Al Jazeera launching right leaning digital product

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Al Jazeera is getting into the right wing U.S. media game, according to a report from Politico.

The new offering will be called “Rightly” and target U.S. conservatives — and will debut its first show March 4, 2021 called “Right Now.”

Stephen Kent, a commentator who currently hosts podcast Beltway Banthas will host.

The company has hired Scott Norvell, a former Fox executive, as editor in chief of what will be a digital only offering (at least for now).

This isn’t the first time Al Jazeera has entered the U.S. market.

It launched Al Jazeera America in 2013, an effort that aimed to feature longer, more in depth reporting and backed by some experienced names in news. The network closed in 2016 after it was unable to make headway in the ratings or financial outlook and was replaced by Al Jazeera English on many carriers.

Al Jazeera America was produced in the U.S. and featured mostly U.S. journalists and was targeted as a U.S. audience. While Al Jazeera English is in English, it is produced in other parts of the world and tends to target middle eastern viewers.

Al Jazeera is sometimes considered to be a more left leaning operation, with one of its stated goals to help give voices to “marginalized” communities.

The network also runs AJ+, a digital and social media driven content platform.

The move comes as right wing media outlets more extreme than Fox have risen in popularity — including Newsmax and OAN.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which has a history of conservative views at the corporate level, has also launched its own morning show, while Nexstar has launched a newscast turned channel called “NewsNation.”

NewsNation has been prominently billed as non-biased, but questions have arisen about that after it was revealed the network was using Bill Shine, former Trump adviser and Fox executive, as a consultant.

Its news director also quit, reportedly over concerns over the conservative slant the network was taking, and the network has since expanded into analysis and interview shows that some fear will be right leaning.