Al Jazeera - A Perfect Fit in Toledo

So for school I am attempting to research some specific content on Al Jazeera - the Middle East's largest news network based in Qatar. Al Jazeera's popularity is unprecedented. Launched in 1996, the network currently reaches an estimated 40 - 50 million viewers worldwide. It's popularity is undoubtedly due to the network's promise to deliver news from a non-Western perspective, and uninfluenced by government propaganda. Al Jazeera has proven the latter promise true, as it has already angered several Middle Eastern governments with its content.

Recently the network branched out to English-speaking audiences and launched Al Jazeera English, a station headquartered in Washington, D.C. Although the English-language station is hugely popular in Britain and other countries, it has been, well in some ways, censored here in America. See, the station is a bit controversial. Western governments accuse it of delivering terrorist propaganda since it allows announcements from Osama Bin Laden and other threatening figures to air in its newscasts. However, the station also carries legitimate, important news stories from a perspective Americans (in my opinion) should see. For instance, Al Jazeera is the only network Israel has allowed to broadcast from Gaza during the current crisis. That's just one example.

Pros and cons aside, I'm not sure I can make a judgement on Al Jazeera's purpose quite yet. In fact, the above information detracts from the original point of this post - which I have yet to make (I got a little carried away above, apologies). So here we go. Try number two to get to the point.

As I mentioned, Al Jazeera has been somewhat censored in the U.S. Most cable companies have chosen not to pick it up, due to its controversial nature. However, there are three U.S. cities that the station does broadcast in. Obviously, one is Washington D.C. So what do you think the others are?? New York? L.A. perhaps?? Wrong. One is Burlington, Vermont (never heard of it) and the other is um, TOLEDO, OHIO.

What??? Toledo, Ohio? Are you serious? That is the most random city ever. I mean, Vermont is a fairly wealthy, educated state so I can see its potential, but Toledo? I thought that was an industrial town. I guess I just don't see it as a fruitful market for Arab media. People in Ohio would probably confuse "salaama" for "salami."

But hey, what do I know. Toledo seems to be a little treasure in a jar of clay. Apparently they have a hot dog bun museum as well. I drove through the town on my way back from D.C. last month, but all I could see were smokestacks coughing their contents into a gray sky. Perhaps the smokestacks were hiding the variegeted true nature of the city.

So that was my point. If you want to watch Al Jazeera English you can look it up online, or, take a road trip to Toledo, Ohio. I would choose the latter. I mean, who knows what else you will find within its boundries. Toledo is full of little surprises.