Getting to know Al Jazeera 🧵
1. Al Jazeera was established and is primarily funded by the Qatari government, but the outlet has consistently claimed that it has editorial independence. Al Jazeera Media Network is owned by QMC, the official state broadcaster of the Qatari government.
2. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered Al Jazeera's U.S. based social media division, AJ+, to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in September 2020, due to its engagement in 'political activities' on behalf of the Qatari government.
However, AJ+ has not complied with this order and has not registered as a foreign agent. The DOJ has faced criticism from lawmakers and watchdog groups for not enforcing this mandate.
However, AJ+ has not complied with this order and has not registered as a foreign agent. The DOJ has faced criticism from lawmakers and watchdog groups for not enforcing this mandate.
3. Given that Al Jazeera was founded by the Qatari government and receives about 90% of its funding from the government, it can operate at a perpetual financial loss while being run by Sheik Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family.
4. A 2010 WikiLeaks document alleged that Qatar uses Al Jazeera as a diplomatic bargaining chip, offering to steer its coverage in exchange for concessions from other states.
The network is (unsurprisingly) accused of censoring or downplaying stories that are critical of the Qatari ruling family. In 2021, for example, Egyptian media criticized Al Jazeera for not covering protests against a controversial Qatari electoral law.
The network is (unsurprisingly) accused of censoring or downplaying stories that are critical of the Qatari ruling family. In 2021, for example, Egyptian media criticized Al Jazeera for not covering protests against a controversial Qatari electoral law.
5. Critics, especially from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, accuse Al Jazeera of promoting an Islamist agenda, particularly by giving favorable coverage to the Muslim Brotherhood.
There are claims that Al Jazeera purposefully enflamed the Arab Spring in the early 2010s to support Islamist opposition movements ideologically aligned with Qatar against the secular nationalist governments of Egypt, Syria, and other countries.
There are claims that Al Jazeera purposefully enflamed the Arab Spring in the early 2010s to support Islamist opposition movements ideologically aligned with Qatar against the secular nationalist governments of Egypt, Syria, and other countries.
6. Al Jazeera has been accused of antisemitic rhetoric, including a 2019 AJ+ video (later deleted) that minimized the Holocaust and falsely accused the Zionist movement of exaggerating the number of Jewish deaths.
7. Al Jazeera whitewashes Islamist extremist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Its coverage has been described by the Zachor Legal Institute as a combination of anti-American, anti-Western, anti-Israeli propaganda.
The network has been accused of being a mouthpiece for Hamas, focusing exclusively on Palestinian suffering while ignoring or downplaying any Israeli security concerns. An Al Jazeera-published story alleging Israeli forces had intentionally flooded Gaza was later retracted as false.
The network has been accused of being a mouthpiece for Hamas, focusing exclusively on Palestinian suffering while ignoring or downplaying any Israeli security concerns. An Al Jazeera-published story alleging Israeli forces had intentionally flooded Gaza was later retracted as false.
8. According to Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) records, the Embassy of the State of Qatar paid Lumen8 Advisors LLC $180,000 per month to provide media and communication coaching and consulting services, which included facilitating an interview between Tucker Carlson and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in March 2025.
9. Critics, including the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), have accused Qatar of running an extensive influence campaign targeting conservative media outlets in the U.S.
In 2019 and 2020, Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, invested approximately $50 million in Newsmax. Heritage Advisors, linked to Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani, have also invested in The News Movement, a U.S. based media entity launched in 2020 to target a Gen Z audience (exact investment amount unspecified).
In 2019 and 2020, Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, invested approximately $50 million in Newsmax. Heritage Advisors, linked to Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani, have also invested in The News Movement, a U.S. based media entity launched in 2020 to target a Gen Z audience (exact investment amount unspecified).
10. Qatar’s broader influence strategy includes funding think tanks, universities and lobbying efforts, which indirectly shape media narratives in the U.S.
For example, the Qatar Foundation has been linked to shaping content in outlets like The Washington Post through its influence on journalists like Jamal Khashoggi.
Qatar’s media investments are typically strategic, aimed at soft power projection, and often executed through intermediaries like royal family members or state-controlled entities.
For example, the Qatar Foundation has been linked to shaping content in outlets like The Washington Post through its influence on journalists like Jamal Khashoggi.
Qatar’s media investments are typically strategic, aimed at soft power projection, and often executed through intermediaries like royal family members or state-controlled entities.
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