Al Jazeera America signed off for a final time on Tuesday night. This concluded 3 years of its current incarnation. The farewell event consisted of a 3-hour retrospective surrounding the news outlet’s accomplishments since it went on the air in August 2013.
As @ajam signs off for good, here’s a message from our newsroomhttps://t.co/WXGNN3axH5
— Al Jazeera America (@ajam) April 13, 2016
In a short period, Al Jazeera America received accolades such as an International Emmy for Best Documentary, a Peabody, Dupont, and many more honors. While the organization will continue with programming available in the U.S. through Al Jazeera English that is catered for the UK and surrounding countries, Al Jazeera America will be missed by the avid viewership that watched the outlet to get the news.
Employee lawsuits, cutting ties with its chief executive and ratings setbacks, Al Jazeera America announced it would shutdown in January of this year, leaving behind a possible debt fallout.
AJAM president Kate O’Brian and CEO Al Antsy wrote a letter to their employees capping off their time together:
Two and a half years ago we launched with a simple goal – to provide reliable, trusted information to audiences across the United States. Underpinning this mission was great journalism. Never take a side. Dig for the real story. Explain it properly. Uncover stories. Uphold balance. Hold power to account. Have courage in covering unreported stories. And, above all, act with integrity and be honest with our audiences.
Throughout our short history we have held true to this mission. We did so by putting the human being at the forefront of our editorial decisions: people across America and the world who are living the events taking place around them; people who are impacted by decisions made by governments, powerful individuals, or corporations. People who would not otherwise have a voice in mainstream media unless we covered them.
We have been privileged to cover stories of people who epitomize the strength and resilience of the human spirit. Individuals who have fought for good, who have tackled adversity, whose stories and voices deserve coverage. There are so many more people across America whose stories remain untold. Those stories need to be heard.
It was because of our colleagues’ remarkable dedication and skill that we’ve been able to carry out great journalism. Al Jazeera America has the most talented and diverse team any media organization could wish for. So, as we enter our final day, we would like to pass on our sincere thanks, appreciation, and respect for your amazing work, and for your commitment to those we cover.
We all know good journalism is critical. It ensures information is reliable, and can be trusted. Good journalism doesn’t mean opinion or spin. It is a responsibility which every media organization should carry with determination and resolve. We are proud to have done so since our first to our final moment on air.
They tweeted this video to celebrate Al Jazeera’s time on the air and to say thank you to the loyal viewership, as well as the outlet itself for the amazing passion and efficacy with which they reported the news.
As @ajam signs off for good, here’s a message from our newsroomhttps://t.co/WXGNN3axH5
— Al Jazeera America (@ajam) April 13, 2016
What do you think about the end of Al Jazeera America? Let us know in the comments.
