A regular follower of American Bedu asked me if I would share perspectives on how do Saudis get the news they rely upon. I think this is a good topic particularly as many Saudis and non-Saudi’s have already been outspoken on not trusting or skeptical of the stories reported in Saudi newspapers or what is shown on Saudi TV. I think that in these days and times, one needs to acquire news from a variety of sources in order to get a fuller perspective and multiple views and analysis. There is never one side to a story. And I also believe that each story before being reported should have independent validation of three separate and non-related sources. Nice to ask but oftentimes in Saudi does not happen. In fact some stories will be published without indication of any sourcing or just the vaguest and fuzziest reference.
Now that being said, I would not unilaterally write off what is written in Arab News, Saudi Gazette, Al Watan, Alsharq Alawasat, Aljazeera or Alriyadh. These are all respected newspapers with very knowledgeable individuals as contributors. They do know however that there are some unspoken guidelines when writing in Saudi Arabia that they must adhere.
I hear many people, particularly expats, laugh off Saudi Television. Saudi Channel 2 (the English channel) may be more soft because it is in English and those in the hierarchy making the decisions and doing the production likely do not have a good grasp of English. However Saudi Channel 1 in Arabic is a good source to watch for local news. Yes; the majority will focus on the Royal Family, particularly the King and Crown Prince and other senior most Royals. It will also show long video clips many times without words of visits and activities of Royals. These are actually very good to watch as indicators of who is in favor, particularly when shown prior to any expected changes in the Cabinet. Al Ekbariyah also does a good job on imparting news on a variety of local subjects.
I’m keeping the sources of information more localized although there are many many other newspapers and television channels which will present news of Saudi Arabia routinely.
How reliable are the blogs and message boards in order to receive news of Saudi Arabia? Again, the information is only as reliable as the source but blogs and message boards can add to ones information and understanding. One should be aware that more so on blogs and message boards the information is more likely to be biased and slanted to the personal view of the host and commenter’s. A blog or message board or newsgroup will also likely reflect comments based on participants “slice” of Saudi Arabia to which they are exposed.
Yet because Saudi Arabia is more closed and conservative than most other countries in the world, it is imperative for one who wishes to better understand what is written or said about the Kingdom, to have a multiple outlet of sources from which to draw upon. The more one reads about the Kingdom the bigger the picture that will emerge. There will be better understanding but at the same time, more and more questions may likely be raised as well.
I think it is equally important for anyone wanting to say “I understand Saudi. I can analyze Saudi Arabia.” He or she must also have an excellent grasp of Arabic and not be relying solely on the information about Saudi Arabia presented in Arabic. Many translations from Arabic to English are very good but it is easy for an important nuance to be missed in translation.
In closing this post, I believe it would be useful and helpful to learn what sources of information readers follow to enhance or acquire information about Saudi Arabia.
Filed under: culture, politics, relationships, Saudi Arabia, Saudi blogs, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, Saudi education, Saudi Living, travel, Uncategorized Tagged: | blogging, culture, culture shock, customs, history, KSA, places, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, travel
For local news of a non-controversial nature I rely on Saudi Channel 4 (Al Ekhibarya) but for other news mostly the BBC,Sky News and Al Jazeer English to have a well rounded view.
Hey u got a nice blog and I love the KSA coverage. very mature and positive.
thanks a lot and keep it up
Burning Phoneix,
I agree that Al Ekhibariyah is an excellent channel. I remember watching a documentary they produced on the traffic facilities in the Kingdom. It made an impact with its footage, interviews and statistics.
Thanks Khalid Patrick and welcome.
I have to note that Saudis also will also rely on background information about the members of their society to analyze news about them.. from that information he can connect between family relations and social connections searching for motives in local affairs, which actually do play a lot in determining many events in Saudi Arabia.
very very informative post
its sad to note that unknown male cannot assist a female, even wherein she is in danger
still a long way to go in the field of socialisation
thx for giving info
sorry, the above comment was intended for next post
it shows my bad etiquette
Carol,
Thanks for posting on this topic! Just as I thought, it is really interesting to hear your perspective.
I think you’re right about the need for multiple sources–the same holds true for anyone getting their news.
Great point about needing to know Arabic to really understand Saudi!
http://www.alarabiya.net
Thanks for all the interesting comments. And DW, you do indeed raise a good point on “connecting the dots.”
to me as a Saudi , i can’t stand 5 minutes of the first channel ! and the news their is not much of help to me , so when it comes to the news i love to watch alarabiya while i am studying , aljazeerah is good but it kinda put me on the edge of my seat , but the English channel of aljazeerah is quite good , i love their shows, the cnn is great source of international news, i tuned in for like the whole day during the the time of the US elections . mbc4 makes a great choice if you want to catch up on both political and entertainment news , so if you are used to the shows back in the US you will love this channel , you can watch the cbs news, the insider , entertainment tonight , inside edition, good morning american, the early show , and whole other bunch of great shows but the catch is you have to be a nocturnal creature to watch them lol, i watch them at that late time because a med student and i stay late at night. when it comes to news papers , the best one is alsharq alawsat , the puplish articles in synchrony with the washington post and their sport section is awesome esp if you are a fan of italian football, and for international papers i use the internet to read the NY times. for documentaries aljazeera for documantaries makes a great source , esp for political purposes.sorry for the long comment but i tried to share the sources my friends and i usually use.
your blog is awesome btw
america*
on the broader scale, I like BBC as I feel they go into more analysis than CNN.
The news I wold really like to be able to get is forcasts of coming Shamals. With satalite imagery this should be sinple to do. Does anyone know a source of this information?