Wadah Khanfar Quotes

There are different opinions across the Middle East of Al-Jazeera. They've been kicked out of Egypt and Jordan and then let back in; they've been totally banned from Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Syria.

Palestine is the cement that holds the Arab world together, or it is the explosive that blows it apart.

Qatar-based 'Al-Jazeera,' the most important news channel in the Arab world, was harshly criticized by high U.S. officials for having 'emphasized civilian casualties' during the destruction of Falluja. The problem of independent media was later resolved when the channel was kicked out of Iraq in preparation for free elections.

Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every single, you know, ideology, we have every single background. However, when it comes to the screen, we have one code of ethics and one code of conduct.

Fear rules almost every newsroom in the country.

I was for many years myself a journalist and it is not appropriate to say a programme should not be broadcast.

Those who peacefully gather to express sympathy for the family of Michael Brown must have their rights respected at all times. And journalists must not be harassed or prevented from covering a story that needs to be told.

The first problem of the media is posed by what does not get translated, or even published in the dominant political languages.

At Grozny TV, the line between journalism and government propaganda is traversed as often as a Manhattan crosswalk.

The free market allowed shock jocks to flourish, and millions of listeners apparently enjoyed the rant.

Clearly independent journalists - domestic journalists - run a high risk if they dare to take on serious investigative work.

Al Jazeera is known in the Arab world as the voice of freedom of expression.

At least in America, you have freedom of speech, which is a good thing. It's just a question of whether you're allowed to use it on 'Fox News'.

Obviously, if the commander makes certain decisions that the reporter thinks is inhibiting his right to report a legitimate story, he has to appeal to the commander's boss to get that changed.

A free and truly independent press - fiercely independent when necessary - is the red beating heart of freedom and democracy.

The press is a watchdog. Not an attack dog. Not a lapdog. A watchdog. Now, a watchdog can't be right all the time. He doesn't bark only when he sees or smells something that's dangerous. A good watchdog barks at things that are suspicious.

I can only assume that your editorial writer tripped over the First Amendment and thought it was the office cat.

The press doesn't stop publishing, by the way, in a fascist escalation; it simply watches what it says. That too can be an incremental process, and the pace at which the free press polices itself depends on how journalists are targeted.

We believe that the remedy to any harm resulting from press freedom lies in press freedom itself.

The Arab leaders and tyrannical regimes have used Israel as a pretext. True, Israel has exhausted many Arab resources, but nevertheless, I say that the regimes have exhausted the resources of their own countries, have smuggled and stolen more than the war against Israel has cost us.

The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government.

Pakistan is an anomaly in the Islamic world, in the sense that there is a free press, which is amazing. I can't think of another Islamic country where the press is so free….one cannot claim that there is no fear. There is fear, but more and more people are saying what they want to say

Freedom of the press, printing, publication and mass media shall be guaranteed. Censorship on newspapers is forbidden as well as notifying, suspending or cancelling them by administrative methods. In a state of emergency or in time of war a limited censorship may be imposed on the newspapers, publications and mass media in matters related to public safety or purposes of national security in accordance with the law.

What is the liberty of the press? Who can give it any definition that would not leave the utmost latitude for evasion …. Its [the press's] security … must altogether depend on public opinion.

We journalists in America take it for granted that we are not going to be killed for our work. Unfortunately, this is not true elsewhere in the world.