The Difference Between Aljazeera’s And Al-Arabiya’s Coverages

I haven’t been watching Lebanese TV lately as I’ve been following up on what’s happening in Egypt. The events are taking place quickly, but not so quickly as to avoid the repetition for which news TV stations are famous. So I kept switching between Al-Arabiya and Aljazeera.

Much has been said about Al-Arabiya being pro-Mubarak and Aljazeera being pro-demonstrators. But while it’s true that the former focuses on the lawlessness and is friendlier to Mubarak’s ruling party, and that the latter is more supportive of the demonstrators with almost poetic coverage of their heroism, the reality is that you won’t be able to see the complete picture unless you watch both stations.

This reminds me a bit of the situation in Lebanon where one occasionally has to watch the other side’s TV station to get a fuller understanding of the situation. But if you want to watch one station only to follow Egypt’s events, I recommend Aljazeera English which comes closest to being informative and balanced.