As Americans, we believe in freedom of the press. We want to believe the press gives an unbiased account of the news. This is a perception not grounded in reality. One hundred years ago, yellow journalism ran up
sensational stories to sell papers. The practice continues today, if on a different scale. News today is targeted at specific audiences.

This surmission is the basis for the new documentary, Control Room. The film, by Arab-American fimmaker Jehane Noujaime, is a look at Al-Jazeera's coverage of the war in Iraq. It uses their actual footage as well as
interviews with their journalists and their American counterparts to explain Arab feelings on the war and how they covered the war.

The most important aspect in understanding the network is knowing they exist to cover world events for an Arab audience. Just like our networks cover events from an American perspective, Al-Jazeera covers events from an Arab perspective. This does not make them Osama Bin-Laden's mouthpiece as the Bush administration has alleged. If that were the case, why has Al-Jazeera been banned in several Arab countries for criticizing their rulers?

Perhaps Al-Jazeera hits on to many truths to get both sides of the war so riled up. During Control Room, both Donald Rumsfeld and the lampooned Iraqi Information Minister, Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf call on Al-Jazeera to stop airing the other side's propoganda.

Beyond giving Al-Jazeera an opportunity to showcase its journalistic integrity, Control Room also gives American audiences a glimpse into the Arab way of thinking. At one point, one of the Al Jazeera journalists,
Hassan Ibrahim, formerly of the BBC, informs Lt. Josh Rushing that to Arabs, the Isreali/Palestinean conflict and the war in Iraq are one and the same.  To Americans, the conflicts are two separate matters. Ibrahim also delivers a haunting comment on the way the war is percieved, "democracize, or we will shoot you." Seems to harken back to Communists forcing people to live under the Soviet form of government.

What may be most remarkable about Control Room is that while it attempts to show the other side of the War in Iraq, it is not anti-American. Ibrahim expresses his admiration for the United States constitution. Says he has faith in the American people. He also claims to understand the Western way  of thinking. He says the Arab people had no love for Saddam Hussein but the war is wrong. Likewise Samir Khader, Al-Jazeera senior producer, is able to see two sides. He covers the war from the Arab perspective, doesn't believe
we should have invaded yet says he wishes to send his children to school in the United States and would like to work for CNN.

Control Room is an attempt to show another side of the Iraq war which succeeds on most levels. It is an attempt to show the world has more than one truth, depending on the audience. That does not mean there is a bias or falsehood to the reporting. It is a film that challenges beliefs, makes you think about problems without offering solutions.