Print journalism in Bahrain: a political and economic victim

BPA: Print journalism in Bahrain was relatively independent before the severe political crisis in 2011. The economic prosperity and political openness that accompanied the political reform initiative leading up to the Bahrain National Charter in 2001 gave license to starting new newspapers, and press freedom enjoyed its golden era. Newspapers started to compete over investigative stories and attract competent journalists.

By 2005, the golden age began to fade away, and the Bahraini press started to suffer from local and regional political tension. There was a clear attempt to distract public opinion and turn it away from the democratic transformation.

Bahrain was swept up in the global financial crisis in 2008, and the press also suffered economically. Government advertising became the only source of income for most newspapers after the decline of private advertising, and this shift was reflected in the coverage of these newspapers, which started to become less critical and more biased toward the government. This was the case for most newspapers in Bahrain, except for two independent publications: Al-Waqt, which was forced to shut down in 2009, and Al-Wasat, which faced a difficult political situation after being accused by the Information Authority of fabricating news in its coverage of the 2011 uprising.

The Bahraini press declined dramatically after the crackdown on the 2011 pro-democracy movement, which was followed by an aggressive attack on journalists and the press. The year 2011 is still considered one of the worst ever for the Bahraini press. This was evident in the reports issued by international organizations like Reporters Without Borders, Freedom House and the Committee to Protect Journalists as well as by the Bahrain Press Association. For the first time, Bahrain was added to the list of the 10 worst countries for freedom of expression. Moreover, the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry considered the Bahraini press’ “six major newspapers” to be “biased” and “loyal to the government.”

Why did the Bahrain press retreat?

• The state restricted the press with Law No. 47 of 2002, which organizes the press, printing and publishing, as well as with other security measures that affected press coverage.
• Objective news coverage became rare in the local press due to the lack of transparency as well as the one-sided coverage of the political crisis in Bahrain since 2011. Many important issues received insignificant and unbalanced coverage in newspapers, including stories of violations of human rights, corruption, reports of the national audit court and illegal land acquisition by members in the rulling family. Newspapers practiced self-censorship rather than chance appearing to be supportive of the opposition leading the protests.
• The state enhanced its domination of the local press, and most newspapers started to become public relations machines for the government and its institutions, publishing the same press releases. Today, most headlines of newspapers in Bahrain are the same, which reflects the lack of professional reporting and critical journalism.
• Management of local newspapers cared a lot about their image in front of the government and the fact that most of the papers’ funding comes from government advertising. Newspaper management was not hesitant to dismiss many journalists from their jobs during the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Bahrain.
• The press in Bahrain became a repelling field; most experienced journalists left the industry since they could not practice professional journalism anymore. Newspapers started to prefer to hire young and unexperienced journalists or foreign journalists who cost less and could easily be controlled and politically directed.
•  Government-owned papers have lowered the standards of professional journalism in Bahrain. Most of their coverage is biased and shallow, mirroring how unqualified and untrained many journalists in these papers are, while others practice self-censorship to protect themselves.
• Several unethical and unprofessional practices started to be seen, including the publishing of photos and names of accused citizens before their trials, as well as the changing of facts and fabricating of news.
• New and digital media started to fill the information gap created by the biased traditional media in Bahrain. These new media channels were equipped with photos, videos and documented recordings.  This has negatively affected the print media inside the state that was not able to compete with the electronic press.

Bahraini Press: the Past and the Present

The continuous political crises have negatively affected press performance in Bahrain. The Bahraini press has almost always been considered a mouthpiece of the government and worked within numerous restrictions to freedom of expression.

After each political crisis, the regime has blocked newspapers, silenced activists, tightened censorship of news and information flow, hardened laws and rules of printing and publishing, and punished, imprisoned, deported and silenced writers and journalists.

This was evident after the 1950s crisis and right before the disbanding of the National Action Authority and the deportation of its leaders. The same happened again after disbanding the Parliament in 1975, along with the suspension of the Constitution and enforcement of the State Security Law. The same procedures were taken during the movement of 2011. The authorities started imposing a firm fist over the press, and any critical views were excluded from coverage. The main role of the press became attacking the opposition as well as accusing opposition figures of being traitors and defaming them while defending the ruling family in any way possible.

Press in Bahrain: Current Reality and Challenges

The Bahraini press is working in a highly politicized security environment under the restrictive Law No. 47 of 2002 for the press, printing and publishing. The polarized political environment has negatively affected the content of the press.  As stated in the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report, six out of seven newspapers in Bahrain were biased and loyal to the government, while only one was independent. According to a study on the press in Bahrain by Dr. Hussein Al Baharna, author of the book “BRITISH EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION IN THE GULF1913 – 1971”, “the press law is one of the main obstacles for freedom of the press in Bahrain, alongside the weak and ineffective Parliament.”

The Bahraini government adopted its previous old methods to curb the press and force it to always endorse the views of the regime. However, it was very difficult to contain the flow of information after the political crisis and the February 14 movement, since it took place in the digital age. The previous role of the press as a supporter of authority has weakened, but the press is still reliably obedient to the state.

The Bahraini regime has a long way to go to change the situation of the press. Implementing the recommendations of the commission of inquiry will be the first step by adopting a more flexible approach in applying censorship and allowing space for the opposition in the media. In addition, a progressive press law needs to be issued to support social demands of freedom, justice, human rights and democracy. The Bahraini press is faced with bigger challenges than ever, starting with winning back its readers, restoring its objectivity toward the political situation in the country, and bridging the social, political and sectarian gap that has widened in the past few years.