There were several things wrong with the document that Arab information ministers adopted a few weeks ago in Cairo with the aim of regulating the content of satellite TV and electronic media. The nonbinding document failed to recognize the fact that globalization and its technological manifestations had created a new reality where new media can no longer be regulated. Furthermore, the intervention by information ministers was anachronistic in nature; simply put, the state was no longer in control.
On the face of it the initiative carried many positive intentions. The Arab media space has become contaminated with fluffy and mediocre content. Of the 400 plus satellite stations that transmit to Arab countries there are tens of channels that encourage promiscuity and are alien to our culture. These stations trade in sexually implicit material and tend to get away with content that is traditionally prohibited to terrestrial providers.
But that is not all that the document attempted to regulate. The ministers approved clauses that would make it unlawful for stations to criticize heads of state or delve into issues that are characterized as controversial and politically challenging. It was only natural that public opinion across the Arab world saw the document as a way to muzzle free and open reporting by the likes of Al-Jazeera.
Regulation of satellite transmission is a tricky business. Satellite stations beaming their signal to Arab audiences tend to use Arabsat and Egypt’s Nile Sat. But these are not the only commercial satellites with a footprint covering the Arab world. If Arab information ministers were hoping to regulate space transmissions by controlling these providers they were wrong. Al-Jazeera could easily switch providers, if it had to, without adjusting its content. The same could be said of many other stations whose content is seen as offensive and undesirable.
But that is hardly the problem. Arab information ministers had struck a sensitive chord with audiences even if their intentions were sound. Yes the TV space must be regulated but only at country level. It is an impossible task to regulate satellite and electronic media by setting benchmarks. As expected, Arab public opinion was both critical and hostile. If anything, audiences across the board regarded satellite TV as a plus, compared with the dismal performance of terrestrial, often government-controlled stations.
At the same time it was almost impossible to set aside accusations that Arab officials were only interested in muzzling free speech in virtual space.
The Arab League has failed in so many critical endeavors that its latest initiative could only be seen as an attempt to serve short-term political objectives. In other words, the initiative lacked credibility and thus it was easily debunked by public opinion.
Globalization has expressed itself in so many ways in the Arab world, but mass communication has been an exceptional arena. Where traditional media, especially print, remained under government control, new media thrived and evolved freely. Satellite TV and electronic journals became a center of attraction to millions of Arabs. Al-Jazeera became a case study in unabashed TV reporting that was easily accessible to millions of viewers. For the first time Arab audiences were treated to brazen coverage of sensitive issues pertaining to politics, religion, social and economic issues. No matter what government bodies attempted to do, Arabs across the board were able to exercise a precious right to view and interact.
Arab satellite TV became a gadfly for some governments but traditional methods of censoring or prohibiting access would not work. At the same time fluffy stations relying on sexually implicit content also broke through conventional barriers. Compared to other regions around the world, satellite TV became an awesome mode of delivering controversial content, whether political or otherwise.
The nature of the new media posed a major challenge for governments. Electronic websites penetrated firewalls and provided millions of users with the means to express themselves on various issues. Satellite TV offered an alternative to domesticated traditional media. Government control waned. This was a challenge never experienced before and he stakes were high and the cost was exorbitant.
Regulation is not such a bad word. Almost every country or region in the world enforces a sort of regulation on TV or electronic transmission. The Arab world should not be an exception. But the document adopted recently by Arab information ministers attempts to do the impossible. It is ironic that such a series of regulations should come at a time when joint Arab effort is seen as callous and self-defeating. Arab public opinion is hostile and unfriendly and it is becoming suspicious of any attempt to control free speech. The deduction is bold: Good intentions are not enough.
I suspect that the likes of Al-Jazeera will win the day and that Arab thirst for credible news and views will counter attempts to regulate satellite transmission and the electronic space.
The ministers can debate as much as they wish, but public sentiments are against them. It’s a question of credibility and the official view is simply not convincing.
Technology and innovation stand in the way of strict regulation. The Arab audience has a choice and it is doubtful that it would succumb to attempts to confiscate its right to choose. It’s a dilemma for the information ministers; a desire to regulate when they really have no influence. Free media, both good and bad, is here to stay and it is up to the public to decide what to consume and what to throw away. Ministers should take this into account.
— Osama Al Sharif is a veteran publisher and journalist based in Jordan.
