IAmA US Marine who helped start Al Jazeera English. Now I host a show called Fault Lines on AJE. AMA

What can I say to convince co-workers that Al-Jazeera isn't the "terrorist news channel" (aside from the fact that a Marine helped start it)?

Simply have them watch it, even just a few minutes. It streams live on youtube at www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish.

You could also mention that Sec. Clinton testified in front of the Senate that the State Department watches it, that President Obama has recently publicly praised it, as has Sen. McCain.

You could also have them read this article I wrote for Readers Digest about it: http://bit.ly/urM6WU

But the very best cure for the Al Jazeera blues is to simply watch it.

No questions. Just wanted to say thank you for helping bring AJE into the world.

Thanks!

Are you aware college government classes are showing a video about you? Saw it about a year ago on there. Pretty cool to see you pop up on here. Continue the good work.

I wasn't. Where? What video?

Agreed. Watching you in Control Room was really interesting.

Thanks.

I got way too excited when I saw this. I recently watched the Evangelism in the military episode of Fault Lines. When you interview Brent Scowcroft he seemed completely dismissive when you asked him about the missionaries embedded with military units, even though there's pretty clear video of this. I used to be in the military and I've had the media coaching/deny everything training when you're put in an uncomfortable situation, so I know it when I see it. Was there a point in the interview, or after the cameras were turned off where you said something along the lines of "Look, we have proof this is happening, it's right here, can you at least give me a straight answer?" and if so, what was his response?

Yes there was a moment like that. I promised to send him the DVDs of the missionaries' show. He never got back to me about it. I honestly don't believe that he was trying to cover it up. I think he truly believed that it couldn't be possible, which in a way confirms how outrageous the fact is that it actually happened.

What's your opinion on the recent coup in Mali? Does this constitute a more direct branch of the Arab Springs? How does it tie in to the overall revolutionary air in world politics now?

I certainly believe there is something happening in the world right now. I think the frustrations of those in the Arab Spring are not that different from those rioting in Greece, demonstrating in Chile, occupying in the States from Oakland to New York. There is a growing awareness of the masses being getting the short end of the stick while the few at the top get richer and more powerful, which in turn becomes a vicious cycle. If I had to make a prediction, I believe significant change to the larger systems that run our world could be at hand within the next several years.

All that said, I'm not sure how closely linked the events in Mali are to all of this. My guess is that the war there is more a response to internal events and would likely be happening regardless of OWS, Arab Spring, et al.

(I have to screen my next episode of Fault Lines now. I'll be back in about half and hour.)

Do you feel like the coverage on Al Jazeera is always fair, or can it be as biased as American news channels? (I don't get to see it very often)

We try very hard to be as fair as possible. I'm sure there are times we fall short of perfection, although I can't think of any specific examples.

I remember seeing you on the Al-Jazeera documentary control room, if I am not mistaken. You seemed to come to a bit of an epiphany during the course of the program. Could you talk about any of the things that really changed your views surrounding the middle east? In the film it seemed that you had a real deep shift in thought, and I am wondering if this is accurate.

I have had a deep shift in thought over time. By being there. Spending time with them. Realizing what our actions looked like from there perspective. American media shows were the missiles take off from, Al Jazeera shows were they land. Our efforts to democratize the Middle East looked very different depending on which side of the barrel you were on. You may also refer to my reply to WingedDefeat about our limits of empathy.

Thanks for the reply, I really think taking a moment to think about things from the other side is really a game changer in every conflict, personal or global.

If widely practiced, it would change our world.

When you guys were filming in Mexico, did you ever feel, at one point or another, that the police were about to throw their hands up in the air and say, "We can't deal with this anymore!"?

There were moments similar to that. We were interviewing a cop in the middle of a small park at about midnight. She had about 8 heavily armed police around her. I asked, Why the heavy firepower? Should we feel unsafe right now? And she answered, "Yes."

Where is this from? Can I view this online? BTW Control Room is a great documentary.

Thanks.

Here is the piece from Juarez: http://youtu.be/A-4ALKGBbOE

Here is the piece from deeper in Mexico: http://youtu.be/2Rc72FZYlCM

Hi Josh! CWA is happening next week, and I'm sure you'll be missed. Now that you've been working for Al Jazeera, what are your thoughts on how American media has been coping with the changing media landscape as compared to foreign outlets? And how do you think the traditional media model will change now that journalists are competing with bloggers and other first person reporters?

Also, you helped with a paper I was writing for a political geography class two years ago while I was volunteering for the CWA. I never got a chance to tell you, but I got an A :)

Great news about your paper! I've always wondered how that turned out. ;-)

The answer to your query is quite complicated. Let me see if I can keep it brief...

I see the media model evolving so that reporters aren't competing with bloggers. First person witnesses, bloggers and journalists all contribute to a mosaic of information. Each represents a different level of vetting, experience, and institutional analysis. At the end of the day, they all add up to create a broad picture for any given consumer. It's just a larger ecosystem of information collectors and content providers.

For your first question, I think American media is in a very troubled state. The race for viewership numbers and profits has led to a competition for an increasingly shrinking audience. The audience is shrinking because it feels the infotainment served up by the news -- especially television news -- is less and less relevant. I think there have been positive changes at CBS in this regard. Their replacing Katie Couric with Scott Pelly was a very good sign.

At Al Jazeera we are dedicated to old-school journalism in as pure of form as we can accomplish it. We are funded by the government of Qatar, so we are basically public broadcasting on steroids.

How close is the relationship between AJ and the government of Qatar in terms of what gets reported on? Do officials in the Qatari government ever dictate what does and does not get reported on, or are you completely independent?

In my seven years at the network, I've never been contacted by anyone from the Qatari government concerning my reporting, nor has anyone I've ever known here.

Can you give me your honest opinion on Al Jazeera Arabic?

I do not speak Arabic, so I can not give an honest opinion of their content; however, the journalists and producers who I know that work there are top-notch...

What strategies have been/are used to help increase Al Jazeera's popularity in the United States?

Also... What is your favorite cheerleading movie?

We believe our popularity will increase as more people hear about the quality of our journalism (this is where all of the recent awards help).

I'm glad you asked, because I feel strongly about this: Bring it On. The original of course, not the comprised sequels.

Is the increase in readers/viewers notable over the last year? do you know any numbers about this?

I Hate to disagree, but I feel strongly that Bring It On: In It To Win It is a much more powerful film that truly encompasses what it means to be a cheer leader today in America. Perhaps for your next story...

I don't have numbers about our viewership. Honestly, it's not our focus. We are singularly obsessed with creating the highest standard for journalism in the world. Hopefully, someone will tune in to see it.

We will have to agree to disagree on this point. Although I'm finding it hard not to judge you.

Haha, I'm actually a student at Clark University, I live right across from your son, he told about a certain fondness for Bring it on. I've heard some pretty amazing stories about your travels, very impressive, thanks for the AMA.

This was actually his idea. He comes up with some good ones every so often. Cheers!

What is your honest impression about RT? I hear conflicting reports about them.

Seems okay to me, except when it comes to anything about Russia or the US.

In order to start AJE, what kind of relationship did you have to form with the Qatari government? What is that relationship like now, and what nationalities, besides yourself, generally help manage the station?

I have no relationship with the Qatari government. AJE has employees from 100 countries. Al Anstey is the current managing director (top guy), he's British. A number of the top spots are occupied by Arab, British, and Americans.

Have you (meaning the company) ever considered a different name?

I could be wrong, but I feel that there is a significant demographic (in the US at least) that is turned off by the name.

Racist? Probably. But still there.

How about just "Island". Just a thought.......

Nope. We would never define ourselves by what the US thinks.

It's sad thought that you guys are downsizing in the DC office.

I'm sad for my friends who lost their jobs. But this shouldn't be construed as us reducing our US coverage. It's exactly the opposite, by not having so many people here in DC we can spread more producers and reporters across the US. We just opened bureaus in Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles...

What do you think is the greatest barrier to Americans and people of the Middle East getting along? How do you think that barrier should be removed, if it can be?

What's your favorite food from far off and distant lands?

I believe we all tend to be most empathetic to those who we perceive are most like us and least empathetic to those we perceive as being most different from us. We get so little information about normal people of the Middle East through our news or entertainment, that it is very difficult for Americans to realize that they have far more in common with the people of the Middle East than in difference. I believe this could be addressed by Americans traveling abroad more (have a passport. Use it.) And by greater exposure to international news, hence what I do. These certainly won't solve the problem, but they could go a long way toward improving the situation.

I love the ceviche in Lima! Lima is having a culinary explosion right now. Food there is great. I'm also enamored with the cuisine of Vietnam. It's a fusion of Chinese, Thai and French and it is absolutely fantastic. I have to mention shwarmas in the Middle East (my favorites are in Qatar) and tacos al pastor in Mexico. Believe it or not, these last two share a common history.

Do you feel Al Jazeera is portrayed unfairly in the western media? Is it just doing the same kind of work as other news channels as are there in the west (I feel almost all news channels have some kind of political ideological bent)?

Al Jazeera was portrayed inaccurately by the Western press for many years; however, now we are enjoying a complete turn around. In the last year, just some of the US awards we have won include a Peabody, Dupont, and Scripps Howard. Internationally, we were chosen as news channel of the year by the Royal Television Society over every American channel, BBC, Sky News, etc...

Are you hiring?

On and off... Watch here: http://www.aljazeera.com/aboutus/2009/10/2009103081456514230.html

Whats the cia like?

Read Legacy of Ashes

Long time Al-Jazeera and Fault Lines viewer here. Two questions, if you manage to see them:

Can you give us your personal take on the differences between Al-Jazeera English and Aljazeera in Arabic? I get the impression that the latter is far more controversial, but as I am not literate in Arabic, I can't easily judge for myself.

Some people accuse Aljazeera, even the English channel, of having a very pro-palestinian Bias. Although this is hardly an uncommon bias to hold (Israel can pretty easily be characterized as the occupying power), how significant, if at all, do you think this bias is? Is it reflected in the editorial policy? (personally, I find AJE to be remarkably well-balanced)

That's cool that you watch Fault Lines. I have a new episode coming out Monday that I'm really proud of. We investigate the growing trend of privatized immigration detainee facilities in US.

AJA broadcasts only in Arabic. It is meant for an Arabic-speaking audience. That shapes what stories it covers, how it covers them and how it prioritizes the events of the world. AJE, on the other hand, is an English language network meant for anyone who speaks English as a first or secondary language. Our audience is multi-cultural and all over the world, which influences how we cover the news in same aforementioned ways.

Many in the ME have accused AJA of being pro-Zionist, because AJA was the first Arabic news source to show interviews with Israeli officials.

AJE does not have a pro-Palestinian bias.

While working for AJ, when do you think your life has been in the most danger?

Tough to say. Perhaps, one time in Mosul, Iraq. We were departing the city after having interviewed the governor. My team and I were held up in a traffic circle by the Iraqi Army. They separated us from our security escorts who were from the governor of Mosul. There was a dust up at the time between the governor and the army. We didn't have proper documentation to be in the country. We were sitting ducks in the traffic circle. At risk of being detained. And our exit route was made more dangerous because it gave any possible attackers time to prepare for our egress. There may have been times where the danger was more obvious, like when I was covering Colombian special forces attacking drug labs in the jungle or times I've been shot at or near incoming mortars, but I think my spidey senses were never more pricked than on this occasion in Mosul.

What advice would you give to an aspiring foreign/war correspondent ,whom you met on Tuesday, about surviving in a war zone or other dangerous place?

Keep your wits about you, your head on a swivel and trust your spidey senses. These have served me well over the years.

Also remember, by definition, there can be no courage unless in the presence of fear.

I am curious as to what route you are taking to pursue the correspondent career. I have pretty much set my mind on doing that as well and hope to go to school for it in a few years. I was also a US Marine, fought in Iraq and have worked in a few different combat zones privately. I have the "War" part down, now I just need to learn in it from a journalism aspect.

I do not want to be a literary journalist, more of a photographer/videographer and let the images speak for themselves. More importantly, I was curious about the aspects of being an independent contractor rather than working for a specific news organization like AJ of CNN etc. Any insight as to how YOU or even Josh, made the approach would be helpful.

Sounds like you want to be a freelance photographer. I'm probably not the best person to advise you in this. It's quite different than what I do. It's a tough gig, though...

i am not familiar with your show but it sounds like i would check it out. I have 2 questions. 1. how would you describe your editorial independence, given ownership and executive structure of AJ? i mean i know if rupert murdoch owned you guys, you could expect obvious editorial meddling. The same goes for the NYTimes. have you ever had a story pulled because it angered the powers that be? 2. how would you pitch your show to me the average tv viewer.

I've never witnessed any control or influence from the government.

Fault Lines is old-school journalism, hard-hitting, documentary-style, reporter driven. I suck at pitching things.

Watch some: www.youtube.com/joshrushing

Then tell me how I should pitch it...

Heard about you in my Muslim studies class last semester! I think what you did was pretty cool and it was f*cked how the goverment tried to screw you. But, did you ever feel like you were betraying anyone?

No. It was difficult to find my identity when I left the Corps though. I had defined myself as a Marine since I was 17. When I left the Corps and eventually started Al Jazeera English, Fox News showed my picture in uniform with the word traitor under it. If you google my name it still pops up under images. But the Marines taught me to do the right thing for the right reason. I knew I was doing the right thing, so I had to march on.

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That happened more a few years ago. When it first came out that I was starting AJE, there were so many death threats that I had to have body guards for my family. Things have improved....

Is there any progress on getting Al Jazeera English on US Cable?

I can watch RT, but sadly not AJE. I know tons of customers weren't calling up begging for the channel so I'm surprised it arrived first.

The future of television distribution is through the Internet. We are at the vanguard of streaming news. Check out our youtube page: www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish. We stream live there, as well as post all of our videos. I believe we are youtube's most watched news channel.

As far as being distributed through conventional providers, we are still in discussions.

I just read today that Al-Jazeera English won an award or was nominated for an award for the coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings. I am sorry that my alcohol haze prevents me from Googling or remembering the name of the award but congratulations!

Also it is important that as a human being it is best to be be open minded and gather facts from multiple sources to discern truth from false and make an educated decision.

Also this is a prime example how we as world share so much more in common that we ever dreamed.

The more the truth is revealed the closer the global community becomes.

Keep spreading the truth. Our global evolution depends on it.

Sorry for the drunken collection of words this has just become but know it is genuine appreciation that is being shown!

Thanks! Enjoy a bit of coffee and a couple of Advil today. Always does the trick for me...

I'm going to ask the same questions I've asked from other Al Jazeera personnel IAMA that went unanswered. Hopefully someone answers this time around.

I probably watch more AJE coverage than any other news network, so I am curious about a few things..

1- Is it true that a lot of the foreign senior editors and staff have been replaced in the last couple of years with local counterparts? If so why do you think that happened? and what impact has it had on the newsroom?

2- Was the decision to hire the new American anchor (don't know his name, black with very American type presentation) and that peroxide Swedish blond an attempt at gaining a bigger audience in the States?

3- What are the ratings for the 'Stream' show compared to other programs on the channel? Is that an attempt at trying to capture a younger audience by using a younger less organized format? (This one probably doesn't concern you as a reporter, but if you can find anyone to answer it, I would be interested in knowing.)

4- While watching an other new channel, I think it was RT, they showed a clip showing Al Jazeera crew in Benghazi Libya coaxing the crowds to chant and animate for the camera. Is this common practice? Was there any negative feedback from that incident??

EDIT:
1a- This cable from wikileaks talks about the difference of views regarding some staff and the channel, however it is not the specific item I was looking for.
This FT article also hints at the changes, specifically the replacement of Khanfar by Sheikh Ahmad bin Jassim al-Thani, though of course Khanfar has his own leaks to deal with. I am fairly certain I read the piece that talked about replacing staff here on Reddit. But the Reddit search is proving a elusive as ever.

4a- Again I couldn't find the specific piece I saw by RT showing the crowds being warmed up by the network, however here is an other piece (starting at 2:10) again by RT claiming the same thing though this may be showing the Arabic Al Jazeera crew and not AJE. The one thing I did notice while searching for the clip, is that RT really doesn't like AJE, and seems to go out of their way to attack the channel's coverage. Of course considering that they both have very different perspectives (to put it nicely) this sort of thing is understandable.

1. I haven't heard anything about this.
2. No. Tony Harris is a great anchor. AJE is lucky to get him. I'm not sure who the peroxide blonde is. But she could in fact be Sweedish. We have employees from more than 100 countries. I guarantee she wasn't hired for her hair color.
3. We launched The Stream because we recognize the power of social media and are attempting to meld it with television. I'm not associated with the show, other than being a fan, but I believe it's a bold experiment.
   
4. That is absolutely NOT a common practice. I've never seen Al Jazeera do it. I have seen video of a Fox producer doing that at a Tea Party rally.

We take no decisions at Al Jazeera English to try to capture a certain crowd. We are not driven by demographic numbers. The quality of our journalism is at the heart of every hiring and programming decision. Period.

Hey Josh! I'm also a DINFOS grad and former Marine CC. I Just wanted to thank you for all you've done.

Thanks!

I don't have any questions, just wanted to say thank you.

And you're welcome...

Does it not disconcert you that Al-Jazeera is known / thought to be biased, seed propaganda and is the favorite major news network of conspiracy theorists?

If this is not the case, then how would you compare AJE to AJA?

I have many Muslim and Arabic friends from UAE, Iran and Saudi and they were visibly embarrassed when the topic of Al-Jazeera came up. What do you think of that?

It's hard for me to respond to how your friends feel about Al Jazeera Arabic. Perhaps you should post a AMA request for someone from AJA. I don't speak Arabic, so I'm not the best person to discuss the content of AJA; however, the reporters and producers who I know work at the channel are in my opinion top-notch. AJE is international news of the highest journalistic standards.

Hey, I'm only 16 years old and have had asthma my whole life. I've wanted to be a Marine since I was 12, and have heard rumors of how you can't be in the US military if you have asthma. Could you please confirm this? Also, I have heard that you have to first go into the navy and then transfer into the marines?

I left the Marines 8 years ago, so you're better to verify this with a recruiter, but it used to be that asthma was a disqualifier. And for pretty good reason.

Al Jazeera English is in my opinion better than CNN and BBC and other mainstream news networks. I Plan on becoming a commissioned marine after I get my degree in Motion pictures and television next year. It seems you have a lot in common with how I want to live out my life, can you give me tips on transitioning from the marines back into a motion picture and television setting and career?

Depends, what do you actually want to do after the Marines? Journalism, entertainment, writing, producing, acting, reporting, etc...

I know this is rather late to the party, but I was wondering if AJE has any plans to branch out to have topic-specific shows, in addition to the documentary-based schedule? I.E. Science focused or business-based. By the way, AJE is my number 1 go-to for news both domestic and abroad.

We're always trying to come up with new programs. We have a new environmental show called earthrise. My show, Fault Lines, is about America. We have a business show called Counting The Cost.

[deleted]

As Chuck Testa would say, "NOPE!".

Do you like Chuck Testa?

I had never heard of him before. I do now!

A better answer would have been, "NOPE!"

What's the namesake of Al Jazeera?

In Arabic it means the island or the peninsula. Qatar, where Al Jazeera is headquartered, is a peninsula, hence the name.

what advice you could give to young media and communication student ? in order to work in big guys like cnn bbc al jazeera

Learn a language other than English (I've failed at this). Major in something other than journalism. After graduation go somewhere that you're really interested in or inspired by, find the story and start reporting it. Pitch it to blogs. Be the man on the scene there. Read and watch tons of news.

Questions to OP:

-As a US marine, have you been sent in arabic countries? which one(s)? what kind of missions have you had, if you can disclose that?

-do you speak arabic?

-what are the main differences between AJE and AJA?

Thx for this AMA

1. As a Marine, I went into Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. In those missions I worked as a public affairs officer.
2. I do not speak Arabic.
3. AJA broadcasts only in Arabic. It is meant for an Arabic-speaking audience. That shapes what stories it covers, how it covers them and how it prioritizes the events of the world. AJE, on the other hand, is an English language network meant for anyone who speaks English as a first or secondary language. Our audience is multi-cultural and all over the world, which influences how we cover the news in same aforementioned ways.

You mentioned you're a Marine. I was wondering how you feel about Bradley Manning.

I believe the pre-trial treatment of someone who is innocent until proven guilty has been shockingly cruel and unusual.

What's your opinion on citizen journalism? We are seeing more tech savvy people livestreaming and documenting the events of uprisings around the world. Does this pseudo gonzo coverage deserve to be called journalism? Or should it be viewed more as propaganda?

Citizen journalism is an important part of the news ecosystem now. It should be seen as working in concert with institutional journalism, not competition.

What are thoughts on this comment in r/military?

A hard truth: Complete freedom and complete security can never coexist. You must pick which one is more important to you and stoically sacrifice the other.

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -- Ben Franklin

Truthism: Pithy truthisms rarely capture complex issues in their entirety.

I am greatly interested in this - when I studied media and politics in class last semester we used AJE as a crux of our material, and I was very encouraged to see the OP as an example of somebody with a truly critical mind utilizing his/her life experiences in such a daunting and monumental task.

OP was on camera on "Control Room" and you saw him handling his shit professionally in the capacity of a spokesman for the marines, and now he handles his shit in the capacity of a spokesman for his own conscious

Wow, thanks.

Do you live in the Middle East?

How do people react upon finding out you are American, let alone a former marine?

What are the common stereotypes of Americans in the country?

I live in the States.

When people from there find out I was a US Marine, they often stereotype me either as a badass, a killer or worse; but I'm really none of these things.

Have you ever been malnutritioned?

NOPE

do you believe that the us government cares about its troops and the welfare of the world, or are you all pawns used to instill the will of a few old men who lust for power.

i believe the USG acts in its best interest.