Announcement of the Imminent Closure of Al Jazeera America

Al Jazeera reported that the operations of its American branch, Al Jazeera America, will come to an end in about three months, at the end of April 2016. According to Reuters, Al Anstey, the executive director of Al Jazeera, stated on Wednesday, January 13, that the decision to close Al Jazeera America was due to the financial situation prevailing in the media landscape in the United States. However, analysts say that Al Jazeera America has not been successful in attracting viewers in the United States. The news network, which broadcasts in Arabic and English, launched Al Jazeera America three years ago, focusing its reports on political, economic, and social issues in the U.S. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera, while announcing the closure of its American network, stated that it would continue to focus on U.S. affairs through modern media and social and digital networks. Al Jazeera had hoped to replicate the success of its Arabic and English networks in the U.S., but as this goal was not fully realized, it dedicated a special network to U.S. affairs in mid-summer 2013. However, the closure of Al Jazeera America apparently does not affect the continuation of Al Jazeera English's operations in the United States, and Al Jazeera English will maintain its offices in Washington and other major U.S. locations. Al Jazeera, owned by a cousin of the Emir of Qatar, began its operations shortly before the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. with a $50 million investment from Hamad bin Thani Al Khalifa, the then Emir of Qatar. However, Al Jazeera gained significant fame by broadcasting videos and speeches of Osama bin Laden, who lived in hiding after September 11. Al Jazeera's work in its Arabic section led to significant turmoil in the Arab world and provoked reactions from many governments. Arab leaders accused Al Jazeera of attempting to overthrow their governments, while Qatar distanced itself from these accusations. On the other hand, Al Jazeera, which extensively covered the events of winter 2011 in Egypt, has always been suspected of never mentioning negative developments in Qatar. In 2006, by establishing its English section, Al Jazeera aimed to present a 'realistic image' of itself to English-speaking audiences worldwide and has largely succeeded in this endeavor. Hillary Clinton, when she was the U.S. Secretary of State, praised the work of Al Jazeera English compared to so-called American news networks, stating that spending an hour a day watching Al Jazeera English is enough to keep one fully informed, while American networks waste time and provide news only amidst commercials. Sheikh Hamad, the former Emir of Qatar, was accused of political ambition and the desire to play a larger role than Qatar's actual role in the Arab and Islamic world. Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the 35-year-old leader of Qatar, has also somewhat followed his father's path; during his reign, Qatar has been accused of supporting ISIS. In this context, Qatari forces have 'entered Yemen' with heavy equipment.