Daoud Kuttab: A Palestinian Journalist and Media Pioneer
Journalist, columnist and founder of independent media in Palestine and Jordan, Daoud Kuttab has spent four decades fighting for free expression in the Arab world.
Daoud Kuttab is one of the best-known Palestinian journalists writing in English, and a pioneer of independent broadcasting in the Arab world. Born in Jerusalem, he began his career in the 1980s working for Palestinian newspapers in East Jerusalem, and became known for his reporting on the first intifada.
Building independent media
Kuttab has founded and led several independent media ventures. In the Palestinian territories, he was involved in early independent television initiatives and in Al-Quds Educational Television. In Jordan, he founded AmmanNet, one of the Arab world's first internet radio stations, which grew into Radio Al-Balad, a community radio station, and a broader network of community media.
His work has repeatedly brought him into conflict with authorities, both Israeli and Palestinian, over coverage and press freedom.
The columnist
For decades Kuttab has written columns for international and regional publications, including the Jordan Times and The Jerusalem Post in earlier years, and analysis for outlets such as Al-Monitor. His commentary typically argues for nonviolence, negotiation and accountable government. After the 2006 Lebanon war, for example, he wrote that political leaders on all sides had to accept that force could not solve problems that only negotiations could.
Recognition
Kuttab has received international awards for press freedom, including recognition from the International Press Institute. He remains an influential voice on Palestinian and Jordanian affairs and on media development across the region.