These are just random pro and con quotes taken from news journals . I dont think Ive made up my mind yet .
PROS
The reason often given for al Jazeera's success is that it can criticize Arab leaders where other stations cannot, and that it is the only place where Arabs, and Muslims in general, can freely debate all issues. This is what many in the Western media have come to believe. Thomas Friedman of the New York Times called it a "flower" of democratic stirrings after he too toured the station back in February. But how true is this? A deeper look makes clear that al Jazeera does more damage to democratic debate than many of the drab Arab channels it's been taking viewers from since its creation in 1996.

CONS
The secret of al Jazeera's undoubted success, however, lies not in its craven approach to Arab leaders, but elsewhere. It tells Arabs what they already think the mythical "Arab street" feels. It assumes that radical Islamism is on the rise in all Arab countries and that it's secretly supported by the majority. This is why al Jazeera talk shows, the backbone of its programming, favor radical Islamists. The situation also takes for granted that the average Arab is deeply anti-West and especially anti-American. The channel creates the impression that the West, and the U.S. in particular, are behind all of the Arabs' woes, including the presence of incompetent and corrupt regimes
Al Jazeera, as the latest tape suggests, also acts as bin Laden's private TV channel. It even broadcast a documentary of the terrorist's son's wedding