Samar Al-Haysooni
Al-Madinah
Journalism plays an important and effective role in society because it voices the opinions and problems of citizens. A journalist has a noble job to perform, which is to present facts to people. He gathers, analyzes and ascertains news before presenting it to his readers, viewers or listeners. Because people today make judgments about other persons based on media depictions, the government has issued the Printed Materials and Publication Law and incorporated in it articles to ensure that defamation does not take place.
According to the law, the Grand Mufti and members of the Senior Board of Scholars may not be defamed. The same holds true for all statesmen and government employees. Moreover, the facts of investigations or trials may not be divulged without permission from the concerned authorities.
Unprofessional media work can make some legal proceedings more complicated and cause people to be subjected to blackmailing, extortion or defamation in personal status cases. However, what about the person who was harmed by the publishing of news that was relevant to him or his case? Will the media restore his reputation? Will the media compensate him for what he has lost? Why do some newspapers give themselves the right to publish confidential information about a family case or dispute and what kind of benefit will society get from such action?
Some writers make fun of readers and underestimate their intelligence. They hide the names of parties involved in cases, yet they give strong hints about who they might be. What do you call this? Are they making fun of people’s rights and the integrity of the judiciary? Anyone whose personal details were published without his permission has the right to file a claim for damages.
Consequently, writers and reporters should double-check stories before publishing. They should be aware of the potential danger of their work and how the job can sometimes cause negative results, especially if it is related to family cases. Children pay the price when they families are defamed; they may suffer psychological problems in the process. I hope all newspapers give their writers and reporters courses on the Printed Materials and Publication Law.
