Al Jazeera chief reflects on 2015 accomplishments

AJE’s Managing Director Giles Trendle reviews 2015 wins and losses and highlights the challenges ahead for the Network.

Al Jazeera Studio
The newsroom at the headquarters of Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network's English-language division [Fadi Al-Assaad/Reuters]

It has been a year in which we set the news agenda and enabled our audience to hear the human story. Far from just slogans, our content was infused with the spirit behind those words.

And we received just reward – winning an array of awards for our News, Programmes and Online content. International awards are industry recognition of the talent of our teams and the quality of our content.

Beyond that content, it was also a good year for getting freedom for our three colleagues imprisoned in Egypt – Baher Mohamad, Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy. While they are free, we continue to demand justice for the seven Al Jazeera employees sentenced in absentia by the same court.

We are an amazing organisation: multi-talented and multi-cultural. Our channel is made up of people not just from different backgrounds of race, creed and colour – but with differing life experiences and perspectives.

This is the essence of what makes us so unique.

We honour our accomplishments of 2015 and acknowledge 2016 will bring new challenges and new demands to adapt and excel amid an ever-changing landscape.

Our goal for 2016 is to continually strive for the highest quality of content and output. Across the Network, there is a commitment to invest in operational efficiency; grow in digital influence; develop brand excellence; and grow revenue streams.

We can stand tall, knowing that we have achieved a great deal in a tough international market in which we are competing with – and often outstripping – the very best.

Source: Al Jazeera