7th March 2006

Al Jazeera International, the 24-hour English language news and current affairs channel, set to launch its global broadcast in late Spring of 2006, announced that respected journalist Dr Shereen El Feki has joined the channel. Based in London, Shereen will host the channel’s business and politics strand.

People & Power will examine the nature of power today: what it is, who wields it, who wants it and how it is being used, for better or worse. Although People & Power is Al Jazeera International’s main business programme, it will look at influence far beyond the boardroom. “Our aim is to reveal the shifting nature of global power. People, places and movements which scarcely registered on the richter scale of power a decade ago are now shaking our world,” says Shereen. “We want to understand the forces—economic, political, cultural and technological—that are changing the winners and losers in today’s struggles for influence.”

The half-hour programme will air twice a week with a flexible magazine format, allowing for studio discussions and interviews, as well as items filmed on location and special reports. Reflecting the channel’s fresh take on current affairs, the programme will not only talk to the usual suspects—politicians, CEOs, religious leaders and military men—but unusual ones too, from bloggers to inventors, from shareholder activists to insurgents.

Explaining her move to Al Jazeera International, Shereen said, “Events of the past few years—from 9/11 and the war in Iraq to riots in Paris and the recent cartoon controversies—have made me think long and hard about what it means to be Arab and Muslim. When I look to the Middle East I see enormous possibilities for change. In my travels, I meet many people who are keen to reach out and work with both east and west. But it’s easier to build those bridges if there’s someone on the other side building towards you. For me, Al Jazeera International is a great opportunity to span that gap between cultures and communities around the world.”

Director of Programming Paul Gibbs said, “In addition to looking at shifting balances of power, People & Power will have a strong investigative strand, uncovering the use and abuse of power in business and politics. We will approach business from a fresh perspective – making the world of business and politics accessible to viewers around the globe.”

Shereen comes from Canada, where she was raised by Egyptian-Welsh parents. “Although I grew up in the west, I like to think of myself as a ‘born-again’ Arab’” she says. Shereen speaks fluent English and French and is working on her Arabic. “For the moment, I have enough Arabic to get me into trouble, but not quite enough just yet to get me out of it,” she says. She joins Al Jazeera International from The Economist.

In addition to producing its own material, People & Power is eager to broadcast work from freelancers and independent companies around the globe through a unique commissioning site: www.ajicommissioning.net

www.aljazeera.net