"Al-Jazeera, the independent all-Arab television news network based in Qatar, has emerged as ambassador for the Arab world in the events following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the war waged in Afghanistan. More than a channel reporting the news as it happens, Al-Jazeera (Arabic for "the island") has access to the Arab world and is "scooping" the western media conglomerates. It has emerged as an international relations actor on the world stage with its exclusive access to Osama bin Laden and members of the Taliban. Its reputation has been burnishing quickly through its daily exposure on CNN in the U.S., even as it strives to maintain its independence as an international free news network.". "Al-Jazeera sheds light on the background of the Al-Jazeera network, how it started, how it operates, the kinds of programs it broadcasts, its effects on Arab viewers, the reactions of the West and Arab states, its implications for the future of news broadcasting in the Middle East, and its struggle for a free press and public opinion in the Arab world."--BOOK JACKET.