The war between Peyton Manning and Al Jazeera might be reaching its end soon. The news site recently announced the company's decision to shut down its United States headquarters. The move to pull the plug for its cable TV and digital operations will take effect on April 30, 2016. In a nutshell, Al Jazeera disclosed that the decision was rooted from the company's inability to fund their operations.
"I know the closure of AJAM will be a massive disappointment for everyone here who has worked tirelessly for our long-term future," shared Al Anstey in an email sent the news agency's employees, according to Al Jazeera America. The AJAM CEO added, "Our commitment to great journalism is unrivaled. We have increasingly set ourselves apart from all the rest. And you are the most talented team any organization could wish for."
Anstey also disclosed that the AJAM board was pushed make the decision due to "the fact that our business model is simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges in the U.S. media marketplace."
"As audiences increasingly turn to multiple platforms, including mobile devices, for news and information, this expansion will allow U.S. and non-U.S. consumers alike to access the network's journalism and content wherever and whenever they want," shared the Al Jazeera Media Network in an official statement following the announcement of their decision. The network added, "By expanding its digital content and distribution services to now include the U.S., the network will be better positioned to innovate and compete in an overwhelmingly digital world to serve today's 24-hour digitally focused audience." Sources disclosed that Al Jazeera will keep its online presence.
Before this announcement, the entry of Al Jazeera America promised a fresh air for hardcore journalists and their fans. John Seigenthaler, who is an ex-news anchor for the MSNBC and the NBC, shared the vision of AJAM when it started. He said in an interview with NPR, "They have told me that they're not interested in the ratings, that they're interested in doing news and they believe there's an audience out there that will follow."
The closing down of AJAM now poses a question for NFL fans. Before the decision was made public, Deborah Davies accused Manning of using HGH. The Denver Broncos star retaliated by slamming the report and dubbing it as "garbage." The documentary that aimed to expose the illegal acts of athletes titled The Dark Side: The Secret World of Sports Doping, also targeted some other sports stars. In fact, Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals and Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies already filed libel charges against Al Jazeera.
"Al Jazeera is not a credible news organization," commented ESPN's Mike Ditka in NFL Countdown, according to Huffington Post. He added, "They're out there spreading garbage. That's what they do, yet we give them credibility by talking about it."
Although Manning had been adamant in his denial of the accusations and transparent over his rage at the report, the Denver Broncos quarterback has not filed any lawsuits against Al Jazeera. With the exit of the news organization, the investigation on Manning's alleged doping might also see its end. When asked about his reaction to the news, the former Indianapolis Colts star only had one sarcastic shot aimed at the low number of followers of the news site. He said via 9News, "I'm sure it's going to be just devastating to all their viewers."
