Animation: The story of Dr Meir Margalit

“Very Intriguing project!”

Journalists must be honest and courageous, especially in times of war, when it is difficult for people to find out the truth. This book, written by young journalists who have engaged in a battle to defend independent journalism and paid a heavy price for their adherence, offers valuable experiences and testimonies. It could certainly act as a catalyst for further struggle for freedom in this troubled war. Whoever helps people learn the truth deserves special mention.

A fascinating read and excellent resource for understanding the challenges of reporting in the Middle East, where in recent years a plethora of new conflicts and the spread of social media and new technology tools have revolutionized journalism more than anywhere else in the world. The book lays bare many of the pitfalls and opportunities of this new reporting environment.

As his Dean, I came to know of his intellectual and academic abilities. I want to say that Awad will become a first-class public intellectual. His work was very clearly a work, not only of Distinction level, but publishable in an academic journal. Among other things, the meticulousness of his gathering of evidence, together with his mature deployment of argument, were striking. He has a first-class mind. I say that unreservedly.

“Awad is an engaged, intelligent, committed, and interesting researcher. I loved his research at SOAS, so did Professor Charles Tripp! We were both very impressed with his work in it, with his originality, and with his primary research. I know Awad for his quality of work and conscientiousness and punctuality.”

I really appreciate the content brought to us by the editors. The book is highly interesting and will serve as a reference book for any media house in Ethiopia.

The book is essential reading and practical advice not only for journalists, but also for artists, curators, and activists working in challenging situations. I have learned from it on a personal, professional, and ethical level.

Journalism in Times of War is of absolute value; communicating concrete experiences of local media professionals in the Arab world, this unique, up-to-date, well-balanced, and informative guidebook has offered me essential perspectives and tips on best dealing with creating responsible and important journalism in a context where the challenges are countless but the need for coverage and documentation is increasingly crucial.

It is such a great project to have the war correspondents speak of their experiences and their craft inside the covers of a single volume.

This is intimate on-the-ground journalism that grasps the devastation and suffering of conflict and the difficulties encountered when reporting. The diverse stories of journalists working in volatile conditions draw the reader in and make visible how challenging it can be to reveal the truth.

I met Awad during a training and mentoring session on career advice for students applying to university. His talk was amazingly inspiring. I enjoyed all aspects of it. The insights to how Awad built his own career going from humble beginnings to be an Executive Producer working for one of the largest TV networks in the world was valuable. He imbued in me, in a short time, the importance of having a good work ethic. The training session was motivational for me and my classmates.

Awad is a very strong field producer and a senior Executive Producer at a 24-hour international news channel. He has a special focus on Middle East conflicts and has produced and directed documentaries. He has a keen eye for detail and strong editorial judgement. He has been involved in the planning and newsgathering of many Al Jazeera news specials and puts his whole-hearted effort into his work. If anyone knows how the field works and what is and isn’t a story, it’s Awad.

Awad is a professional. He knows how to deal with breaking news.