Al Jazeera leadership transition outlined
Doha, Qatar, 20
September, 2011 - Al Jazeera has announced the departure of its Director
General of eight years, Wadah Khanfar.
Speaking to staff today,
he said that he had served for a substantial period of time, and the Network’s
current success offered him the opportunity to leave having accomplished the
vision he had set for Al Jazeera to be a globally recognized media
institution.
Khanfar had
approached Al Jazeera’s chairman with his intentions in July. His
replacement, Shaikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani was identified one
month ago, ensuring a smooth transition. The new Director General will take
over responsibilities from tomorrow.
Since Khanfar took
over the reins at Al Jazeera in 2003, Al Jazeera became a media
network from being a solitary Arabic news channel. It now includes
Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Sport, Al Jazeera Mubasher
and Al Jazeera Documentary. The Arabic and English news channels have been
widely acclaimed for their coverage of the Arab awakening.
Khanfar said:
“Upon my appointment I
set a goal to establish Al Jazeera as global media leader. This target has
been met and the organization is in a healthy position.
“This Network is great
not because of me or any other individual, it is great because of its mission
which carries on with all of its outstanding staff.
“My successor has the
skills and attributes to maintain and build upon the quality journalism that
Al Jazeera has become renowned for.”
[ENDS]
Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com
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