How the Doha Dream Turned Sour

Some journalists who moved to Doha say the dream of an exciting new career has turned sour. 'There is a terrible clash between the largely Anglo-Saxon staff working in news editorial ... and local Qatari staff working in management and administration,' says one insider.

Some of the problems are financial. Westerners were hired on better packages, sparking resentment, but efforts to address that by removing perks, including the number of free return flights home, have been badly handled.

'Some have even received eviction notices from their villas,' says one reporter. 'It turned out that Al-Jazeera had stopped paying the rent - even though rent was part of their package.'

Expat staff complain about 'glacial' decision-making. Other clashes are political, with some accusing locals of censorship. 'We were led to believe that we could practise bold, free journalism but it's been made clear by certain people in the network that there are some subjects we cannot cover, for instance, honour killings. We're told they do not reflect well on the Muslim world.

'Everyone is exhausted and frustrated,' says another. 'Those that can leave, do. Those that can't, console themselves by counting the tax-free dollars.'