Middle East Focus: The Joys of Media Lobotomy and Red Lines Around My Gulf…….

Arabia Deserta

The Joys of Media Lobotomy and Red Lines Around My Gulf…….

My BFF
“Pan-Arab broadcasters who played a key role reporting Arab uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt are helping dynastic rulers police the gates of the Gulf to stop the revolts from spreading on their patch, analysts say……… For viewers watching protests spread across the region, the excitement stopped abruptly in Bahrain. Scant coverage was given to protests in the Gulf Cooperation Council member and to the ensuing crackdown by its Sunni rulers, who called in Saudi and Emirati troops in March under a regional defence pact. Protests in Oman and Saudi Arabia have also received scant attention in recent months." ….."Al Jazeera is not much different to Al Arabiya when it comes to Bahrain -- both are tongue-tied by the Saudi military intervention," said Ayman Ali, a commentator in the Gulf press…………”

This is the case in all Gulf states. Any mention of events in Bahrain that is critical of the ruling family is verboten! Any criticism of any ruling dynasty is verboten! You'd think the potentates aren't people who breathe and eat and smell (especially that one) like everybody else. The media do not even really ‘need’ these red lines, most observe it carefully simply because they know it will mean trouble if they do not. Besides, most of the media are royal-owned or royal-connected. Saudi media is truly royal: Asharq al-Awsat is owned by Prince Salman, al-Hayat is owned by Prince Khaled Bin Sultan, Alarabiya is operated by a son of the late King Fahd, etc, etc. Bahrain just closed the last independent newspaper (former al-Wasat which used to rival al-Ayam reportedly owned by the prime minister), sacked its editors, then reopened it under “new” management, and you know what this means. Reading the new al-Wasat is like meeting someone you used to know, AFTER they have had lobotomy.
It is also economical, saves the censors a lot of money and time.
Ah, the joys of free speech on my Gulf.
(It is interesting that, even with Salafi terrorism and occupation, Iraq now has the freest media around the Gulf).
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com