Be honest, Saudis tell Western media

 Journalism is the craft of conveying news, descriptive material and comment via a widening spectrum of media. These include newspapers, magazines, radio and television, the internet and, more recently, the cellphone. Journalists—be they writers, editors or photographers; broadcast presenters or producers—serve as the chief purveyors of information and opinion in contemporary mass society. "News is what the consensus of journalists determines it to be." [1](source: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/journalism)

[q url=""]JEDDAH: Journalism ethics across the world demand journalists be unbiased, objective and accurate while reporting news. However, these rules are often ignored when the international media report on Saudi Arabia, Arabs or Muslims.
“There is a misconception and misunderstanding about Saudi Arabia, women’s rights in the Kingdom, the freedom of the press and other issues. Many Western journalists are ignorant. They base their information on negative stereotypes and insist on portraying the same images without reporting objectively,” said Maha Akeel, managing editor of The Journal, the print magazine of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Akeel said foreign reporters who visit the Kingdom admit their surprise at the good they see but fail to report them. “They don’t report that. They assume we only want to trick them,” said Akeel.

Fiona Hill, an Australian anthropologist and executive officer of the Australia-Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said people default to stereotypes. “That’s what media outlets default to. Humans by nature default to stereotypes. Also, some reporters are governed by editors who are governed by their bosses who head monopolies. We have some serious issues with media monopoly in the world. It’s an open fact,” said Hill.

The stereotypical images about Saudi Arabia and Saudis are not fictional. “Stereotypes don’t fall out of the sky. They come out of reality,” she said, explaining that society is dynamic and organic. “It is not static, so some of what is portrayed in the media is a reflection of Saudi society, but it’s not the only reflection,” added Hill.

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Sources: http://www.arabnews.com/ and http://www.arabnews.com/?m=1&d=13&y=2009)

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Issued on: Tuesday 13, January 2009 (16 Muharram 1430)