Al-Jazeera Director General Resigns

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Al-Jazeera's top executive, Waddah Khanfar, resigned Tuesday after eight years as the head of the satellite news channel, the station announced on its website.

"For some time I have been discussing my desire to step down with the chairman of the board," Khanfar wrote. "He has kindly expressed understanding and has accepted my decision."

"The public probably doubted that Al-Jazeera would fulfil its promise of independent journalism ... We managed to pleasantly surprise them by exceeding all expectations," Khanfar wrote in a two-page farewell to fellow employees.

A replacement for Khanfar has so far not been announced.

Khanfar was appointed managing director in 2003 and was later promoted to director general.

Comments 4
Default-user-icon Murad (Guest) 20 September 2011, 18:47

Independent journalism? HAH! What a joke!

Default-user-icon Secrets (Guest) 21 September 2011, 09:15

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20109210-93/did-wikileaks-cable-lead-al-jazeera-news-head-to-resign/

Default-user-icon Christopher Rushlau (Guest) 21 September 2011, 18:25

Thank you, Secrets. Two theories at work in the Katz article, both believable, not mutually exclusive.
The question is whether the new management, with presumably closer ties to the Emir, will be more or less nourishing to the democratic spirit. Is the Emir betting on people being stupid or that they are not? Democracy is the assumption that people are not stupid.

Default-user-icon Christopher Rushlau (Guest) 21 September 2011, 18:32

Thank you, Secrets. Two theories at work in the Katz article, both believable, not mutually exclusive.
The question is whether the new management, with presumably closer ties to the Emir, will be more or less nourishing to the democratic spirit. Is the Emir betting on people being stupid or that they are not? Democracy is the assumption that people are not stupid.