'Coverage has become more in depth'

Dubai: Local media has recorded great leaps, qualitatively and quantitatively, in year 2008, which helped the industry to reinforce its leading position in the region, according to Dr Khalid Abdullah, Media Advisor of the Sharjah-based Dar Al Khaleej.

"In 2008, we saw the birth of new newspapers and magazines, which add to the richness of media industry in the country. On the other hand, the coverage of newspapers has become more in depth to tackle serious issues locally and regionally with special focus on visual elements," Dr Abdullah said.

"I agree with the idea that journalists in local media institutions are working in a better atmosphere since the enforcement of the no imprisonment decision in cases of publication issued by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai in September 2007.

He said Shaikh Mohammad's move represents a great day in the history of journalism not only in the UAE but in the whole region. He said this does not mean that journalists now have no restriction whatsoever on what they write. "Social norms and self censorship are sometimes more powerful than those of the law," he said.

However, he said social restrictions and self embargo are seen everywhere in the world although such restrictions differ from one society to another. "Holocaust, for instance is a political and social taboo in different parts of the world and journalists have no rights to discuss them in what is tagged as the free world," Dr Abdullah said.

Similarly, in the UAE in particular and in the Arab and Islamic world in general, there are some issues that are considered taboos and journalists have no freedom to discuss them publically. "This does not mean that I justify self censorship, but it might need long time to practice responsible freedom," he said.

Last year, Dr Abdullah said, was exceptional in terms of business activities in the UAE and in the region, which has resulted in boosting business coverage area in most dailies. "The hyper business atmosphere helped enhancing the awareness of the members of public to the need of credible source of business information, which in turn heartened development of business sections in media institutions," he said.

"The international credit crunch that had resulted in a local slow down in business will retain public focus on business coverage in the current year. And media will have to balance between decreasing revenue and the need to cater to the growing needs of readers this year," he said.

Dr Abdullah believes that electronic media fails to grab readers the way printed media does.

"Electronic media can keep readers' attention as far as they can give sensational dose, but journalism is something different. It is the accumulation of credibility and taste for certain way of handling public interests. I think, newspapers will remain the credible source of information for people in the UAE for years to come," Dr Abdullah predicted.