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October 09, 2025 – General –
In his first major public address as Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network, Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani urged stronger protections for journalists operating in war zones. Speaking on October 8, 2025, at the “Conference on The Protection of Journalists in Armed Conflicts” in Doha, he declared that “protecting journalists is protection of the truth.”
Sheikh Nasser emphasized that the press should not be seen as a participant in conflicts, but as a vital conduit of information. He warned that without sufficient safeguards, many war crimes may never be documented, saying, “Otherwise, war crimes will remain unwritten.” He also called for greater cohesion between media outlets and human rights organizations to push for the enforcement of existing human rights regulations protecting reporters.
He affirmed that Al Jazeera has made journalist safety a core priority, highlighting the network’s commitment to training and mentorship programs to help reporters navigate hazardous environments. Among the conference speakers was Wael Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, who himself was injured in an Israeli strike in late 2023. His presence underscored the real and immediate risks faced by journalists on the ground.
Throughout his remarks, Sheikh Nasser pressed that silencing journalists does not prevent truths from surfacing; constraining free speech only amplifies injustice.
His remarks arrive amid escalating dangers for media workers in Gaza. Over the course of the Israel–Gaza conflict, many journalists have been injured, displaced, or killed, and reporting from the region remains extremely perilous. The speech reinforces a growing chorus of concern about press freedom, and underscores that protecting journalists is essential not merely to their safety, but to preserving the integrity and transparency of conflict reporting worldwide.
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