JEDDAH, 29 March — Prince Turki ibn Sultan, assistant minister for information, has urged Saudi columnists and other people in the media to be accurate in their writing and reporting.
“We’ll take strict actions against those who are not,” he warned.
Speaking to Okaz daily by telephone, Prince Turki told the press not to hurry into placing the blame on people after an incident before the authorities have completed their investigations.
Prince Turki was commenting on a recent statement made by Interior Minister Prince Naif on the press coverage of the Makkah school fire incident in which 15 schoolgirls were killed and 52 injured.
Addressing a function in Qassim last week, Prince Naif said the press had exaggerated the Makkah tragedy. Investigations into the fire revealed that a schoolgirl started the fire by stubbing out a cigarette on a pile of paper.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency yesterday, Prince Turki emphasized the need for accurate and credible reporting.
“The ministry will apply regulatory measures against those who tend toward excesses while reporting events,” he stated.
The assistant information minister also urged media persons to abide by the directives given by Prince Naif, who is also chairman of the Supreme Information Council.
“It is important that media persons wait until investigations into an incident are complete in order to report the facts and avoid harming the innocent,” he added.
Asked whether the press would be held responsible for exaggeration in reporting the school fire, Prince Turki said: “The Ministry of Information wants to make sure that such events are not reported except after the completion of investigations and without exaggeration.”
Okaz asked whether there will be any deterrent action taken against those who do not follow this rule, the minister replied: “Definitely. These measures have been specified in the new press law.” Prince Turki, however, said there are no red lines barring the reporting of events here in the Kingdom. “But all editors in chief and reporters know the things which harm the Saudi society ... The editors in chief also have the full knowledge that publication of certain things would do more harm than good.”
