IPI condemns demand to shut down Al Jazeera

Condemning the demand from the blockading countries of shutting down Al Jazeera, John Yearwood, President of the International Press Institute (IPI) has said that Al Jazeera is the most favourite news channel of people from Morocco to Jakarta.
“IPI condemns in strongest words the demand from Saudi-led coalition to shut down Al Jazeera. What was good to watch was the unanimous reaction from across the world which forced the blockading countries to rescind the demand in the revised version of demands,” Yearwood said while talking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of two-day conference “Freedom of Expression: Facing up to the threat” organised by National Human Rights Committee (NHRC).
He said that all human rights, press freedom organisations had condemned the demand of closing down Al Jazeera with one voice. “They heard us and they also heard the voice of their people who like Al Jazeera whose days begin and end at watching Al Jazeera.”
He said that he had travelled a lot in Islamic countries and had witnessed that the people from Morocco to Jakarta were fond of Al Jazeera and its independent reporting.
He said that people also used to watch other channels including state-run electronic media news channels but for independent coverage of events they would depend on Al Jazeera.
“Fortunately they (blockading countries) realized the feeling of people and have rescinded the demand in new version having six points. The demand of closing down Al Jazeera was unacceptable for their people too who think that state-run TV channels cannot go outside the line while Al Jazeera has the courage to paint independent stories.”
To a question about recent demand by the blockading countries to restructure Al Jazeera, Yearwood said that it was troubling. “How can a country ask the other to close an independent, international media outlet,” he questioned.
IPI President said that Doha conference on freedom of press would highlight the issue internationally. “Such a conference on media freedom would have been held in Riyadh or Jeddah instead,” he quipped.
To another question, Yearwood said that Al Jazeera, in the long run, would introduce social and political reforms in the region. “Information is power therefore these (blockading) countries are afraid of it,” he said.
Regarding social media, Yearwood said that it was incredibly important but there was a dire need of exercising responsibility. “Now social media companies are coming together to devise ways to cleanse social media platforms from which I call “pollution’ like fake news etc. Facebook is hiring more people to accomplish the task,” he added.