Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani
Doha, Qatar: Al Jazeera Media Network has unveiled a major strategic initiative, the “Core Project,” aimed at redefining the role of journalism in the rapidly evolving digital public sphere.
This came during a key note speech on ‘the Future of Journalism and Technology’ delivered by Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani at Web Summit Qatar 2026 yesterday.
He said the launch of the Core Project comes at a critical moment when technology is no longer a separate industry, but a powerful force reshaping politics, economies, media, and the way societies understand themselves and the world around them.
Sheikh Nasser noted that the modern challenge is not the lack of information, but the difficulty of interpreting its overwhelming abundance and placing it within meaningful context.
“The challenge today is no longer how fast information travels, but how well it is understood,” he said, stressing the need to transform constant digital “noise” into awareness that inspires responsibility and informed action.
Sheikh Nasser described a global media environment defined by real-time events, instant images, and continuous technological systems that leave little room for reflection.
While digital platforms and artificial intelligence have expanded access to information and enabled marginalised voices to reach global audiences, a historic achievement, he warned that the same technologies have also produced troubling consequences.
Algorithm-driven systems, attention-based economic models, and instant interaction, he said, have fuelled polarisation, reinforced echo chambers, and deepened divisions instead of encouraging dialogue.
In many cases, hate speech and the normalisation of violence spread rapidly, not necessarily through malicious intent, but through digital systems that reward shock, magnify outrage, and reduce complex realities to binary choices.
Against this backdrop, Sheikh Nasser emphasised that journalism’s role is more vital than ever. “Journalism is not in opposition to technology,” he said. “It is a force capable of restoring context, connecting diverse voices, and revealing the human stories behind events.”
This understanding, he explained, led Al Jazeera to launch the Core Project, a comprehensive rethinking of the network’s role, responsibility, and purpose in the digital age. The initiative is not simply a technological upgrade or a new platform, but a reassessment of the fundamental principles that underpin journalism itself.
The Core Project aims to combine advanced technology with ethical and professional responsibility, equipping journalists with tools to provide deeper context, report responsibly on breaking news, distinguish facts from bias, and strengthen objective analysis. It also seeks to reduce repetitive automated tasks, allowing journalists to focus on interpretation, insight, and high-value editorial work.
At the heart of the project are three guiding principles that Al Jazeera believes define the true role of journalism today: “The Now,” “The Meaning,” and “People.” “The Now” focuses on accurate, objective reporting as events unfold. “The Meaning” centres on explaining events by linking them to their background, causes, and consequences. “People,” Sheikh Nasser stressed, are not passive consumers, but conscious actors who understand, decide, and engage responsibly with the world around them.
Sheikh Nasser underlined that the challenge ahead is not a battle between journalism and technology, but an opportunity to align them through shared responsibility. He called for innovation to serve understanding, urging journalism and ethical technology to stand together as pillars of a more peaceful, connected, and dialogue-driven global public sphere.
