A picture taken on December 5, 2019, shows a general view of the headquarters of al-Jazeera Media ... [+]
Well, this should be interesting. Al Jazeera, which failed in its effort to create a left-leaning cable news network targeting Americans, will launch a new digital project this week called “Rightly,” aimed at disaffected conservatives. Politico first reported the news Tuesday, saying the venture will target “center-right folks who feel left out of mainstream media.”
“Al Jazeera is excited to expand its digital footprint with Rightly to provide fresh voices that are too often left out of the mainstream media a space to engage and debate the issues that matter most to them,” said Michael Weaver, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Growth at Al Jazeera Media Network’s Digital Division, in a statement released by the network. “Rightly will also be a platform where the full spectrum of political voices can expect to have, or find, a thoughtful debate on the future of the United States.”
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: A flag with the new logo for FOX flies outside of their corporate ... [+]
Scott Norvell, a journalist and blogger who formerly worked at Fox News, will be Rightly’s editor-in-chief. The platform’s first show, Right Now with Stephen Kent, is described as an “opinion-led interview program” hosted by Kent, a political commentator who said on Twitter Tuesday that he’s “really optimistic about what’s coming together for (the) Rightly brand in terms of talent and direction.”
“American conservatism has never been monolithic,” Norvell said in a statement. “With Rightly, we are hoping to create a platform that amplifies the voices of an array of personalities that more accurately reflects the racial, cultural and generational diversity of center-right politics in America than existing outlets. We aim to bring new Americans, young Americans, and Americans of color together and present conservative ideas that transcend the barriers which identity politics aim to put between us.”
When asked on Twitter how there could be a need for another conservative media voice in America, Kent responded: “have you turned on the news since 2015?”
The Al Jazeera news comes at a strange moment for conservative media, traditionally dominated by the Fox News Channel. The network’s ratings dominance has been challenged in the months since November’s presidential election, with both MSNBC and CNN hitting record highs in prime time. Fox has also been challenged by Newsmax and One America News, which both cater to viewers who don’t think Fox is sufficiently conservative.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JULY 08: (L-R) Al Jazeera America president Kate O'Brian, Al Jazeera America ... [+]
The low-key digital launch of Rightly contrasts with Al Jazeera’s splashy—and big budget—effort to break into the U. S. cable news market with Al Jazeera America, which launched in 2013 with New York City-based studios and high profile talent including Tony Harris and Ali Velshi. The network tried to counter Fox News, MSNBC and CNN by delivering documentaries and hard news, but collapsed in 2016.
“Its ratings were horrifically low,” wrote William Youmans, a media professor at George Washington University. “Critics inside and out protested it was boring, tepid, old school, too objective, not objective enough, or way too Americanized to be interesting. Reports of low morale in the newsroom abound.
The stakes will be far lower with a digital news operation, but just as Al Jazeera America’s determination to keep the Al Jazeera name and logo didn’t help attract cable news viewers, the Al Jazeera association might present a hurdle as well for Rightly. And then, as The Guardian reports, some Al Jazeera staffers question the decision to invest in an effort targeting conservatives. “Privately, some Al Jazeera staff expressed dismay at the launch of Rightly, wondering how it squared with the network’s previously stated commitments to giving voice to marginalized communities.”
