Columbia University

Karen Attiah on Media Censorship, Jamal Khashoggi & Defending Free Speech

Columbia University

first amendment

Jamal Khashoggi

Middle East Coverage

muslim public affairs council

salam al-marayati

Student Encampments

The MPAC Podcast with Salam Al-Marayati

washington post

On October 22, 2026 By MPAC

On Episode 12 of The MPAC Podcast, host Salam Al-Marayati sits down with award-winning journalist and former Washington Post Global Opinions founding editor Karen Attiah. Commemorating eight years since the assassination of Saudi dissident and columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Karen and Salam examine the dismantling of institutional platforms for dissident voices, the rise of corporate newsroom censorship, and the double standards in coverage surrounding Gaza and campus anti-war demonstrations. Karen details why she launched her independent Resistance Study series after facing institutional pushback, the collapse of the separation between media and the state, and the urgent necessity for journalists to resist historical erasure. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction & Honoring Jamal Khashoggi’s Legacy 04:00 - From Celebrating Press Freedom to Institutional Purges 07:15 - Media Double Standards: Selective Humanity and the Coverage of Gaza 11:32 - Separation of Media & State: Why Access Journalism Silences Truth 14:32 - Dismantling Global Opinions: When Speech Becomes a Corporate Spreadsheet 18:09 - The Columbia University Encampments & Faculty Self-Censorship 24:16 - Militarized Police on Campuses and the Criminalization of Dissent 31:44 - The Power of Black and Palestinian Civic Solidarity 37:17 - How Mainstream Media Vacuum Creates Space for Bad-Faith Actors 42:31 - Fighting Historical Erasure: Why Memory Is Resistance Disclaimer:The views, statements, and opinions expressed by guests on The MPAC Podcast are solely those of the individual guest and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or views of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), host Salam Al-Marayati, its leadership, board, or staff. Subscribe to MPAC's channel: http://bit.ly/MPACYouTube Like MPAC on Facebook: http://fb.com/mpacnational Follow MPAC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpac_national Follow MPAC on Instagram: http://instagram.com/mpac_national Visit MPAC's website: http://mpac.org About the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) We improve public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Help us to continue this work by making a donation today: http://mpac.org/give.