The recent news that a Saudi female columnist had been suspended from her job for over a month was nothing new. It is by no means unknown for a Saudi writer to be banned from writing for an unspecified period. The banning might be due to anything — from criticizing corruption or mismanagement by some high official to writing about something deemed “sensitive” or objectionable. In the latest incident, the writer criticized a senior manager in a major Saudi financial institution. The manager consequently threatened the paper with pulling the institution’s advertising from the paper. Such extortion and financial pressure brought to bear on a paper weakens its value and compromises its function as a purveyor of information. No newspaper should be subjected to this kind of blackmail which is not only unethical but also distinctly un-Islamic.
Saudi writers are led to believe that they can write on any subject as long as their information is accurate to the best of their knowledge and that if they criticize an individual, the criticism is based on facts instead of a personal grudge. If writers are given this freedom to express themselves, shouldn’t the publication they write for stand by them? Unless, of course, the writer is at fault. And here is the problem. There are no guidelines, laws or procedures that guarantee a fair evaluation of differences between a writer and an offended party. There are also no clear measures to be followed in order to arrive at a reasonable punishment of the writer if he or she is wrong.
With freedom comes responsibility. If writers are allowed to express opinions freely, they should be held responsible for what they write and the paper should share that responsibility. Fear of being sued, fired or in any way reprimanded for an article is often taken into consideration by editors before and after an article is published. This applies to op-ed articles, investigative reports and various news items. The public has the right to facts rather than rumors, innuendoes or half-truths.
Just as writers complain of restrictions, many public and private officials have protested against one-sided, inaccurate and intolerant news reports and opinion pieces. Recently, the Ministry of Health announced that it would take both journalists and the papers they work for to court in the event of any misrepresentation of its facilities or personnel. This stance is both understandable and justifiable.
The recently established Saudi Journalists Association should play a major role in resolving disputes. It should set up a legal committee consisting of specialist lawyers, veteran journalists and editors to look into complaints from both sides; the decision of the committee should then be enforceable. To say that the association has no legal or executive power is no excuse for not being an organized force which protects the rights of its members — who have paid for membership. Having an association of journalists is not about establishing a powerless, hollow structure but about an organization that can tip the scales in favor of justice. Its ultimate goal should not only be to improve and raise the standard of journalism in Saudi Arabia but also to serve the community better by ensuring a fair and safe environment for accessing, gathering and presenting information.
