Cairo and Riyadh frequently complain that satellite channels criticise their governments.
"Al Jazeera has said a code adopted by Arab states to govern satellite broadcasting could shackle freedom of expression.
Arab information ministers meeting on Tuesday in Cairo endorsed the charter, which allows host countries to annul or suspend the licence of any broadcaster found in violation of the rules it sets......
Wadah Khanfar, director-general of Al Jazeera, said in a statement issued on Friday: "Any code of ethics or governance for journalistic practices should emerge, and be governed, from within the profession and not be imposed externally by political institutions.
"Al Jazeera considers the adoption of the charter ... a risk to the freedom of expression in the Arab world."....
All members of the 22-member Arab League had voted in favour of the document, with only Qatar and Lebanon opposing......
"The region has seen the recent emergence of many media institutions and every attempt should be made not to hamper, but to facilitate, an environment to encourage their independence and freedom," Khanfar said.
Al Jazeera has faced reporting bans in several Arab countries including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia over the past decade. Iraq also banned Al Jazeera Arabic from reporting in Iraq three years ago, accusing it of fomenting sectarianism although Al Jazeera English has a presence in Baghdad.....
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Agnes Callamard from Article 19, a press freedom organisation, said: "This is turning into the next stage of censorship which is to try to prevent millions of people in the region to access information. "The guidelines that have been put forward are so overbroad and over-reaching, they are just really trying to impose a curtain of censorship over the provision of information and simple provision of
views.""
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