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How Saudi Journalists and Media Decision Makers at the Ministry Of The Saudi press and the Internet: How Saudi journalists and media decision makers at the Ministry of Culture and Information evaluate censorship in the presence of the Internet as a news and information medium Ph. D thesis Submitted to the Department of Journalism Studies University of Sheffield Terki Awad (060226370) October 2009 List of Figures Figure 1: A photo shows the effects of the religious police attack on a 16-boy page 142 Figure 2: A photo shows the effects of the religious police attack on a 16-boy page 142 Figure 3: A cartoon mocking the Saudi government’s decision to raise public sector wages by only 5%, page 151 Figure 4: A cartoon mocking the public sector wage increase Page 152 Figure 5: A cartoon mocking the Saudi Minister of Trade, Page 168 Figure 6: A cartoon mocking the Saudi Ministry of Trade, Page 168 Figure 7: A cartoon from Alriyadh, mocking the Ministry of Trade, Page 169 II Acknowledgment As I express my gratitude, I must never forget to thank H. R. H. Prince Faisal Bin Salman, chairman of the board of The Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), for his help and support and for allowing me to conduct my study in the group. My greatest debt is to my supervisor Dr. Martin Conboy for his careful reading and perceptive comments. This paper would not have the same quality without his valuable contribution. His detailed feedback greatly enriched my analysis. I am grateful to my parents and to my brothers and sisters for their moral support and patience throughout my study. I dedicate this dissertation to my brother Ibrahim who taught me that miracles do exist. Through his survival of a rare heart disease I learnt that nothing is impossible. Also, I am grateful to my brother Dr. A wad who calls me almost daily from Riyadh to check up on me. I am lucky to have a brother and a friend all in one person. I want to express my gratitude to Professor Abdul Karim Aldokail for his inspiration and support and for believing in me. He has always been my mentor. I am very grateful to have a thinker like him in my life. I would like to thank my friend Paul Adrian Raymond who helped proofreading this study. Last but not least, I would like to thank the Department of Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield, especially my second supervisor professor Ralph Negrine, for his help and support. Ill Abstract The main aim of this study is to explore the opinion of Saudi journalists and media decision makers in the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information towards censorship of the national press in the presence of the Internet. To collect the data for this study, qualitative methods were used. The first method was the observation method, directed at two Saudi daily newspapers, 'Alriyadh and Aleqtisadiah’. A four- week observation was conducted of each paper. The second method was a fact-to- face interview with twenty-one Saudi journalists working for the two newspapers. The final method used in order to collect the required data for this study was face-to- face interviews with eleven decision makers at the Ministry of Culture and Information. The findings of this study indicate that censorship over the national press has been eased compared to three years ago, due to the pressure of multiple factors, which have stimulated the relaxation of censorship. Conversely, other factors play a major role in limiting the easing of censorship over the national press. The Saudi national press and the Ministry of Culture and Information are facing different pressures from two contradictory directions: on the one hand there are factors pressing for the easing of censorship and on the other there are factors pressing for strict censorship. Table of Contents List of Figures.................................................................................................................... II Acknowledgements............................................................................................................Ill Abstract............................................................................................................................... IV Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: Saudi Arabia: General Background Saudi Arabia..........................................................................................................................9 The Saudi Government........................................................................................................ 10 Religious Leaders.................................................................................................................10 Saudi Society and Culture...................................................................................................12 Historical Challenges and Conflicts:..................................................................................14 The Saudi Press:.......................:.......................................................................................... 24 Printing Laws........................................................................................................................29 Chapter Two: Literature Review Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 36 Press freedom and Saudi Arabia......................................................................................... 37 Censorship and the Saudi Press:......................................................................................... 44 Saudi Arabia and the Internet:.............................................................................................68 V Chapter Three: Theoretical Framework The gatekeeping model and factors affecting news decisions........................................83 Globalization and Saudi Arabia.........................................................................................96 Chapter Four: Study Design, Process and Methodology Primary Research Questions...............................................................................................115 Study Methodology............................................................................................................. 116 Non-Participant Observation...............................................................................................117 Face-to-Face Interviews with Journalists.......................................................................... 122 Face-to-Face Interviews with Media Decision Makers.................................................... 125 Chapter Five ¡Observation Method Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 128 Alriyadh Newspaper.............................................................................................................129 Aleqtisadiah Newspaper...................................................................................................... 134 Observation Method.............................................................................................................138 Internet and Press.................................................................................................................138 Government and Press......................................................................................................... 173 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................191 Chapter Six: Saudi Gatekeepers Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 194 Saudi Editors-in-Chief........................................................................................................ 194 VI Factors Affecting the Saudi Gatekeepers' News Decisions............................................ 198 Conclusion............................................................................................................................222 Chapter Seven: Interviews with Journalists Introduction..........................................................................................................................227 The questions and Answers of the Interviews...................................................................229 Conclusion............................................................................................................................278 Chapter Eight: Interviews with Decision Makers Introduction..........................................................................................................................281 Questions and Answers of Decision Makers....................................................................282 Reasons for Censorship..................................................................................................... 298 The Pressure of the Internet................................................................................................ 301 Factors Stimulating the Easing of Censorship................................................................. 304 Conclusion........................................................................................................................... 308 Findings, Recommendations and Conclusion Findings..............................................................................................................................
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