Middle East - North Africa Film Series

The Battle for the Arab Viewer --- (2011 / 48 min.) Directed by Nordin Lasfar

In early 2011, people around the world tuned into Al Jazeera to watch the Egyptian revolution in real time. Meanwhile, rival broadcaster Al Arabiya was also offering near continuous coverage, with cameras on a balcony overlooking the 6th October Bridge, where protesters and police clashed. How was the content of those broadcasts -and the networks’ subsequent coverage -influenced by their political allegiances? Featuring interviews with current and former journalists from both networks, and analysis from independent pundits, The Battle for the Arab Viewer highlights the philosophical and political differences between the two pan-Arab networks and examines the implications for the future of the Arab media.