g - Media Regulation in the Region

the 6 GCC countries

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman

Residents throughout the region circumvented state control of media via ________________ such as ___________ , ___________ and ___________ .

new social technologies; Facebook, Twiter and YouTube.

In most Arab naions there is a heavy hand of _______________ that blocks the important duties of the news media such as asking quesions about problems like _____________, _____________, and _______________

state media control; corrupion; discriminaion; lack of jobs

Residents throughout the region circumvented state control of media via ______________________________ such as _____________, __________ and _________.

new social technologies; Facebook, Twiter and YouTube.

Reasonong behind media conteol in the region:

These governments generally value the harmony of society more than any potenial beneits of a free press.

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they also value:

political stability

protecting national interests

preserving traditional values

secuirity concerns

Influence of the Arab Uprising onm media regulations in the region

__*Qatar*__

the only GCC nation that has issued a proposal to change their media laws to create more freedom for journalists

__*Saudi Arabia and Oman*__

have made changes to more tightly control the press and digital platforms.

__*Bahrain*__

has announced plans to change their laws to improve freedom for journalists but has also telegraphed signals of tighter control.

__*The UAE and Kuwait*__

have taken actions to restrict freedom of expression but have made no firm legal moves in one direction or the other.

Who is the Reporters without Boarders? What did they do?

a press-advocacy group in Paris

measures the level of media freedom in each country by distribuing a quesionnaire with 44 main criteria.

Freedom House?

an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C

bases their press freedom measurements on Article 19 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights

They collect data to monitor the relative free flow of information through surveys in each of the countries they monitor

What is the Freedom House ranking of GCC countries?

worst to best

* 07/100 - Saudi Arabia
* 12/100 - Bahrain
* 17/100 - UAE
* 24/100 - Oman 
* 25/100 - Qatar
* 37/100 - Kuwait

all considered “not free” apart from Kuwait who is “Partly free”

What is the Reporters Without Borders ranking of GCC countries?

(1 to 179)

worst to best

* 173 - Bahrain
* 158 - Saudi Arabia
* 117 - Oman 
* 114 - Qatar
* 112 - UAE
* 78 - Kuwait

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No reform of journalism can occur solely from within the ranks of the profession. __________, _________ and ____________ greatly afect the type of journalism praciced.

media law; court rulings; other government oversight

The influence of these law on the practice of journalism:

* Arrests and prosecutions
* Restricts their freedom to report
* Fear of possible jailtime or fines
* Censorship
* Self-censership
* Discourage critical reporrting of public officials, issues, government and royal personality
* harassment of journalists
* prohibits undermining the reputaion of a person

True or False: Unlike the other countries in the GCC, Saudi Arabia’s “basic law” does not protect freedom of expression

True

Observers use the term ‘red lines’ to denote topics that are ________ _________ _________, the idea being that these are lines that must not be crossed.

highly politically sensitive

True or False: The jailing of journalists has been officially outlawed by an edict from Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid, the ruler of Dubai, in 2007

True

Defamation laws can lead to fines or imprisonments with _____________ or ________________.

written libel; spoken slander

In ___________, ____________, ______________ it does does speciically note that truth is a defense for libel.

Bahrain; UAE; Saudi Arabia

What is Libil?

written defamation

What is Slander?

spoken defamation

All GCC countries treat libel and slander as a ________ _______, meaning an accusaion can lead to __ _____.

criminal ofense; an arrest

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True or False: licensing journlists allow authorities to revoke license of those that “harmed the regime, the oicial state religion, morality or diferent confessions in a way likely to cause a breach of the peace.” ==This gives authorities power of sensorship.==

True

____________ do not require licenses to publish newspapers.

governments

In UAE Penalies include:

awarning

a written apology

a suspension of publicaion license or the complete cancellation of the license.

Comonalities:

control caused by culture not religion

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==defamation== charges are criminal offense rather than civil

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==licensing== of journalists

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==licensing== media outlets

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long list of ==prohibitions== in their media laws

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lese-majeste laws that prohibit ==criticism of the country’s rulers==

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==laws avoid any spirit of the societal value of journalism==

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(except Suadi Arabia) guarantee ==freedom of expression but “...within the limits of the law.”==

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(except Kuwait) ==Judicial review is an important concept missing==

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Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman mandate journalists ensure their reports are “true.”

Bahrain- Inside Look (5)

1\.

The government owns all national broadcast media outlets, and the private owners of Bahrain’s main newspapers have close ties to the state. 

2\.

Independent newspaper, *Al-Wasat*, was banned in 2017. 

3\.

Self-censorship is encouraged by the vaguely worded Press Law, which allows the state to imprison journalists for criticizing the king or Islam or for threatening national security.

4\.

A 2016 edict requires newspapers to apply for a one-year renewable license to publish online.

5\.

Journalists face legal obstacles to their work in practice. The authorities have refused to renew the credentials of several Bahraini journalists working with foreign outlets.

Bahrain (6)

1\.

Six journalists remained imprisoned in 2021 according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

2\.

International journalists face difficulty obtaining an entry visa.

3\.

Many Bahrainis have been convicted and jailed for political speech, including on social media.

4\.

Authorities have also warned against online expression that contradicts the foreign policy priorities of Bahrain and its regional allies.

5\.

Following accounts deemed to promote sedition can constitute a cybercrime.

6\.

In August 2021, Citizen Lab reported that the mobile phones of nine Bahraini political activists were hacked using the Pegasus spyware suite in 2020 and 2021

Kuwait-Inside Look (4)

1\.

Kuwaiti law assigns penalties for the publication of material that insults Islam, criticizes the emir, discloses information considered secret or private, or calls for the regime’s overthrow.

2\.

Journalists also risk imprisonment under the restrictive 2016 Cyber Crimes Law, which criminalizes the dissemination of similar content online.

3\.

The National Assembly amended the Press and Publication Law of 2006 to abolish an Information Ministry censorship committee; as a result, a judicial order is required to enforce such a ban.

4\.

The media regulator, the Commission for Mass Communications and Information Technology, has sweeping powers to monitor, block, and censor online material. 

Kuwait (5)

1\.

The government can seek the revocation of a media outlet’s license via the judiciary.

2\.

Foreign media outlets operate relatively freely in Kuwait.

3\.

The Cyber Crimes Law imposes prison sentences of up to 10 years as well as fines for online speech that criticizes the emir, judicial officials, religious figures, or foreign leaders.

4\.

Individuals who criticize the government on social media tend to be harassed by online trolls and bot accounts, some of which may be state-sponsored.

5\.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that at least five activists were arrested or interrogated by the Interior Ministry in 2020 for their activity on social media.

Oman- Inside Look (4)

1\.

There are private media outlets in addition to those run by the state, but they typically accept government subsidies, practice self-censorship, and face punishment if they cross political redlines. 

2\.

Media outlets were reportedly told to avoid reporting on demonstrations held in several cities in May 2021.

3\.

The government has broad authority to close outlets, block websites, revoke licenses, and prosecute journalists for content violations, and it has used this authority on multiple occasions in recent years.

4\.

In March 2021, the Omani telecommunications regulator blocked access to social media application Clubhouse for want of a “proper license.”

Oman (4)

1\.

In February 2021, poet Salem Ali al-Maashani and Amer Muslim Bait Saeed were detained for criticizing planned construction in the Dhofar Plain.

2\.

In March, the Court of First Instance in Salalah issued a six-month prison term and a fine against environmental activist Ahmed Issa Qatan for violating the Cyber Crime Law; Qatan had also campaigned against Muscat’s plans for the Dhofar Plain.

3\.

In July, security forces detained activist Ghaith al-Shibli after he used Twitter to engage in dialogue on a variety of subjects under the hashtag #ghaith_spaces.

4\.

In August, activist Khamis al-Hatali was arrested a day after disseminating a speech criticizing Sultan Haitham on Twitter.

Qatar- Inside look 3

1\.

Both print and broadcast media are influenced by leading families and subject to state censorship. 

2\.

Access to the independent English-language website Doha News was restored in May 2020, having been blocked in late 2016 for operating without a required permit.

3\.

In January 2020, an amendment to the penal code made the sharing or publication of “false news” punishable with up to five years in prison or a maximum fine of 100,000 riyals ($27,500).

Qatar 2

1\.

Social media users can face criminal penalties for posting politically sensitive content. However, citizens and residents have become more active in debating current affairs and regional developments without apparent retribution in recent years.

2\.

Malcolm Bidali, a security guard from Kenya who blogged about labor rights in Qatar, was detained in May 2021, and charged by the Supreme Council of the Judiciary in July for publishing false news. Amid an international outcry, Bidali was deported in August after paying a fine of 25,000 riyals ($6,810).

Saudi Arabia- Inside Look

1\.

The government controls domestic media content and heavily influences regional print and satellite-television coverage.

2\.

The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that 14 journalists were imprisoned in Saudi Arabia in 2021.

3\.

A 2011 royal decree amended the press law to criminalize, among other things, any criticism of the country’s grand mufti, the Council of Senior Religious Scholars, or government officials; violations can result in fines and forced closure of media outlets.

4\.

All blogs and websites must have a Ministry of Information license or face fines and possible closure.

Saudi Arabia 4

1\.

The government maintains an extensive system of social media surveillance and regulation and invests considerable resources in automated “bot” and other accounts that influence and distort the social media environment and target prominent users.

2\.

In 2020, internet activist Amani al-Zain was reportedly arrested after a video of her criticizing the crown prince––and making a reference to Khashoggi’s murder––surfaced.

3\.

Saudi Arabia is one of at least 10 governments that has had contracts with the Israeli NSO Group for Pegasus spyware, which allows users to secretly hack into a subject’s phone and spy on their whereabouts and communications in real time.

4\.

Investigations in 2021 by journalists and tech researchers, including from the Canadian privacy rights group Citizen Lab, uncovered a new form of surveillance tool used by the Saudi government that needed no interaction with the user to access personal devices.

UAE- Inside Look 3

1\.

The 1980 Publications and Publishing Law, considered one of the most restrictive press laws in the Arab world, regulates all aspects of the media and prohibits criticism of the government.

2\.

Journalists commonly practice self-censorship, and outlets frequently publish government statements without criticism or comment.

3\.

Media operate with more freedom in certain “free zones”—areas in which foreign media outlets can produce news content intended for foreign audiences—but the zones remain subject to UAE media laws and have additional regulatory codes and authorities.

UAE 4

1\.

The attorney general warned in 2017 that anyone who showed sympathy or favoritism toward Qatar in any medium could be punished with 3 to 15 years in prison and a fine of at least 500,000 dirhams ($136,000) under the penal code and a highly restrictive 2012 cybercrime law.

2\.

The government sought to influence reporting on Qatar even after relations with that country were restored in January 2021; in June, the Federation of African Journalists accused UAE officials of pressuring African press outlets to criticize Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup.

3\.

Leading human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor, who received a 10-year prison term in 2018 for using social media to “publish false information that damages the country’s reputation,” remained imprisoned in 2021.

4\.

Following the 2020 agreement to normalize relations with Israel, Emirati authorities barred writer Dhabia Khamis al-Maslamani from leaving the country, and prosecutors began an investigation into her for social media posts that allegedly threatened national security by criticizing normalization.

In most GCC countries, three main legal areas restrict communication:

penal codes

media laws

“cybercrime” laws, which cover electronic communication.

The media laws contain provisions for the licensing of ______________ and ____________, and detail a wide array of ___________________.

news outlets; journalists; prohibitions for journalists

Each country also has ____________ that regulates the Internet and other digital communications.

“cybercrime” laws

Saudi Arabia stands apart from the rest of the GCC countries in two respects:

* does not protect freedom of expression in its constitution
* has no written penal code.