His Excellency the Minister of Information is a man of vision when it comes to how the media should operate. He says with our rapid progress and development that we need a responsible media to guide public opinion in the right direction. This guidance might consist of giving correct information, emphasizing facts and accuracy and obtaining and publishing information as it comes from original sources.
I have no doubt the officials in charge of information are keen to identify and remove the obstacles facing our media. The question is how that desire can be transformed into reality. Local readers and viewers are constantly annoyed at having to seek news from a foreign media organ that may not always be fair and impartial.
Local reporters and journalists often find their hands tied, even when they seek the simplest information. It is no surprise for an official in a remote village to refuse to provide answers to a reporter’s question — even if the question is as simple as the number of commercial licenses issued in the village.
The reason for the official’s unhelpfulness is that he has not been authorized by anyone to speak to the press.
I am not defending the performance of the Saudi media but I am saying that for any one to be successful, they should expect only what is possible. It is important that the Ministry of Information conveys this to all government departments.
It is equally important that people understand and appreciate the value of information so that the correct message is properly conveyed and analyzed. In the absence of accurate information, inaccurate and false conclusions may be drawn and this is a very unnecessary waste of time and money.
8 October 2002
