Reporting the news

Suprisingly for the Middle East news reporting in Saudi Arabia is quite frank and factual.

The dominant print & online newspaper is the Arab News. For the last 5 years or so it has reported on and discussed isssues that as a foreigner one would expect to be handled with kid gloves or simply not reported on or discussed at all.

The media in every part of the world induldges in its share of biased reporting (special interests, ignorance, fear, etc).

However the country, under the guidance of the current King, is making an effort to encourage open and factual reporting.

As one would expect there are areas of sensitivity. But rather than avoid them all together efforts are being made to discuss sensitive isssues in the press, online, and in the visual media.

There are female radio announcers. We even have talk shows hosted by women.

Now for the average foreigner unused to the Middle East the question might well be "so what?" The answer is that an understanding of the background of the cultures here will help answer that scepticism and replace it with a healthy respect for the efforts underway to encourage the media to follow the path of more "open" reporting as well as embrace the input and perspective women bring to the reporting table.

Institutions such as the Arab News are encouraging accurate, factual reporting and a healthy interchange of ideas. No country is totally free but Saudi Arabia deserves praise for its efforts in this area.