Making a profit just won't be that important at Al Jazeera America

Some insight on what will make Al Jazeera America tick, from USA Today:

Its journalistic credo – offering "fact-based, unbiased and in-depth journalism" – will be supported by "heavy investment," according to its interim chief, Ehab Al Shihabi, an Al Jazeera international operations executive who was tapped to oversee the launch. "We're not coming here just to survive. We're coming here to win." ...

Such journalism isn't cheap, and Al Jazeera America isn't revealing its news budget. But Al-Shihabi suggests the resources will be there, striking a note of insouciance about profits that would hearten many a newsroom. "We need to make a profit. But if there's a trade-off between our journalistic identity standards and maximizing our profit, we'll maintain our journalistic identity and reduce our profit."

Al Jazeera America launches Aug. 20. It is funded by the oil-rich Qatar government.

@eScarry