3. Intriguing Guests
Not being primarily controlled by one of the half-dozen or so corporate entities that own virtually all media in the United States, AJAM is not beholden to specific American political or commercial interests, will this make them unafraid to challenge the status quo and create potentially controversial waves? This is another area Al Jazeera America could obviously tread to separate itself from the rest of the pack in U.S. news. On Al Jazeera America's August 26th launch, a thirty-minute interview segment was devoted to the esteemed Cornell West, a fiery advocate of the poor and oppressed both at home and abroad. This discussion with West was illustrative of how AJAM has the potential to break the twenty-four hour news world mold. In the half-hour talk, Mr. West held nothing back calling for tougher scrutiny and accountability on President Obama and his administration and a stronger dedication to lifting the poor of the world. This kind of hard-hitting, take-no-prisoner guests that other news producers might shy from or simply cannot book due to their conflicts with their news station's corporate interests, gives Al Jazeera America a distinct advantage to insert themselves as the U.S.' most provocative and critical-thinking media outlet.