Is this the way to AlJazeera?

By now I'm sure everyone has heard about the video made by our friends over at the Beeb about Simon joining AlJazeera International. The leaving videos are supposed to be fun and for laughs but unfortunately this one just re-enforces the very stereotypes that AlJazeera International was supposed to be dispelling.



I'm actually feeling really embarrassed about that video. I've been in Doha for a while now and that video captures the bias of many Western journalists towards the Arabs. And that's why it's so sad - as AlJazeera International we have such an opportunity to make a difference and try to change perceptions. Take for example the ITN reaction to the video

It's amazing no one's thought of that one already, really - here at ITN we've seen more than a dozen staff decamp for Doha over the last year, even though Al-Jaz English hasn't started broadcasting yet. As for the video, you can decide for yourself whether it's offensive. I'd say the words are quite funny, but the singing's a bit ropy, and I'd like to think our Channel 4 News leaving vids are a bit slicker in the production department.

But we have every sympathy for the staff whose joke for internal consumption was leaked to the world at large by some disgruntled colleague - breaching the long-standing code of secrecy surrounding the leaving video.

This is typical of our English "impartiality". We like to claim that we don't have any bias and that we are honest observers. The problem isn't that we have these bias. The real problem is that people shouldn't find out about them!

The video actually reminded me about how some of my collegues would privately mock the Qatari's about their national dress, the white dishdasha by calling them "spooks" or "ghosts". Not exactly the stuff of open minded journalists...

So, I suppose this is an apt time to say welcome Simon - you'll fit right in at AlJazeera International!