Salama Ahmed Salama
Encyclopedia
Salama Ahmed Salama is an Egyptian
journalist
and author. He served as the vice chief editor for Al-Ahram
newspapers for 22 years. and is now the editor-in-chief of Al-Shourouk newspaper and the political magazine Points of View. Salama has also written a number of non-fiction books and served on the board of the Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate.
He has been called "perhaps the only Egyptian journalist who commands the respect of his colleagues right across the political spectrum." and one who has "retained the status of a non-partisan writer, often critical of the government and its policies, yet not a member of the opposition." He is well known for being highly critical of the Egyptian government.
. Salama obtained his BA in philosophy in 1953, and obtained a scholarship to pursue his higher studies in Germany
in the late '50s and early '60s, while becoming a foreign correspondent for Akhbar Al-Yom. He stayed for four years, returning to Akhbar Al-Yom in 1964 as diplomatic affairs editor.
He obtained his MA in journalism from the University of Minnesota
and came back again when the 1967 Six-Day War
broke out. He met his wife Juliane in Germany and they have two married sons, Tarek and Karim, both of whom live in Germany.
Salama has covered major international and Arab summits and conferences, such as the meetings of the UN General Assembly, and the US Presidential elections. He has interviewed heads of State and leading politicians and is a specialist in German affairs. He is also noted for his writing on urban planning, the environment, and the poor human rights record of Arab governments, his stand in favor of non-governmental organisations and for easing political and administrative restrictions of them.
Recently Salama has left Al-Ahram after helping form Al-Shourouk in January 2009. Salama has written a number of non-fiction books including Grey Areas and The New Middle East. His most recent book, released in February 2009, is called Journalism under a Hot Tin Roof.
He was elected to the Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate board and served as a board member for a short time.
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and author. He served as the vice chief editor for Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram , founded in 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya . It is majority owned by the Egyptian government....
newspapers for 22 years. and is now the editor-in-chief of Al-Shourouk newspaper and the political magazine Points of View. Salama has also written a number of non-fiction books and served on the board of the Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate.
He has been called "perhaps the only Egyptian journalist who commands the respect of his colleagues right across the political spectrum." and one who has "retained the status of a non-partisan writer, often critical of the government and its policies, yet not a member of the opposition." He is well known for being highly critical of the Egyptian government.
Personal life and education
He was born in Cairo in 1932. His father, an Arabic language teacher, was from Sharqiya in the Nile DeltaNile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
. Salama obtained his BA in philosophy in 1953, and obtained a scholarship to pursue his higher studies in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the late '50s and early '60s, while becoming a foreign correspondent for Akhbar Al-Yom. He stayed for four years, returning to Akhbar Al-Yom in 1964 as diplomatic affairs editor.
He obtained his MA in journalism from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and came back again when the 1967 Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
broke out. He met his wife Juliane in Germany and they have two married sons, Tarek and Karim, both of whom live in Germany.
Career
He began working at Al-Ahram in 1968 and returned to Europe once more, remaining until 1972, as Al-Ahram's correspondent there. His years spent in Germany in the late '50s and '60s were the best part of his career, and its there he formed a vision of what it is to be a journalist. He knew what it meant to have a press that is "strong and independent and respected". When he came back to Egypt, he began his weekly foreign policy column, "The Meaning of Events". In 1989 he started his daily column Close Up in dealing not with foreign policy analysis but commentary on everyday life.Salama has covered major international and Arab summits and conferences, such as the meetings of the UN General Assembly, and the US Presidential elections. He has interviewed heads of State and leading politicians and is a specialist in German affairs. He is also noted for his writing on urban planning, the environment, and the poor human rights record of Arab governments, his stand in favor of non-governmental organisations and for easing political and administrative restrictions of them.
Recently Salama has left Al-Ahram after helping form Al-Shourouk in January 2009. Salama has written a number of non-fiction books including Grey Areas and The New Middle East. His most recent book, released in February 2009, is called Journalism under a Hot Tin Roof.
He was elected to the Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate board and served as a board member for a short time.