Al Jazeera Live Stream – AJA

How do I live chat with other viewers here.

What is the Live News Chat and how do I start chatting?

To launch our news chatroom CLICK HERE. It will open in a separate window. We now use SLACK CHAT, and you can register and launch the Chat Room Here. We are a progressive chatroom with liberal minds and political junkies who enjoy a laugh but also a serious discussion. JOIN US!

How do I watch live news while chatting?

Firstly you will need to open two browser windows, one with the Slack chat, and the second one for the stream. Additionally you can also use the PIP ‘picture in picture’ pop-out stream launched at the right bottom of the live news video player.

Al Jazeera Schedule (Weekdays)

Time (US Eastern)	Program
6.00 AM	NEWSHOUR
7:00 AM	News
7:30 PM	Inside Story
8:00 PM	Al Jazeera World
9:00 AM	NEWSHOUR
10:00 AM	News
10:30 AM	The Stream
11:00 AM	NEWSHOUR
12:00 PM	News
12:30 PM	Studio B: Unscripted
1:00 PM	News
1:30 PM	Inside Story
2:00 PM	NEWSHOUR
3:00 PM	News
3:30 PM	The Stream
4:00 PM	Witness
5:00 PM	NEWSHOUR
6:00 PM	News

AJA – Al Jazeera News History

Launch, Ownership, and History

Al Jazeera, now known as AJA, is a news network that started on November 1, 1996, in a small building located in Doha, the capital of Qatar. At inception, the then Emir of Qatar loaned the news network US$137 million to fund the channel through its first five years of operation.

Al Jazeera is partly owned by the Qatari government but is termed a “private benefit for public benefit” under the State of Qatar.  This legal caveat allows it to benefit financially from the Qatari government and maintain its total independence from any undue governmental influence.

On January 1, 1999, Al Jazeera accomplished one of its major milestones by switching to a 24-hour broadcast schedule. Their labor force tripled this same year to 500 employees, and it laid the foundation for dozens of sites in Russia and EU countries.

For decades, Al Jazeera has been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of free access to information, free expression, and free thought in a continent that many consider as one of the most restrictive in the world.

Audience, Reception, and Demographics

Al Jazeera is predominantly watched in the Middle East, with its next largest audience being the United States. Unlike most state-backed stations, Al Jazeera boasts of massive coverage that spans well beyond its region to every continent of the world.

Research by Allied media shows that most Aljazeera is mostly watched by individuals within ages of 15-19 years, with the clear majority amongst all age groups being male.

Al Jazeera’s Notable Event Coverage

Afghanistan War

Al Jazeera became known to viewers worldwide for its coverage of the hunt for Taliban during the 9/11 attack. It was the first channel to air the 9/11 speech made by Osama Bin Laden, attracting criticism and accolades from its diverse range of audiences. While some hailed the network for being the first to air the broadcast, others perceived such broadcast as giving voice to a terrorist organization.

The Afghanistan war gave Al Jazeera an edge over other international news networks partly because it had launched its first station in Kabul before the invasion. This gave the station perfect proximity to the events scene, properly positioning it as the ultimate footage provider for other international news channels.

2003 Iraq War

Al Jazeera has had a presence in Iraq since 1997, and that gave them a first-hand view of the Iraq war, both the build-up to the war and the eventual occurrence of the war. During this period, the international channel and its website were experiencing an unprecedented increase in viewers.   

The Arab Spring

The Al Jazeera news network was the first station to air the Arab spring protest that began in 2010. The protest, which led to the ousting and scrutiny of some presidents, caught the world’s attention and also brought more fame to Al Jazeera—the news network at the forefront of the protest.

Top Al Jazeera Shows and Hosts

Listening Post by Richard Gizbert

In this show, Richard Gizbert reviews some of the world’s most iconic news broadcasts, casting a skeptical eye on how some broadcasters report events and helping viewers to distinguish between propaganda and hardcore news. The show monitors all types of media, from popular international news platforms to print media and blogs. Listening Post examines what each media covers and what they’re avoiding. It critically examines every story and explains how they’re perceived by media channels in different parts of the world.

Witness by Rageh Omaar

This is a daily show that’s broadcasted from the Al Jazeera London studio with Raged Omaar as a regular host. The show aims to provide a platform for individuals who need to be heard. Witness also gives a unique perspective on major issues like AIDS and climate change to issues affecting children.

People and Power by Juliana Rufus

People & Power is an Al Jazeera-owned current affairs program that broadcasts on Wednesdays, with repeat shows every other day of the week. The half-hour show features a documentary on issues related to political Power across the world. Al Jazeera launched this program on November 15, 2006, and since then, it has enjoyed a steady increase in viewership. The show was originally hosted by Shereen El Feki before Samah El-Shahat replaced her in 2007.

The Stream

The Stream is an Al Jazeera English TV program that airs from Monday to Thursday. It is a show that’s branded as an online community for the network’s global audience as it offers an avenue for the Al Jazeera audience to interact with the show host in real-time.

The Stream is hosted by a British-Nigerian called Femi Oke, who was previously a staff of BBC and CNN.

Al Jazeera Controversies and Criticism

Al Jazeera has been entangled in several high case controversies that resulted in some countries out-rightly banning the network:

Antisemitism

It’s a popular notion among many people that Al Jazeera holds anti-Semitic views about some western countries. In one of their shows, they argued that Jewish employees were already notified of the 9/11 attacks beforehand.

Another evidence of the network’s antisemitism is the view expressed in one of its former shows, “Sharia and Life,” that hatred for Jews and Israel is permitted in Islam.

Pro-Qatar Bias

A 2010 leak of internal communications that Wikileaks released suggests that the Qatari government regularly manipulates Al Jazeera’s coverage to align with the country’s interest.