Syria Today | Navigating the Red Lines

Navigating the Red Lines

Words Ziad Haidar
Photo Phil Sands

The extent and nature of limitations on Syrian media have changed considerably over the past nine years. Before 2000, covering news from Syria was fairly straightforward as most coverage was limited to official visits and government initiatives. Information was scarce and hard to obtain and when it was available it was published under strict guidelines.

However, over the last few years the situation has changed significantly: journalists not only have greater leeway to gather information, they have also become more enterprising and have a greater desire to investigate unreported stories.

The advent of the private media sector in Syria was born out of a broader realisation of a need for change. The result is a dynamic process in which public and private media outlets have started feeding off each other – when certain issues cannot be discussed in the official media, there are many other alternatives, including Arabic television networks and internet news sites.

Today, Syria’s media landscape is increasingly diverse in its number of outlets. Leading private media outlets include the Syria-based daily Al-Watan newspaper, the weekly Al-Khabar newspaper, the Al-Dunya TV channel and the Dubai-based Orient TV, as well as dozens of Syrian internet-based news sites. This process of diversification is all but assured of moving forward.

The growth of private-sector media, along with the growing influence of Arab satellite television, has also led to an evolution in the application of censorship rules. To be sure, issues relating to the military, the president and religious diversity remain taboo for a variety of reasons, ranging from a concern for national security to protecting national dignity and symbols. However, beyond these red lines Syrian journalists have a considerable margin to report on current affairs, investigate cases of corruption and criticise government policies.

The opening up of the media sector has come in parallel with a change in domestic policy. Thus, the proposed media law reforming Legislative Decree No. 50 of 2001 regulating the press will drop serious punishments such as the imprisonment of journalists. Media development has also been encouraged through journalism training courses, salary increases and the updating of old titles such as Tishreen.

Still, the government will obviously not give a complete free rein to the media and will always try to control this fast-expanding sector. As such, the government is currently discussing the drafting of a new law to ‘organise’ internet media activities, which will place certain restrictions on journalists working in the electronic media sector.

That said, often it is a case of how you approach an issue, rather than if you can cover it or not. In our editorial meetings, we discuss the different ways of addressing certain issues and, while some topics require sensitivity and circumspection, others can be approached head-on.

When covering foreign affairs, timing is of the essence if one wants to avoid problems. For instance, as a political correspondent, I believe that the Arab reconciliation efforts not only lack depth, but also have omitted important factual realities, even if the process creates a positive atmosphere within Arab political affairs. Such an opinion was unlikely to be popular if published during the recent visit of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal to Syria. At the same time, it is my opinion and I will express it – just not right now. Here it is not a question of censorship, but a tactical consideration in one’s own self-interest: by delaying the publication slightly, I am safeguarding my network of contacts for the future.

Censorship rules are applied most rigorously when it comes to security issues. But even in this sensitive domain, journalists are becoming more bold and standing up for the right to report events. When senior Hezbollah military commander Imad Moughniyah was killed when his car blew up in Damascus in February 2008, an Al-Watan photographer took the only picture of the wreckage, contravening the censorship rules and also possibly going against national security regulations. After publication, the newspaper staunchly defended its right to publish the photo and succeeded. Of course, one doesn’t always get away with such bold moves and sometimes there is a price to pay. But with time, players on both sides will see that journalistic freedom comes out of this process as the clear winner.

Ziad Haidar is a correspondent for the Lebanese Daily As-Safir in Damascus. He has published articles in a number of international publications including the Los Angeles Times.