20 Years of Al Jazeera English: The Counter Narrative

Al Jazeera English launched in November 2006 with the aim of challenging Western media dominance and bringing perspectives from the Global South to English-speaking audiences. A documentary marking its 20th anniversary traces how the channel developed from a disruptive alternative into a news source with a global audience.

The film combines investigation, testimony and internal perspectives to examine Al Jazeera English’s coverage of conflicts, the climate crisis and genocide. It also considers the choices involved in allocating resources, the stigma attached to state-funded media, and the targeting of the channel’s journalists and bureaux as it seeks to uphold its principles.