Every society is changing, every day. And every day, the news of that change is printed. The newspaper is an iconic presence in our daily lives. It acknowledges that we want information — and meets that need. It gives us something to do while we drink coffee in the morning or wait for our flight to take off. It is a character in our lives, a teacher we can tuck in a bag or briefcase. The newspaper fills our time and conversations.

Every morning, many expatriates cozy up to a new day with their copy of Arab News. What they read and how they interpret the information is as varied as the individuals themselves. Readers know the layout; they know the writers, and they know the message behind their daily paper.

Although readers are acquainted with their newspaper, it is not often that newspapers get acquainted with their readers. This is Arab News’ chance to be acquainted with their readers on a first-name basis.

Exciting Changes

Sharon has lived in Saudi Arabia since 1982. “I’ve been here almost half my life!” She has been an observer of news here and abroad and concludes, “You get more on both sides of the issue here.”

Seeing the news from another cultural point of view reveals a new set of facts and opinions. “You have to go somewhere else to understand news, and to understand US news,” Sharon said. Issues need to be seen from many angles, she said.

Reading Arab News for most of the last 20-plus years has given Sharon a unique view of the press and society.

“I see more articles all the time that are more honest. Legal issues, women’s issues, the poor, abuse of servants — here, as in so many places, it’s easy to ignore problems. But, they’re dealing with real issues that need to change,” Sharon said.

Arab women’s issues frequently are discussed in media worldwide. But Sharon said the West is setting a standard it has not met itself.

“We are expecting Saudi culture to do, in a couple of generations, what we haven’t completed in the US in a couple of hundred years,” Sharon said.

Women are still, typically, paid less in the US than their male counterparts, for example. But there is reason to hope, she said.

“Things are changing for women — not just here, but worldwide. It’s exciting.”

There has been a change in the press here, she said. This Saudi press evolution came “gradually at first,” Sharon said. “But I’ve seen a real opening up in the past five years.”

We have the Internet to thank for this transition, according to Sharon.

“You can put your head in the sand anywhere you live, but it’s harder to hide or deny reality now,” Sharon said.

The press is never totally free. Most news exerts some bias, and Arab News is no exception. But it is the same in the US.

“It’s toeing an ‘official’ line, too,” Sharon said of US news.

In all news media, there are layers of truth. There’s an official truth. There’s the truth of those involved. And there’s the truth of those who were witnesses.

Time Capsule

For Patrick, Arab News is a “time capsule of change.” In the paper, and in politics, there is momentum.

“I see steps and movements forward — and back,” Patrick said. But, he does not expect big blocks of change.

“I’m a strong believer that change takes a long time. It’s hard enough to do in advanced culture, let alone culture that’s been under wraps for a while. We’re not going to see any major transformation; it’s gonna be little pieces along the way.”

Reading the news and watching this transformation is part of Patrick’s daily life. “I get up every morning with Arab News,” he said. “We probably have a better perspective — that’s a plus. Arab News itself is hitting on issues for multiple kinds of readers. You see the Saudi side, the Filipino side, the Indonesian side — information from all over. They’re trying to cover a lot of bases.”

Often, in politics and news, people get stuck in a pensive rut, and fail to take action, he said. “You’re playing the victim rather than being above it. Move forward.”

In the Middle East, governments and individuals need to evaluate their actions, Patrick said. “What is it that you’re doing well? What can you do better?”

The editorial columns are valuable, Patrick said. His advice: “Let those gals keep writing. There’s a couple of guys who come out on the editorial page — Saudis — who really get things stirred up — really delve into society and criticize positively. That’s good stuff. They’re talking from their hearts, and they want to see a change.”

Just the Facts

A couple who have digested Arab News for the last two decades have seen this modulation.

“It has changed over the years. There have been peaks and valleys definitely. Now, Arab News reflects concerns about drugs, AIDS, unemployment, abuse of maids, and talks about the rising number of Saudi women working.”

These stories seem to demonstrate an increase of concern, they said. Both the government and the populace are ready for more information on tough topics.

Getting bunches of international information and home delivery for SR2 is “a very good value,” in their minds. “There is a tremendous amount of global news. You’re not going to find this extensiveness of coverage in any local paper in the States.”

This extensiveness rivals big-name papers in the States — like the Washington Post and the New York Times, they said.

“And there’s not ad after ad after ad.”

The information in Arab News is timely, too.“When we were on vacation, its coverage was more timely than the USA Today.”

The variety is appreciated, too.

“There’s a good mix of things on the sciences — space, weather and technology,” they said. “Business news could be extended and they could cut out the stock market stuff. Now, with the Internet, anyone who really follows it has far more up-to-the moment information. It’s old by the time it gets here.”

Organization is lacking, though, according to this couple.

“One thing I’d like to see is headlines that reflect the article” and its contents. “There’s so many sub-news titles, but they don’t really define what information is coming next. It would help if each section had its title right above it. They should use bullets or one-line sentences to frame each section of information,” they offered.

“It’s almost as unbiased as Fox and Al-Jazeera,” they said. “The less they do to slant the news, the more straight-fact reporting, the better.”

International View

Shahida put the Arab News’ coverage succinctly: “It’s an international perspective.” She has lived in three countries — Pakistan, the US and Saudi Arabia. This international feel and concern for global events is what she most enjoys about the Arab News.

“I read it every day. It’s a habit, you know. Once at my daughter’s university, there was a newspaper representative who provided the dormitories with newspapers for free. And I asked him, ‘Why do you do this?’ He said it builds a habit, so they will grow and then read and buy the newspaper for themselves.’”

Shahida agrees: The newspaper is an addiction of sorts.

“I have to start my day with it.”

Her habit has taught her. Through it, she has watched Saudi society change. “I think it has become a lot more open, more liberal,” Shahida said. And Arab News is reflecting that change. “Women’s issues and traffic accidents — you would not have seen articles about those when I first started reading.”

Although Shahida appreciates the global feel of Arab News, she would not mind some local flavor, too.

“I’d like to see it become more community based. Each community in the US has its own newspaper, you know, and I think this would be a good change.”

Perhaps Arab News should publish a paper for each province, she suggested.

Strait to Saudi Stuff

Billie moved to Saudi Arabia four years ago. Soon after, she started reading Arab News. “I wasn’t political. I couldn’t have told you where most of the countries covered are. I started taking it for the TV Guide,” she laughed. “At first, I would immediately go to American news, then the TV schedule and entertainment news.”

However, she has become more at home in Saudi Arabia.

“Now I go straight to the editorials and news about Saudi Arabia.”

Reading Arab News changed the way she approaches news in general. She built a habit of curiosity about other countries.

“Funny, now when I’m in the States, I go to the world section first, before I check the local news.”

When reading the news, Billie first looks for “what’s going on in Saudi Arabia, especially any terrorist stuff — any arrests or activity.”

Even in the short time she’s been in the Kingdom, Billie has seen Arab News change.

“When I first got here, you would never hear about people protesting” or anything like that. Often entertaining and sobering on the same issue, Arab News thrives on variety.

Billie highlights the contrast between an article’s content: “I enjoy the quirky stories on the back and then reading their opinions on why there are no jobs.”

“The one thing that grabs me the most is the anti-American bias. The political cartoon is always so anti-America. And the pictures are very graphic. I sent a friend some newspapers, including Arab News, to show him what they were like. They show babies with bullet holes. It’s a shock when you first come here,” Billie said.

Overall she appreciates Arab News’ vantage point.

“I feel like I have better insight than people in the US. They only know what’s happening in the US,” Billie said. If they get international news, it lacks depth. “The US only hears one side — especially of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. They don’t see the wall and the incursions.”

Billie is critical of the media’s approach, both here and in the States.

“It’s like that old saying, ‘There’s two sides to every story and then there’s the truth.’”

Billie’s suggestions are practical. She would like to see more coverage on pastimes, other than sports and entertainment. “They could do a better travel section — more indepth information — or list the key places to see. Maybe restaurant reviews and firsthand stories.”

More how-to articles would be appreciated, too.

“Local recipes would be great! I don’t know how to cook Saudi food, but I’d like to.”

(Anna Leisa Sauser is a journalism student at the University of Minnesota who is working with Arab News Eastern Province Bureau this semester.)