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I just happen to know alot of people here! Yes, when you work in the media, you know a great deal of important people and gain a huge insight into things that Joe Bloggs on the street like you, will never get to hear of.

Shame I know more about what's going on in your own country than you do.

And yes, I've been here for nearly 10 years, which is a long time in such a young country.

And you're the one making a fool of yourself, because you're too stupid to comprehend that things are kept from you!

Open your eyes and look around once in a while!

copied the linke just to shut u up ...

The United Arab Emirates is not at its best when it comes to press freedom. This bleak diagnose of the press freedom in the UAE is attested to by the frustrated local writers and is confirmed by the latest Freedom House report which ranks the UAE 137 out of 196 states worldwide.

This is not a very bright ranking for a country that prides itself of being the first and the best in socioeconomic status. The economic freedom ranking of the UAE is impressive. The UAE ranks 24 worldwide. Its human development index is as solid as it can be.

The UAE is in the top 50 list of best countries. The country's social liberty standing is just as formidable. There is plenty of social freedom around, probably more than can be digested.


Even the UAE's information, communication and technology (ICT) scores are outstanding. It is ranked 27 overall out of 55 countries included in the global ICT survey.

Yet when it comes to the thorny issue of press freedom and political liberty, the UAE lags behind miserably. This begs the nagging question as to why the UAE is not at its best when it comes to freedom of the press.

Who is responsible for this unflattering state of press freedom in the UAE: is it the government, the society, the media establishments or the journalists and the writers at large who have not put up the fight to raise press freedom parameters in the society?

It is always convenient to blame the press freedom deficit on the government. Needlessly, governments everywhere including democratic governments are notorious for their dislike of active and critical press.

Press freedom translates into more societal constraints on government authorities. No government in the world likes to be accountable; the UAE government is no exception. It has done everything possible to gently court the media, keep it happy but under its tight benevolent watch.

The government has made sure that the media does not develop an independent mind of its own. A media that lacks independence is a great loss to good governance and the building of a healthy society.

Yet it is not all the government's fault. Ironically, the government in the UAE looks much more open minded than the society. Politically, the UAE society has always acted conservatively and modestly. It still remains pretty much a tribal society in essence.

As progressive as it looks to outsiders, the UAE society is very cautious with regards to demand for democracy, transparency, political reform and press freedom. These are hardly hot societal issues in the UAE.


Mindset

The media in the UAE is in tone with this rather politically timid mindset prevailing in the society at large. There is no discernable demand for more political freedom and the citizens of the UAE have not been very big champion of press freedom either.

For the majority of the people in the UAE, social liberty and economic abundance is nicely juxtaposed for the rather restricted political and press freedom.

Lacking a politically active society and demanding readers, the big media houses in the UAE are in no mode to challenge government policies and raise the banner for more press freedom. If the society is contempt, it is not the business of the media to fight its fight. It does not work that way anywhere.

Of course, during the last four decades there have been numerous cases where the media has stood up its ground and got itself entangled with the government over press freedom. Some have paid the price, got the jolt and had to back away.

By the end of the day, the media houses turn most of their attention to the lucrative business side of the business. They are reaping huge returns on their investments. They netted more than Dh600 million in 2007.

The oligarchic media houses are mindful of the unusual business opportunities and have no intention to rock the boat. There is too much at stake commercially.

As all the reasonable businessmen do, no one wants to get into confrontation with the government or cross the red lines.

Everyone seems to be these days better off living in relative safe green zone. Self censorship which is much more elaborate than government censorship becomes a daily routine.

This is widely practised by the commercially successful media houses in the UAE. It is simply the first principle of self preservation which keeps the status quo to everybody's liking. The biggest loser is press freedom.

Journalists and writers are the ones who are most affected by the limited press freedom in the UAE. This tiny social group of UAE citizens is good at complaining but lousy at acting. Very few have the courage to go public with their critical opinion.

Others are too timid to demand more press freedom. The rest have found it more comforting to practice self censorship which keeps everyone in line with the prevailing view. They all know perfectly well that freedom is not going to come this way.

Without courage freedom is merely a sound bite. Freedom is not God given and it certainly doesn't come via Washington either. Historically the formula has always been: no courage, no freedom.

Regardless of who is to blame, there is a deficit of press freedom in the UAE. It needs to be talked about honestly and turned into a public issue. The country needs a strong doze of press freedom and political reform.

This will certainly enhance its socioeconomic successes. It is also good for the UAE's global image and as a progressive state living in the largely undemocratic Arab World.

now take a break choc

Gee it must be wonderful to be so blissfully ignorant about what goes on, on your own doorstep.

Yadda yadda yadda

its funny how some1 make fun of him self ..yet u say my GOV control the media where here in UAE shik MOHAMED set a law state that says : its forbidden to put any jornalist in jail..and i believe my shik..not u .. if u have a problem with shik mohamed i can take u to his office where i work and u can tell him in his face that he CONTROL the media..

other than that plz stop making fool of ur self ..

Head in sand! Head in Sand!

i want to hear ur comment on the video ..and see whos GOV control the media ..or u just dont have an answer..

Head in sand!

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Media/10276878.html

enjoy

ignorant in sand

Head in sand!

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/media_issues/84530

enjoy

Head in sand!

this on is my favorit



and enjoy

Oh and all together now! You've got yer hed in the sand, got yer hed in the sand, lalalala laaaaaa de daaaa de dum de dooooo

i can go on and on and on ..

Aaaaand for all you Billy Ocean fans out there....

I've got my head in the sand
My arse in the clouds - bring it to the back seat baby yeaaaahhhh
Rose tinted glasses
Covering my eyes - they ain't gonaa slip oh nooo oh ooooohhhh

I believe everything that's fed to meeeeee
Because I'm just a mushroooo-oooommm
Kept in the daaarrrk
And fed shiii-iiittttt

i dont know why its so easy for me to find any news related to westren media being controled their GOV ..where u admit that u cant find any links to our media..and the only link u found proved u are wrong ..however i know u want to start trolling so this topic goes to FIGHT CLUB and u know i dont have access to FC..so i rest my case now and u and ur friends can enjoy this topic in the FC..

Mushroom man, mushroom man, kept in the dark and fed steaming camel poo!

white trash in the sand

Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together for Miss Christina Aguilera!!!! whhoooooo

You are gullible in every single way
Words, they mean nothing to you
You are gullible no matter what you say
The truth just won't get through - ooohhh ooh oooohhhhuuuhooohhooohhh
You get more gullible everyday

Oooohhhh look Queen coming to the stage!

All we hear is Naruto gaga
Naruta googoo Naruto gaga
All we hear is Naruto gaga
Naruto googoo Naruto gaga

You know it's true, someone don't love youuuuuuuuuu

Phil Collins is taking out his drum sticks! He will be with us shortly!

Whooohooooo

Why are those links wrong? One was written by a journalist working here and the other article from one of the big papers here and relayed to a respected arab media site, with quotes from the Ministers and Professors involved in putting the media laws together! So you are calling your own people liars are you?

Seeing you from the tram ..today as you made your way.. along the grass and sidewalk...one thing made itself perfectly clear..chos the white trash appear..


googoo choc googoo ..the QUEEN OF white trash

Chocoholic wrote:Why are those links wrong? One was written by a journalist working here and the other article from one of the big papers here and relayed to a respected arab media site, with quotes from the Ministers and Professors involved in putting the media laws together! So you are calling your own people liars are you?

waiting for ur comment on the video

Answer the question! So you are calling your own people in Government liars?!

Chocoholic wrote:Answer the question! So you are calling your own people in Government liars?!

when u comment on the video ..i will answer..so i asked u first ..u ignored...u want me to answer ..please comment on the video..then i will answer..

white trash

and by the way if u open ur eyes and read my respond to the link ..my answer will be there..but u cant cuz u r a .........shhshhshshshhh

No, I'm not going to watch the video. I'll take it from your none response that you think your countrymen in positions of power are all liars - thanks for clarifying that fact.

FYI, personal insults don't bother me and I'm not surprised that, that's all you've got, being a child and all.