Yosri Fouda speaking to Danish media representatives in the meeting at IMs on 27 April. Photo: Lotte Dahlmann

Al-Jazeera-journalist Yosri Fouda attracted a large audience at an IMS meeting for the press on April the 27th. In the meeting Fouda shared his views on Arab media and investigative journalism together with the board of  'Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalists' (ARIJ)

- Sometimes we don't choose the stories, but the stories choose us.

Yosri Fouda humbly refers to his extraordinary interviews with top members of Al-Qaeda in the wake of the terror attacks on 9/11; an achievement which has become his trademark.

Almost unknown in the West but a true star in the Arab world, the brilliant Egyptian journalist is deputy executive director of Al-Jazeera in London and host and producer of the programme 'Top Secret' at the regional satellite TV-channel.

The 45-year-old journalist who visited Copenhagen because of his work in the organisation 'Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalists' (ARIJ) attracted a large audience at the IMS office. More than 40 media representatives and academics turned up to hear the renowned journalist speak and to meet the board members of ARIJ who told about their work in the organisation.

"Change has come to stay"

The audience was eager to hear Yosri Foudas opinion on the development in Arab media and on the investigate journalism which he and the organisation of ARIJ work to promote.

- The Arab regimes have reacted with anger on the new journalism that the Arab world has seen during the last ten years. But it has come to stay. Once you have opened the door, you can't close it again. Freedom is like death: you can't visit it and return to where you were before afterwards, Yosri Fouda said.

He said that the rise of Al-Jazeera more than 10 years ago was a turning point for Arab media.

- After the rise of Al-Jazeera there has been an explosion of Arab satellite stations, and with the new media, many taboos have been broken, not only on Al-Jazeera. I think this development will culminate in a new culture, he said.

Investigative journalism

With his daring investigative journalism in the Al-Jazeera-programme 'Top Secret', Yosri Fouda is a role model for journalists who are interested in investigative journalism, and an obvious member of 'Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism'.

The organisation of ARIJ which was established in 2005 through collaboration between Arab media organisations the Danish Association for Investigative Journalism (FUJ) and with IMS at the steering wheel supports journalists in conducting investigative journalism in a number of Arab countries.

According to Yosri Fouda the process of establishing a tradition for investigative journalism in the Arab world has long prospects, and is still hard to carry out.

- We in the Arab world have the opposite problems of Western journalists: you have all the possibilities to make investigative journalism but lack the ideas - we have far too many ideas but no possibilities to make the stories, he stated.

He stressed that the effort of ARIJ is unique and vital to establish investigative journalism in the region, and that he feels privileged to have become a board member of ARIJ.

Presenting ARIJ

After Yosri Fouda's insight, executive director of ARIJ, Rana Sabbagh presented the organisation of ARIJ and introduced the participants to the Arab and Danish board members of ARIJ: chairman Daoud Kuttab, Omar Rifai, Anders Jerichow and Pia Thordsen.

Rana Sabbagh explained, that ARIJ is the first organisation to offer support to journalists who want to take on investigative journalism. She then went on to say that ARIJ is expanding its activities to include three more countries: Bahrain, Yemen and Palestine in addition to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt where the organisation is already operational.

Responding to a question from one of the Danish journalists on how ARIJ deals with the local governments, several of the ARIJ board members shared their view with the participants saying that it is crucial for ARIJ to demonstrate to the Arab regimes that the organisation does not have a hidden, political agenda.
After the presentations and Q and A session, ARIJ board members and the Danish participants mingled and exchanged experiences.

Media coverage of Yosri Fouda's visit:

Interview in Danish daily Information, "Obama fuels fire ignited by Al-Qaida", 28 April, 2009

Interview in radio programme "Orientering" Programme 1, "Investigative reporting is thriving", DR, 28 April, 2009

Interview in Danish Daily, Berlingske Tidende on President Obama, 29 April 2009

Interview in TV-programme "Deadline", DR2, 29 April, 2009