Al Jazeera appoints new Bureau Chief for the Americas

Press release

Published May 2nd, 2011 - 11:54 GMT

The United States and the Americas as a whole are a key region for Al Jazeera and a vital part of its global news coverage

Al Jazeera English has appointed Amjad Atallah as its new bureau chief for the Americas. Atallah takes over responsibility for Al Jazeera’s operations in the Americas from today. He joins the network from the leading think tank, the New America Foundation, where he was Co-Director of the Middle East Task Force. He was also an editor of the Middle East Channel at ForeignPolicy.com.

Atallah also has a wide range of international experience, having played key roles in the Save Darfur Coalition, in humanitarian and development work as an advocate for women's rights, and as an adviser in the Middle East peace process. Atallah has been prolific in the media in recent years, being published and appearing on outlets such as the New York Times, CNN, the National Interest and American Prospect, as well as Al Jazeera.

Commenting on his new role, Amjad Atallah said: “I’m joining a great network at a great time. Al Jazeera English is looking to further expand its newsgathering reach here in the US as well as its already formidable investigative journalism. I’m looking forward to joining and helping to lead that effort.”

Al Anstey, managing director of Al Jazeera English, welcomed the new recruit: “Amjad brings a broad range of experience and contacts with him which will be invaluable in this role. The United States and the Americas as a whole are a key region for us and a vital part of our global news coverage. Amjad’s skills will be key to building on our successes to date here.”

Background Information

Al Jazeera Network

Al Jazeera started out more than fourteen years ago as the first independent Arabic news channel in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive television news and live debate for the Arab world. Al Jazeera was formally named the Al Jazeera Network in March 2006, transforming its operation into an international media corporation.

The Al Jazeera Network now consists of the flagship Al Jazeera Satellite (Arabic) channel, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Documentary, Al Jazeera Sport, Al Jazeera.net (the English and Arabic web sites), the Al Jazeera Media Training and Development Center, the Al Jazeera Center for Studies, Al Jazeera Mubasher (Live), and Al Jazeera Mobile.

Al Jazeera English, the 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, is headquartered in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The organisation is the world's first global English language news channel to be headquartered in the Middle East. From this unique position, Al Jazeera English is destined to be the English-language channel of reference for Middle Eastern events, balancing the current typical information flow by reporting from the developing world back to the West and from the southern to the northern hemisphere. The channel aims to give voice to untold stories, promote debate, and challenge established perceptions.

With broadcasting centres in Doha, Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington DC and supporting bureaux worldwide, the channel will set the news agenda, bridging cultures and providing a unique grassroots perspective from under-reported regions around the world to a potential global audience of over one billion English speakers. The station broadcasts news, current affairs, features, analysis, documentaries, live debates, entertainment, business and sport.

Building on Al Jazeera Arabic channel's ground breaking developments in the Arab and Muslim world that have changed the face of news within the Middle East, Al Jazeera English is part of a growing network that is now extending this fresh perspective from regional to global through accurate, impartial and objective reporting.