During week 13, we discussed the Middle Eastern population in London and their use of media outlets. Corresponding with themes explored in our visit to Al Jazeera, Ali Omar Ermes discusses the large shift of London-based Arab news organizations back to the Middle East, and speculates how this move may affect the perspective of their outputs. Lower taxes, more immediate access to news sources, and the promise of freedom of expression in reporting on issues (especially in regards to Western policy) are a few of the attractive elements prompting the news organizations' move back to the Middle East. While this move has its advantages, returning to the Middle East from London may lessen the cultural bonds and understanding that began to emerge between individuals of English and Arab nationalities, and increase the amount of subjectivity contained within the organizations' future reports.
This concern is far from unfounded, and I wonder if those who support globalism would argue that increased global communication is enough to counter the increased local perspective that will most likely evolve from the widespread relocation of Arab news organizations. I am neither completely pro-or completely anti-globalization, and I believe the phenomenon has both positive and negative consequences for the world at large. In this case, however, I am not so optimistic as to believe the organization's ability to gather information from around the world will prompt them to present the news without a pro-Arab agenda. We as Americans have access to the same resources, and our media is clearly not unbiased.
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