‘Gifted’ journalists

Fuente: 
The Peninsula
Fecha de publicación: 
04 Mayo 2013

Newspapers in Qatar are young compared with other countries in the region or the Arab world as a whole, but not so young that they cannot attempt bold and critical stories.

But, sadly, a culture of gifts, cash handouts and free overseas trips has taken root, which is spoiling journalists, and the newspapers seem to be turning a blind eye to the malaise as that helps them multiply their advertising revenues.

Print journalists, the vast majority of whom are expatriates, are concerned with their survival and savings for their future financial security, and find the current situation quite convenient as they don’t have to work hard and do bold, critical or controversial stories and face unwanted risks.

In the form of press handouts or releases, journalists get ready-to-use materials to publish and end their day’s work with ease. Press releases have become an indispensable part of Qatar’s print media culture and are distributed wholesale: independently, as also at press briefings, product launches, lectures and conferences.

Ironically, not only readers but the very public relations agencies that churn out press handouts by the hundreds every week to get publicity in the local newspapers for their clients, privately blame the journalists for their deteriorating professional standards and say some of them are lazy and incompetent.

“Many journalists ask for a release when covering an event, even if it is a press conference. Some of them are really lazy,” a PR industry insider told this newspaper yesterday.

Print journalism in Qatar isn’t looked at with awe and respect either by the common reader, officialdom or even by many in the local PR industry as there are some journalists who try and cultivate relations with the latter with an eye on gifts and paid trips abroad.

Critics say the dependence of local journalists and their newspapers on releases and event coverage is nothing new. They have for long been thriving by lavishing praise on officials and businessmen. “Perhaps, no one has ever thought about the need to change the system.”

Critics say expatriate journalists cannot be expected to bring about the desired changes in the system, for being foreigners they cannot be critical and must leave at some point in their career.

They also run the risk of inviting the wrath of their bosses by writing critical stories. “So the solution lies in getting more and more locals into newspaper journalism as only they can fight for press freedom,” says a critic.

But that is unlikely to happen as pay and perks in Qatar’s newspaper industry remain disappointingly low. What is needed is an improvement in the monetary compensation for the locals at least so that they are attracted to print journalism in large numbers, say experts.

http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/235557-%E2%80%98gifted%E2%80%99-journalists.html