Freedom of the press is a right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an issue that is frequently brought to the forefront of discussions about Bahrain and other countries in the region. While we at Citizens for Bahrain strongly believe in the right to free speech and a free press, the issue has always been one of controversy and confusion. Observing the press internationally, the core values of a free press and journalistic integrity are often abused with biases, political agendas, and bigotry in many cases. In recent years, a free press has given rise to populist figures who have shaken the values of democracy in the so-called free world by spreading hate speech and divisive narratives.
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” — Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Bahrain is a young democracy, where notions such as a free press were only introduced to society following the constitutional referendum of 2001 (National Action Charter). The Kingdom has more than five daily newspapers, several weekly and monthly publications, social media outlets, and others that fall under the umbrella of the press. Bahrain’s media culture, which is strongly affected by its small population size, traditions, and other social norms, creates a barrier to practicing the Western principles of a free press. In the West, criticizing leaders, monarchs, and government officials is rarely considered offensive, whereas in Bahrain and other countries across the region, such acts are generally frowned upon by the public and governing system. A very free press can also cause tensions and sectarian divides in a small country that is recovering from the outcomes of political unrest and economic instabilities. This is not in defense of any alleged restrictions on the free press in Bahrain, but a simple look into the challenges that are faced.
“The State guarantees freedom of opinion and expression, as well as freedom of the press and printing, in accordance with the conditions and procedures specified by law.” — The National Action Charter
The National Action Charter clearly states the right to freedom of expression, press, and others, while balancing these notions with responsibilities and legal frameworks that ensure the protection of public order and individual rights. The lack of true journalism and the repetitive content of Bahrain’s daily newspapers cannot only be attributed to government restrictions. The failure of our press is a societal failure; it is a failure of the media culture and traditional media engines in Bahrain. The government has, on many occasions, proven to be accepting of constructive criticism that is not disrespectful to Bahrain’s leaders and unacceptable to its social norms. This is evident in the highly critical activities, open speech, and debates of our current MPs, who we do not always agree with but are pleased with their free speech, which is evidently not being silenced by the government, as some claim is the case with our press.
Opening one of Bahrain’s oldest daily newspapers today and seeing the sad ten pages of publishing, with half of the front page covered by an advertisement, reflects the sad reality of Bahrain’s press. It is crucially important to build awareness on ethical journalism and to promote media literacy in a developing nation. The weak quality of journalism in some of Bahrain’s media outlets was also recently a topic of discussion by many across society as one of the oldest daily newspapers reported a suicide attempt. The report included details about the incident that indirectly revealed the identity of the person and while the case and the dangers of such coverage was brought to the attention of the newspaper, no corrections were made to the published story.
Our press establishments have grown weaker with time, and one of the main causes of this weakness is attributed to the rise of social media. We have tens of media outlets that function online, many of which are associated with or belong to the opposition. A quick look at the Bahrain social media scene will show you this reality.
In a world of social media outlets, we have hundreds of unregistered and self-acclaimed journalists who can freely express their opinions online without backlash. However, it is important to note that periodically we witness interrogations of certain figures for their online activity, the reason mostly lies in the unrealistic and disrespectful approach of these figures. We do not live in a Western society where criticism of leaders or religious figures is acceptable. The reality is that we are a tribal Arab society that has come a long way in joining the world and overcoming religious and cultural challenges in order to build a modern nation. Hence, while common characteristics exist, the concept of a free press in the West is different from that of Bahrain’s.
“We need independent, ethical, and quality journalism perhaps now more than ever.”— UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk
Responsible freedom of the press that takes into consideration cultural realities is a requirement. Journalism in many places across the world has lost its ethics and been painted with double standards, as we witness in the ongoing coverage of the war in Gaza. While the press culture in Bahrain certainly requires drastic improvement, international observers should be realistic in their expectations of the press in our country, especially when many of their own media outlets have proven to be biased and unethical.
The press in Bahrain has the space to grow bigger and stronger, as provided by the constitution and the King’s vision for a democratic society that respects Bahraini values, traditions, and religions. We need strong, ethical journalism and not one that divides our society and spreads hate under the umbrella of free press.