Ghada Oueiss

Ghada Karam Oueiss is a Lebanese journalist and news presenter at Al Jazeera.

She spent her childhood in Lebanon during the civil war. As a child, she imagined war as a story that would end in victory; experience taught her that it remained a bitter reality whose effects continued long after the fighting. The period left memories of hiding from shelling and car bombs and helped shape the firmness of her character.

Her parents provided contrasting but complementary examples. Her mother was strong, decisive, conservative and deeply religious. Her father was moderate, calm and independent of political parties, respected by people across sects and beliefs. His wisdom, dignity and accurate judgement made him her guide, while the difficult events around them taught her to combine strength with restraint.

At the Sisters of Charity School in Lebanon, she learned simplicity, humility and regard for others and excelled academically. Childhood ideas of becoming a detective and later a film director in the United States gave way when her mother enrolled her in Lebanon’s university programme for journalism and media. She entered reluctantly, but passed the admission examination with a high ranking.

One examination question asked which political event she hoped to cover after graduation. She answered that she wanted to report the end of the Arab–Israeli conflict, the liberation of Jerusalem and the return of Palestinians to their land. The answer expressed a concern that would remain connected to her journalism even before she had chosen the profession for herself.

She defines success as happiness and inner peace rather than status. Remaining faithful to principles learned in childhood, extending help when asked and resisting material display have mattered more to her than public recognition. Dignity and respect are non-negotiable, and her refusal to compromise them in professional life has sometimes brought difficulty.

Leaving Lebanon for Qatar removed her from family, friends and a familiar cultural environment. She initially knew no one and found the geographic and social differences difficult. Reading, preparation and self-development became her priorities. Work at Al Jazeera introduced her to Arab and Western colleagues from many backgrounds and allowed her to learn directly from established broadcasters and journalists.

The scale and standards of Al Jazeera made the transition from local media intimidating. She studied how senior colleagues prepared, reported and developed their craft and doubled her own effort until she earned a place in the newsroom. She credits the network with transforming her professional life, her father with giving her confidence, her mother with recognising her ability, and colleagues with sharing their experience.

Differences in custom, culture and tradition across the region created further obstacles, but she came to regard them as part of journalism and of life in the Middle East. The conditions around a journalist—at home, in the neighbourhood, in the workplace and in the country of residence—inevitably shape both the person and the work.

Alongside broadcasting, she has participated in studies and seminars concerned with human rights, women’s rights, press freedom and freedom of expression. She sees the highest purpose of journalism in challenging oppression, defending the public’s right to accurate information and confronting misinformation and fabricated news.