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Newsjock

(11,733 posts) Fri Apr 11, 2014, 02:56 PM Apr 2014

Al Jazeera America cuts dozens of staffers

Source: Los Angeles Times

Al Jazeera America is laying off dozens of employees as well as a large number of freelancers less than eight months after the news channel made its debut.

In a memo to staff, Al Jazeera America President Kate O'Brian said the planning for and launch of Al Jazeera America last August required "considerable resources" and now that the network is up and running, "we are bringing our staffing levels into alignment with our long-range plan as per our original business case."

The cuts were across the entire network. Among the areas hardest hit were the new network's sports department and the staff of the television show "The Stream," a program about social media that is being cut from five days a week to one day.

... Al Jazeera America declined to provide a specific number of layoffs but a person with knowledge of the matter who wasn't authorized to speak for attribution said a few dozen layoffs were planned. Another insider put the total around 60. The number of freelancers cut loose is believed to be higher.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-al-jazeera-layoffs-20140411,0,6333806.story

14 replies

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Al Jazeera America cuts dozens of staffers (Original Post) Newsjock Apr 2014 OP

The only real news! randr Apr 2014 #1

i hope they kept Peppermint Gomez! Enrique Apr 2014 #2

I couldnt get anything to play. Maybe cause I'm on a Mac? I'll try youtube 7962 Apr 2014 #3

It played perfectly on my Mac... maybe you have an older version of Safari? Bryce Butler Apr 2014 #5

Finally got it to go. Loved it! Especially the end! 7962 Apr 2014 #14

Hilarious! secondvariety Apr 2014 #4

I hadn't seen that before, it is classic! tech3149 Apr 2014 #7

Sports - Meh and The Stream was boring. nt WhiteTara Apr 2014 #6

well the house of saud didnt get wealthy by spending money on extra help nt msongs Apr 2014 #8

Qatar, not Saudi Arabia. MADem Apr 2014 #11

I tune in about once a week........ Swede Atlanta Apr 2014 #9

I wondered what would happen when they went to a more exclusive model. Used to be able to get it jtuck004 Apr 2014 #10

Funded by qataar, the largest financiers of terrorism in the world. Jesus Malverde Apr 2014 #12

The capitalist model didn't work so well. Pissed off a lot of people when access to kelliekat44 Apr 2014 #13

randr

(12,412 posts)

1. The only real news!

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 03:06 PM

Apr 2014

Enrique

(27,461 posts)

2. i hope they kept Peppermint Gomez!

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 03:09 PM

Apr 2014

for those who haven't seen Samantha Bee's piece on Al Jazeera, enjoy:

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/k9s4qf/al-jazeera-english

7962

(11,841 posts)

3. I couldnt get anything to play. Maybe cause I'm on a Mac? I'll try youtube

Reply to Enrique (Reply #2)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 03:41 PM

Apr 2014

Bryce Butler

(338 posts)

5. It played perfectly on my Mac... maybe you have an older version of Safari?

Reply to 7962 (Reply #3)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 04:06 PM

Apr 2014

7962

(11,841 posts)

14. Finally got it to go. Loved it! Especially the end!

Reply to Bryce Butler (Reply #5)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 09:42 PM

Apr 2014

secondvariety

(1,245 posts)

4. Hilarious!

Reply to Enrique (Reply #2)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 03:47 PM

Apr 2014

tech3149

(4,452 posts)

7. I hadn't seen that before, it is classic!

Reply to Enrique (Reply #2)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 04:19 PM

Apr 2014

Truly shows how US media is nothing but fluff and sensationalism.

WhiteTara

(29,715 posts)

6. Sports - Meh and The Stream was boring. nt

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 04:11 PM

Apr 2014

msongs

(67,406 posts)

8. well the house of saud didnt get wealthy by spending money on extra help nt

Reply to WhiteTara (Reply #6)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 05:18 PM

Apr 2014

MADem

(135,425 posts)

11. Qatar, not Saudi Arabia.

Reply to msongs (Reply #8)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 07:31 PM

Apr 2014

They're actually liberal by comparison.

Only by comparison, mind.

Qatar and SA fight a lot, they both want to be the E.F. Hutton (When EF talks, people LISTEN) of the region. Here's some background...it's just the abstract but you can get the flavor.

As for AJ, it's "perspective based" information...but what isn't, I suppose...?

Swede Atlanta

(3,596 posts)

9. I tune in about once a week........

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 05:26 PM

Apr 2014

I have found it a nice balance with NPR/PBS, MSNBC, etc. They definitely have a slightly different perspective on some stories/issue - a view that is more similar to the European news sites I follow.

I am sorry for those affected by the downsizing. I hope this doesn't signal the channel is in trouble financially because I want more voices and more varied voices and not fewer. With media consolidation in this country and the hijacking of PBS by the right wing we have little news diversity.

jtuck004

(15,882 posts)

10. I wondered what would happen when they went to a more exclusive model. Used to be able to get it

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 06:47 PM

Apr 2014

on the computer, but then they moved to a cable channel, and that's something I am weaning myself away from.

Jesus Malverde

(10,274 posts)

12. Funded by qataar, the largest financiers of terrorism in the world.

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 07:39 PM

Apr 2014

and home to the fifth fleet of the US Navy.

AJ is a western disinformation project, primarily designed to protect the gulf kingdoms.

kelliekat44

(7,759 posts)

13. The capitalist model didn't work so well. Pissed off a lot of people when access to

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 09:11 PM

Apr 2014

internet English Al-Jazeera was stopped and only way to get it was thru cable subscription.

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