Freedom of speech and journalistic codes of ethics in Arab societies were at the centre of a discussion organised recently by the Cultural Salon of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage.
The chief editors of local newspapers did not participate in the discussion, which involved media persons and writers from Qatar and other Arab countries, including myself, along with Faisal Al Marzouqi, Dr Huda Al Naimi, and Kaltham Gabr. Several researchers and writers attended the event, while Saad Mohamed Al Rumeihi apologised at the last moment for not coming.
I thank the management of the Salon for organising the event well and making a good selection of guests for the discussion, which enriched the dialogue in ways that serve intellectuals in general and the profession of journalism in particular.
The participants touched on many concerns of the Arab media: the challenges and hardships journalists face, the denial of their rights, the fact that the media now has no role in enlightening society and that media codes of ethics are merely ink on paper.
I began my intervention in the discussion as follows: A number of questions arise in this regard. Where we are from freedom of speech.
Is code of ethics supported our media institutions as required, or it is simply ink on paper?
Have Arab Spring revolutions changed the concept of freedom of speech or the ways people in power got around media put more restrictions on it?
We do not have the freedom of speech we aspire to despite legislation and media laws that are enforced only to serve those in power and the state.
This is why I think we are badly in need of freeing the media from all fetters in the light of the changes and revolutions that are happening in Arab societies. The media must be freed from commercial pressures that hinder high-quality, professional journalistic work.
Private media houses must be given a chance to gain a foothold, thrive and compete in order to help realise the goals of these revolutions of purging Arab societies of graft and exploitation and bringing about democracy, even as attempts to abort these revolutions are being made.
The question we need to ask is: Why do Western countries — in particular Europe and the United States — not talk about having problems with freedom of speech while we keep talking about this and waste our time in seminars and discussions although our Arab societies have nothing of this freedom of speech? We do not have journalistic freedoms, or parliaments elected by the people. The present parliaments have nothing to do with democracy. They do nothing compared to the extent of freedoms dreamed of here, and this is the bitter reality we need to face without any self-deception.
What about journalistic codes of ethics in Arab societies?
Perhaps one of the problems facing some Arab countries is that these countries lack press unions or associations. This raise the following question: How can we talk about freedom of speech and codes of ethics in such a discussion when some Arab societies do not enjoy freedom of speech? Of course, I mean some, not all equally.
Criteria for choosing editors-in-chief
This is an important issue we need to tackle in this discussion as the criteria have nothing to do with efficiency or experience. Their assignment is the result of favouritism, nepotism and personal relations in most cases. This is a catastrophe befalling many Arab societies.
This makes it necessary for the boards of media institutions to focus not just on financial profit at the expense of professionalism and the need to fulfil the real journalistic mission.
Press institutions have to adopt the best criteria in selecting editors-in-chief. This can be done in all Arab countries. Our press will not progress unless we change rules related to the selection of newspapers’ chief editors. Our newspapers cannot compete with other newspapers unless they serve the society with full moral responsibility.
Codes of ethics rarely followed
I made several recommendations in the discussion including the following:
First, media laws must be amended in the interest of freedom of speech.
Second, journalists’ associations and unions must be given a chance to work effectively to defend freedom of speech and help journalists who are subjected to oppression and harsh court verdicts, although some Arab countries do not have such unions or associations.
Third, codes of ethics are written but rarely followed in Arab countries, and this is why these codes of ethics must be changed in the best interests of the press.
Fourth, we need to learn a lesson from international experiences in the field of press freedom.
Fifth, some attention must be paid to college graduates in the field of mass media. These graduates must be well prepared, at the theoretical and practical levels, to serve their societies in ways that address the needs of the present times. Sixth, the press must keep up with the changes taking place at the technical, economic, political and cultural levels.
Seventh, even with the Arab Spring revolutions and the democratic transformations taking place in the Arab world, our newspapers still search for advertisements as a source of funding even before they search for news. This is why most press institutions fail to use freedom of speech properly.
