans even know they went?
   Some Americans talk about their big three networks plus CNN providing more favourable coverage of Democratic presidential candidates—on this alone I’m inclined to believe them.

Sen. Hillary Clinton frequently stresses her foreign policy credentials over Sen. Obama. Today on al-Jazeera, which covered the Russian presidential election, Sen. Clinton was shown fumbling the pronunciation of Dmitri Medvedev—badly. And added a ‘or whatever’ to the end of that. This is hypocritical of Sen. Clinton and disrespectful to President-elect Medvedev (which is not a very hard word to pronounce for anyone who has had contact with Russians).
   If President George W. Bush did this, it would be all over the news, David Letterman would have it on ‘Great Moments in Presidential Speeches’, and the Democrats would be going on and on about what a dumbass Dubya is.
   I have not seen the American media showing Sen. Clinton’s gaffe, at least not as part of a news bulletin, but a quick Google search did show that it aired there in the US as part of a presidential nominee hopefuls’ debate. One blog commenter, Redmanrt, at Slate wrote this sentiment and I have to agree:

Over the last few days, Timothy and I have been discussing the objectivity of al-Jazeera, mostly on his blog. And while we disagree, I have to say that was probably the nicest disagreements I’ve had on the blogosphere.
   Too much disagreement or argument today is about slamming the other side so badly that they relent, and the victor goes, ‘one–nil. Ha!’
   After our discussion, in which he quoted his arguments, linked back to my responses here, and stayed on course providing each other with information, I wound up respecting him even more than I had done previously.
   The perspective mattered. We realized we were disagreeing on a single TV network and we agreed on bigger issues like our value systems.
   So when two people have that in common, most of the other stuff is just trivial filler.
   We were both prepared to do this openly and in an environment of civility.
   And when contrasted to politics or even the modern workplace, you wonder where the Timothys are: the people with whom you disagree on a tiny issue but you walk away respecting the other person a lot more than you did prior.
   I am blessed to work with some of them but I have had the misfortune in the past of working with some of the touchy, small-picture, negative types who lack basic ideas of human values.
   I can tell the phonies a lot more easily now, fortunately, which is what experience has blessed me with.
   And by and large, there seem to be very few phonies here on Vox, which is probably why I’ll stay blogging here.

Nice to know that al-Jazeera is already covering the lead-up to the Sir Edmund Hillary funeral, with a huge piece just now on the news bulletin live from Auckland outside the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where his body is lying in state and people are paying their respects. Nothing of the sort on TV One and TV3 at the moment, though from what I remember, one of the networks will carry the actual funeral live. Good on al-Jazeera for being truly global.

The very lovely Meenakshi Ravi, associate producer on Listening Post, invited me to contribute to the next edition of the al-Jazeera show reporting on the media. I am not sure of the air date but I’ll be watching this week’s to see if I made the cut.
   The strange thing is the reaction I get from other Kiwis—they still look puzzled when I tell them that I am occasionally on Listening Post (three times so far in 2007). This includes cities which get al-Jazeera. Yet they would not think it were odd if I said it was the BBC or CNN—so why is being part of another global news network so strange? It’s not as though we have our own global news network here in New Zealand, so we are not exactly in a position to judge.
   Still, I’m proud to be on the show and to offer sometimes an alternative viewpoint.

I caught it on a rebroadcast, rather than on the 31st, but here is yours truly, by invitation, for a second time on Listening Post on al-Jazeera’s English service.
   The first segment goes after the Murdoch Press (Fox News) and contrasting it to non-US media. My little part is, as some of you know, was fleshed out in my blog post last week. Forward to me at 7'39": I think this is the strongest reason behind any particular angle on the Iran story, rather than saying that Fox is trying to do the White House’s bidding on creating a war with Iran.

   Respect to al-Jazeera’s editors who managed to get the best bit of my video and summarize the whole two minutes!