At this point in the diwaniya, an important question was raised by the audience: “Anywhere worldwide--where does press freedom begin and where does it end?”

Etheridge replied that limits to Freedom of the Press should always depend on the local community, however, she added, “One should be able to criticize the government.”

On the one hand, Etheridge explains, “We should have enough transparency so that a government official provide us with  information on government tenders and other important governmental activities”  Censorship should not be carried out by withholding or even refusing to produce proper documentation.

On the other hand, Etheridge, who comes from Austin, Texas where she graduated from journalism school, notes that although she may agree that Hustler magazine has the right to be published, but such a magazine does not have the right—in her opinion—to be displayed and sold everywhere and in every community where her children can get their hands on the Hustler.  Parents in every community should help a community determine what the limits on Freedom of the Press are to be.  [She distinguishes between freedom of the press and the freedom of speech.]

KUWAIT’S HIGH LEVEL OF PRESS FREEDOM

According to Etheridge and most observers, Kuwait’s level of freedom of the press normally outshines that form of journalism experienced by readers in all other neighboring countries. 

In addition to the 3 English language dailies, Kuwait has at least 8 other daily Arabic papers and most of them do better in terms of producing an open forum than do all the other newspapers in  the neighboring countries, including Bahrain, Qatar and Emirates.

It wasn’t always this way. 

Even as late as 1991, the Kuwaiti government actually even had official censors assigned to each newspaper in the land—and the same has been true for TV stations until fairly recently.

Nonetheless, through the tradition of diwaniyas—where wide-ranging public debate has typically taken place in Kuwait over several centuries—Kuwait’s level of public discourse on issues-of-the-day far surpasses what is often experienced by many other Arab states in the region (and in north Africa or Western Asia).

This means that in general, Kuwaiti society if very supportive of freedom of the press.

LAPSES IN MEDIA REPORTING IN KUWAIT: Human Trafficking

At this junction, another audience member asked why there hasn’t been more regular reporting about violence and crime in the newspapers .  Nor is much known about what can be done by ex-pats to seek social justice in Kuwait.

This is particularly true of the Arab language press which is biased toward Kuwaiti viewpoint and not particularly supportive of Palestinian and other nationality viewpoints.

Etheridge replied, “There is real human interest in the topics of suffering people, but at times a new angle is needed to prick the public’s interest” or to spur one story or another to be of interest enough to publish on. 

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