The fact that Israeli Deputy Premier Shimon Peres would set aside some time to visit the headquarters of Aljazeera News Channel in Doha will not surpise observers of the region's media scene. Peres also appeared in an special interview on the 24 hour news channel launched only in Novemebr 2006. The attention and engagement accorded to AJ belies and dismisses what some alarmists turned columnists portray to their readers.

An Italian scholar of the Arab media, Donatella della Ratta rightly suggests that the West should seriously consider before blaming or blocking channels like Aljazeera that are in fact educating tools to inform rather than a medium providing an embedded version from a warring side. Her analysis is a wake-up call for those who believe that pouring $62 million on Al-Hurra can make the US image right in the Middle-East. Instead of making wrong choices and pursuing wrong approaches that are just goose-chasing and witch-hunting exercises US needs to befriend with the ones that capture and portray the facts professionally and far effectively.

The fact that Peres made it a point to appear on the channel reflects the significance of reaching out to an audience genuinely interested for peace in the region.

Another factor that merits due consideration is what the viewers in Israel prefer to see.
BBC World has been dropped by Israel's satellite provider Yes TV in favour of the Al-Jazeera English. The Guradian, London dubbed it as "the first major distribution blow the corporation's international news channel has suffered since al-Jazeera's English-language service began broadcasting".

Although BBC World will still be available in Israel via cable, it will lose around 50% of its audience in the country as a result of being dropped by Yes.

Al-Jazeera English signed the carriage deal with Yes in November 2006, but the damaging consequences for BBC World have only just emerged, remarked media commentator Tara Conlan.
The true proof of responsible activism is in promoting and not preventing pluralistic viewpoints. Alternative and accountable media is what the American viewers deserve and watchgroups (like Accuracy in Media) should put their energies to ensure the availability of such options.