Comment by temp8964 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by temp8964 | Hacker News Reader

May I ask an honest question? I cannot understand why Jamal Khashoggi is mainly referred as a "journalist". Reading his Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamal_Khashoggi), apparently he is a Saudi dissident, a critic of the Saudi government. Yes he did write lots articles for newspaper, mostly criticize the Saudi government. But does this make him a journalist?

According to the Wikipedia page, I don't think he was an independent journalist. He had connections with the Saudi government and other organizations.

Quote: "After his second resignation, Khashoggi maintained ties with Saudi Arabian elites, including those in its intelligence apparatus. In 2015, he launched the satellite news channel Al-Arab, based in Bahrain outside Saudi Arabia, which does not allow independent news channels to operate within its borders. The news channel was backed by Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and partnered with U.S. financial news channel Bloomberg Television, it was also rumored to have received financial support from the King of Bahrain, Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa.[69] "

Quote: "In December 2018, The Washington Post revealed that Khashoggi's columns "at times" were "shaped" by an organization funded by Saudi Arabia's regional nemesis, Qatar, including by proposing his topics, giving him drafts, goading him, and giving him research."

I am not saying it is wrong to be a political dissident, but those should disqualifying you from being called as a "journalist", right?

> Yes he did write lots articles for newspaper

> But does this make him a journalist?

I think you answered that yourself. As to the perceived quality, that's a different matter and is subjective.

What? I don't think people write lots articles for newspaper are called journalist. "columnist" is the right term for people write lots of opinion pieces.

I upvoted you because I have wondered similar things myself. He is portrayed as a random journalist, but from what I have been able to research, is very much connected to politically powerful families in the region.

Not that it makes killing him any better, of course, but it does add another layer of depth to the story.

Watch The Dissident, they talk much about this. In short yes, but he did it out of national pride, and he was very vocal of his dismissal of the ruling class later on, leading to his murder.

>He had connections with the Saudi government and other organizations.

I'd be surprised if a journalist DID'T have connections to government officials. For many (depending on what you cover) that's a big part of the job.

Yes "connection" is a vague term. But most journalists won't have connections to launch a satellite news channel.

Are people involved with a "satellite news channel" not journalists too?

Not always. There are marketing person, sales person, accounting ...

Well the accountant doesn't write articles usually.

I feel like it might be a wide net cast to include him, but seems valid.

Still, worthwhile asking the question IMO.

He was not a reporter or news journalist but he clearly was a journalist and employed by WaPo. Columnists are journalists.

Khashoggi wasn't obviously different from Anderson Cooper (scion of the Vanderbilts and CIA agent to boot) or Jenna Bush (whose father started several disastrously profitable wars). In order to call these people "journalists", the definition had to be loosened somewhat, but that happened some time ago.

He was also a terrorist: a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is classified as a terror organization by many states (including SA). So how is this different than other states killing terrorists?

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