SJA: Beginning of a new era

It never crossed my mind that one day I will be a voting member in the Saudi Journalists Association (SJA). On Thursday, May 17, I was in Riyadh for the SJA general assembly and elections of new assembly. This brought old memories of my very early time in journalism.
I started to write very small articles for my school since I was in the elementary section. We used to post our work on designated portions of the school walls. But, when I was in high school, journalism was part of the school’s activities. And I became very attached to this activity when our English teacher James Patrick Lee from the UK taught us how to create booklets and canceled the method of posting our work on the school walls. From that day, I had taken journalism as a hobby. When I attended the university I continued to write in the school's journal, named The Port Hole. But, after graduation from the university, my line of work was far from journalism. As a matter of fact what I did in my job was not for publication, even though I have published articles, which were specialized in my field.
When I left the Saudi Navy, I went again to journalism as a freelance writer in the Saudi Dammam-based Arabic newspaper (Alyaum) and the first Saudi English newspaper (Arab News). And later on I ended up being a daily columnist for Alyaum while writing five times a month in Arab News. My biggest surprise was when I sat down with the editors in chief of the two newspapers — Abdulwahab Al-Faiz and Mohammed Alwaiel — to talk about the guidelines and about dos and don’ts, they both told me there were no red lines. They wanted me to set my own censorship rules.
Later on, many people from every corner of the globe e-mailed me saying the Saudi Press enjoyed more freedom than what many people thought. The Saudi Press has come a very long way since the early days of my writings.
There are many positive signs about transparency of press reporting and the news in Saudi Arabia. One example is the Ministry of Interior spokesman Gen. Saleh Al-Turki, who gives updated and accurate information about security issues in the Kingdom, which earned him the trust of the people inside and outside the Kingdom.
With the beginning of Arab Spring, the economic crisis, Iranian issue and the new economic boom in Saudi Arabia, many reports about the Gulf region and Saudi Arabia in particular, were not as accurate as they should have been. These news reports not only came from some Saudi journalists, but were also carried by some very well-known international newspapers.
Now, the Saudi Journalists Association has a very big role after the election of the new assembly and there is a very urgent need for Saudi journalists to get accurate and timely information about the activities of different Saudi ministries. The government wanted to elevate the role of the Saudi media and ordered all ministries to appoint spokesmen who would provide accurate information and also to elaborate on any news report that may have appeared in Saudi papers. The ministries have been asked to utilize the modern day technologies to open more transparent channels with the public and the media. This will facilitate journalists in getting accurate information about reports they intend to file. And this is not a restriction on a journalist's freedom to report, rather it will provide him facilities to do his work in a better way.
The appointment of spokesmen is only to compare notes. A journalist has the freedom to write his own report especially when the issue is time sensitive. Sometimes there is a race against time. About three weeks ago we saw time-sensitive reports in the American press. The American press wanted to run breaking news. It was about a plan to blow up an American airliner. The US government advised the media to delay the announcement until a double agent and his relatives were in safe place. The breaking news from the US came missing a very important point. They didn't mention that it was Saudi intelligence establishment which used the double agent to find out the latest style of making undetected bombs. Then the American press talked about the Saudi involvement. And even though it was Saudi achievement, Saudi Arabia didn't want to announce the bomb threat to the general public because they didn't want to reveal the identity of the double agent so the Saudis could use him again for another operation. The American officials wanted to do the same thing, but the news was out.
The latest decision by the Cabinet with regard to press reporting is a very good step toward the advancement of the Saudi media, especially in journalism. It will have a more professional approach concerning reporting and it will also have a more positive impact in preserving the rights of the journalist. With the directions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and the new SJA assembly headed by Turki Al-Sudairi, journalists will enjoy a wider role in reporting and a protective umbrella should any case is launched against any journalist. Also, the rights of the registered journalist will be honored in regard to access to the news from different ministries or other government agencies. And finally, the registered journalist will have better pay systems and better wage adjustments.

almulhimnavy@hotmail.com