The Arab Spring saw pop-culture coming out of Al Jazeera English, especially in the United States, where cable companies continue to keep the Qatar-based network off the air. GQ’s Michael Paterniti went to AJE’s headquarters and met with its stars in order to figure out how the up-and-coming organization works. Hillary Clinton called the network “real news,” and contrasted it with the punditry and so-called infotainment of American news. One of Al Jazeera’s presenters described the difference between AJE and other channels thus: If other networks are interested in the politician, the commentator said, Al Jazeera will always be interested in the politician's driver. Their bureaus are austere, and their reporters travel in whatever vehicle ordinary people use. Sometimes their readiness to report from the view of the masses gets them into trouble, when their reporters find themselves in the thick of fighting, as in Libya. The network, riding on the success of its coverage of the Arab Spring, is poised to expand, going from 70 bureaus to 80 next year.
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