Al Jazeera English X Coverage of Slain Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
Al Jazeera is dedicated to more than just sharing facts. We dive deep into stories that matter, committed to uncovering the important truths. On May 11, 2022, our veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was tragically shot and killed by Israeli forces while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, despite wearing a “PRESS” jacket.
Our X team sprang into action, breaking the news on our platform and updating our audience across the world as the events unfolded. we broke a wide range of information through LIVE field reporting, updated threads, and original content. Through this coverage, we highlighted Shireen’s significance not only to the Palestinian people and the MENA region but also to the global community. Our top priority was to keep our audience informed of the latest developments as the world mourned her passing.
We aimed to keep Shireen’s story alive while holding those responsible to account. Al Jazeera took Shireen’s case to the ICC and we used our platform to raise awareness for justice. We kept our audience engaged as while maintaining our journalistic integrity to bring attention to Shireen’s story. Our coverage received the highest share of voice on X, setting us apart from other outlets.
Our Approach
Al Jazeera English’s X emerged as the most reliable source for precise and prompt updates on the unjust killing of our journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh. Leveraging X’s distinct features, we effectively unraveled the complexities of the story, delivering comprehensive updates to our audience. Our narrative stood out due to the inclusion of original native content, often overlooked by other media entities. We delved deep into Shireen Abu Akleh’s role within her Palestinian community, her significance as a journalist, and the ramifications of her passing on press freedom.
Our coverage encompassed a meticulous investigation by Al Jazeera that countered Israel’s initial claim that Palestinian gunfire might have taken Shireen Abu Akleh’s life. The moment Israeli forces targeted mourners carrying Shireen’s casket and desecrated a Palestinian flag at the funeral was swiftly captured via X’s LIVE Broadcast and was promptly shared with our audience to show the ongoing struggle of Palestinians even in death. This emphasised the crucial role of social media in journalism, ensuring such events remained etched in memory. The truth ultimately prevailed.
We conveyed unfiltered moments from Shireen Abu Akleh’s family and highlighted the outpouring support from both the Palestinian community and global individuals, united in honoring the esteemed journalist’s legacy. Additionally, we engaged expert viewpoints, exposing the double standards in Western media’s coverage of Shireen Abu Akleh’s tragic demise. Our mission was to uphold journalistic integrity and pay tribute to our veteran journalist, while also igniting conversations on our platform.
We harnessed X’s full potential, providing real-time updates through daily LIVE threads and remaining at the forefront of breaking news. Our LIVE threads featured diverse content like Al Jazeera LIVE broadcasts, detailed articles, simplified infographics, native explainer videos, and live updates, all threaded together for cohesive understanding. This content strategy ensured easy information consumption for our audience.
Moreover, we utilised X Spaces to host insightful audio discussions with Shireen’s colleagues and activists, shedding light on the discrepancies in Western media coverage and their treatment of Palestinian rights.
We made a deliberate effort to incorporate expert opinions on the matter, calling out the double standard in US media coverage of the tragic killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. By providing easily digestible information and fostering a space for discussion, we successfully cultivated a platform for people to gain insights and exchange perspectives.
Our Result
X Achievements:
- Gained 92.6k new followers in May 2022 alone
- Total follower increase of 12.6% compared to 2021
- Both #AlJazeera and #shireenabuakleh trended worldwide in May 2022
- A total of 7.1k mentions of Al Jazeera on May 11, 2022
- Secured the largest share of voice for coverage of Shireen Abu Akleh, surpassing CNN, BBC, and Skynews
Highest Engagement Days in 2022:
- May 13: 177,344 interactions
- May 11: 162,181 interactions
Video Views:
- Achieved a total of 101 million video views in 2022, a 22% increase compared to the previous year
- Outperformed BBC, CNN, RT, and TRT World in video views
Beyond the record-breaking statistics, our coverage shed light on press freedom. We held Israel accountable for its response to the killing of our journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. We challenged Israeli authorities’ initial false claims and scrutinised the actions of those involved in the investigation as well as Israel’s disruption of Shireen’s funeral. Our approach to easily digestible content through X, prevented Israel from evading responsibility for Shireen’s killing.
Our strategy recognised the significance of engaging with global audiences by leveraging X’s features. This experience has reaffirmed our commitment to hold those in power accountable for their actions through the collective strength of storytelling and we will continue to honour Shireen Abu Akleh’s legacy.
- Social video explaining the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh
- LIVE Update Thread of May 11th
- Update thread of Al Jazeera taking the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh to the ICC
- Special coverage of Shireen on what journalism meant to her
- Live broadcast of Israeli forces attacking Palestinians during Shireen’s funeral
- Animation of marking 1 year of the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh
- Al Jazeera opinion video featuring a Palestinian journalist discussing ‘Israel’s Impunity’ in the context of Shireen’s killing.
- Original social video on the double standard of the US media in reporting on Palestine and Shireen Abu Akleh
- Original social video on what Shireen Abu Akleh meant to Arab news audiences
- Clip of moments before Shireen was shot and killed, contradicting Israeli official’s claims
