Press: Standing up to power

Opinion iranjournalismjournalists Press: Standing up to power Stili 3 1536x864 Relevant News Press: Standing up to power 17 September 2026 Cyprus’s political map is starting to crack 17 September 2026 The goal: laying the groundwork for the next step 17 September 2026 Christos Michaelides 17 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci (1929–2006) tears off her chador mid-interview with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Qom, Iran, 1979, one of the tensest interviews of her career. To even get into the room where the Iranian leader was waiting for her, Fallaci had to cover herself head to toe in a heavy black chador, leaving only her face showing. The conversation was tense from the first question. Fallaci didn’t hold back. She pressed the Ayatollah hard: on the political executions, on the sudden shuttering of independent newspapers, on the rights Iranian women had just lost overnight under the new regime. When she brought up the forced wearing of the headscarf, Khomeini waved off her concerns, insisting the garment was there to protect young, respectable women. Protect them from what, one wonders? Then he added: “If you don’t like Islamic dress, you don’t have to wear it.” Fallaci didn’t miss a beat. “Thank you, Imam,” she said. “Since you’re telling me that, I’ll take it off right now.” In one swift move, she pulled the chador off her head, leaving her hair completely uncovered in front of the Supreme Leader. Khomeini was furious. He got up without another word and walked out of the room. Silence fell. The interview was over. Fallaci still refused to leave Iran. She’d be back the next day, she said, to finish the interview. That clash became one of journalism’s defining moments, an Italian reporter who refused to bow to the “face of power,” even in one of the most dangerous rooms she could have walked into. Fallaci showed that real journalism means standing up to power, asking the hard questions, and refusing to be silenced by fear or tradition. “When journalists trade raw courage for easy access and comfortable silence, we lose one of our strongest shields against tyranny,” she said. At a time when courage in reporting feels increasingly rare, her nerve is a reminder that honest journalism still has the power to cut through the dark. It gives a voice to those who don’t have one. It inspires the next generation to tell the truth, whoever’s in power. PS: One of these days we’ll get round to talking about party newspapers, the ones back home (in Greece and Cyprus) that seem to think they, and only they, hold the deed to the truth. (From Archaeo – Histories, on “X”.) PS: …because I’m a sucker for a sharp line, especially ones that land where you least expect them, like this one from the English journalist Tim Marshall, who also wrote that brilliant book, Prisoners of Geography. He put it this way: “The best advice I ever got was: if you want to change the world, start by changing yourself…” Green Thought: When we brush our teeth or shave, we don’t leave the tap running. A running tap uses nine litres of water a minute. Source: a small but valuable book called THINK GREEN by Carolina Rovithi, published by Fereniki. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Cyprus’s political map is starting to crack The goal: laying the groundwork for the next step Limassol to host a presentation of a UAE Free Zone Attorney General rejects bid to halt Paphos UK toddler death case Life-threatening treatment-abroad cases decided in 42 minutes, HIO says No hunter complaints of activist harassment exist, BirdLife Cyprus says Home for Cooperation marks International Day of Peace with talks, walk and music Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.