The Doha Media Freedom centre has been set up in Qatar, Gulf News reported today. The centre will be funded by the government and run independently by Reporters Without Borders. The centre was set up at the instigation of the Emir.
Reporters Without Borders currently rates Qatar 79 out of 169 countries in its press freedom index, just below Kenya and just above the Congo.
It is perhaps ironic that the move comes shortly after the Qatar Journal editor was refused exit from Qatar when attempting to attend a conference by the Arab Free Press Forum in Beirut. Nigel himself attributed this to a mistake made by the immigration authorities regarding his sponsorship rather than a deliberate policy of repressing press freedom - however, the issue remains that Qatar certainly does have borders for reporters!
If representatives of Reporters Without Borders have to follow local laws, they will have to be sponsored. This means that they will need permission to leave the country - a permission which is sometimes denied, as was the case with Nigel.
The move also follows on the recent ridiculous censorship of Qatar Living. Images of piglet being blacked out in a Winnie the Pooh book had been published on Qatar Living which had given forth to a tongue in cheek discussion of the issue.
The incident gained a couple of bare paragraphs in the Gulf Times, a paper that is so desperate for Qatar news that it will often devote a column to the death of someone who used to live in Qatar ten years ago. An outraged letter by Frances Gillespie was also published - briefly. The letter has since been removed. The Peninsula, which is owned by Qatar’s Prime Minister, decided not to touch the story.
Still, this move suggests that Qatar does remain committed to extending press freedom in Qatar, and no doubt Reporters Without Borders will be welcomed with open arms.
At least, as long as they don’t try to smuggle in any Winnie the Pooh books.
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