So now we have a journalists’ association to write home about. That it was slow in coming is an understatement. It is only the second such union in Saudi Arabia, coming close on the heels of the Saudi BAE Employees Union.
The birth of such unions to protect the rights and privileges of professional groups and to encourage their collective bargaining power augurs well, and more professional associations — for doctors, engineers, lawyers and accountants — cannot be far behind.
What this implies is a growing tendency to democratize civil institutions and usher in an era of openness. It is also a recognition of the nuisance value of journalists in a fast-changing media environment.
But with rights and privileges come responsibilities. With writers, who like to think they are intellectuals and thus a breed apart, responsibilities often take a back seat. And that too should change. As harbingers of the reform movement in the country, here is an opportunity for them to demonstrate that they can be trusted to show the way for others.
Union or no union, journalistic dare-devilry is still a shortcut to premature martyrdom. A union does not provide cover for irresponsible reportage.
What pays in the end is patience, persistence and an uncompromising quality consciousness. Journalists might take the opportunity to see what they can do for the country without worrying too much about what more the country can do for them. Unlike other segments of society, at least they now have a platform.
But journalists being journalists, their reaction to the announcement was subdued, mainly because they do not know what shape the association will take and how much external interference it will be subject to. Having a union with little or no legroom is obviously not their idea of a union.
Nor can you blame journalists for dreaming of a press club where they can interact with fellow journalists and hone their skills and develop a spirit of healthy competition. Those who have seen the Dubai Press Club might be getting ideas, perhaps far-fetched, perhaps illusory. But dreams won’t hurt.
By and large, the Saudi journalists working on the country’s 13 daily newspapers are counting their blessings, though they may not readily admit it.
For the scores of foreign journalists who put together the Saudi publications, the news was unexciting because they were excluded from its purview. But their contributions to the growth especially of English language journalism should not be overlooked. Local journalists cannot thrive in isolation: Interplay with their expat colleagues is crucial to the enrichment of their professionalism and creative abilities. As such, foreign journalists must not be shut out. After all, they have proved their mettle and loyalty and lived up to their responsibilities.
The English press is Saudi Arabia’s window to the world, and it is the legion of unsung expats that has held it in place. The union could also draw on their wealth of experience gained in their home countries.
Don’t they deserve to be counted in?
Arab News Features 2 March 2003
