International News Assignment

1.) I think that the internet would be highly effective for Al Jazeera. The internet allows me and other viewers to hear about international news in an easy-to-access manner. The only problem with this website is its lack of advertisement. I have never heard of these type of sites before, let alone Al Jazeera. I think that other U.S. citizens would also like to know about sites like these because they are a great way to learn new or further details about current controversies. 

2.) I do not think that Al Jazeera English should be allowed to broadcast in the U.S. Although I do believe that people should be allotted the right to speak freely of their opinions, I also think that our country needs to have boundaries. America has had much controversy in the Middle East in recent years and I feel that we need to be careful on what doors we allow to open, so to speak. It is important to learn and hear about different debates and opinions, but for now I do not feel that the positives would outweigh the negatives for this particular situation.

3.) I feel that U.S. news is often censored, in a sense. Although we learn a good deal of important information through the news, certain topics and stories get more attention and focus than others. Al Jazeera seemed to focus on an array of different global issues though. I felt that Al Jazeera informs not only a greater amount of information, but also a greater amount of controversies and opinions within that information. 

4.) I think that rule #5 under the code of ethics is the only one that partially stands out to me as an issue. Rule #5 talks about the importance of information remaining non-bias. Although I feel that Al Jazeera touches on many different controversies, I still believe that all news sites are biased in one way or another. The news has the power to impact so many people's decisions and I feel that all reporters want their ideas to be both heard and respected. I did not see any extremely bias opinions on the Al Jazeera website, but I did observe a particular lens that they wanted me to view the information through.