I never was enthusiastic about establishing a Saudi Journalists Association. There are several reasons for my hesitancy.
First, it came too late. Many other Arab countries long ago took that step while we continued to lag behind. It is said that late is better than never, but why should we always arrive late and in so many areas? Arab and third world countries far less-developed and with far less potential than we have are always ahead of us.
Second, the naming of the body itself is an ambiguity that reflects a high sense of caution. Union or society would have been more forceful. Names may not be important since what matters most is the essence, but being too sensitive toward internationally-used terms to refer to things reflects negatively on the performance of those bodies that we set up. This is especially so when these bodies are required to ensure public engagement. Oversensitivity makes people too cautious and hesitant and this, in turn, erodes public participation. Arriving late means you are unable to cope or catch up and if it is also accompanied by slowness of movement, the gap separating the two will only widen further.
Third, according to the rules governing the membership, all part-time journalists and freelancers will be ineligible to vote or run as board members. This means that many leading columnists and writers are excluded from taking part in the running of the association’s affairs and that their fates will be in the hands of full-time members.
Fourth, there is confusion in the association’s rules, mixing up objectives with duties and making it difficult to differentiate between one and the other.
Lastly, is the association really capable of defending journalists if they run into trouble? How? After all, this is defined as one of the association’s objectives.
Arab News From the Local Press 25 May 2003
