Blog Post #6: A New Regime
If I was a Yemeni citizen seeing a regime change in my country, I would be skeptical of most media produced within state borders. Even though 68% of the Yemeni press is run by independent publications there are Red Lines which prevents these publications from being inherently independent; ministries and state security bodies exercise their power to censor information in the press that disparages the President and the Regime, emphasizes Yemen’s division, exposes corruption, and goes against Muslim social and religious beliefs. Even though a new regime might shift the existing ‘Red Lines’ depending on what the new leaders believe in I would be skeptical of most newspapers produced within Yemeni borders. I would also be skeptical of radio broadcasts in Yemen since they are controlled by the state-run Yemen general Corporation for Radio and Television (YGCRT) and Internet since the government has restrictive power over it as well.
I would turn to satellite television because then I would have access to information abroad that does not have a nationalistic bias toward Yemen. I would trust Al-Jazeera and Belqees TV to make unbiased reports because these are not Yemeni companies and their reporters have always been unapologetically honest.
Belqees TV have three channels based in Istanbul, Turkey that report specifically on Yemen-related issues. These channels are based in Turkey because reporters face less risk there from facing violence from Houthi forces and the Red Lines in Turkish media don’t include Yemeni politics.
Furthermore, Al-Jazeera has been a reliable, unbiased news channel that reports on most countries in the MENA region. Even though reporters have faced difficulties in the past working in Yemen, especially Taiz and Ma’rib (I.e., the Yemeni Ministry of Information took away Al-Jazeera's license) they are able to now because of Yemen’s rekindled relationship with Qatar.
Reporters for Al-Jazeera understand that no matter where they report Yemeni issues from, they are still at risk for post-censorship, including abduction and other violent measures of action. Al-Jazeera has and will continue to be honest about Yemen, as well as every other country they report on, in television (and press too) regardless of its state's ties with them.
Assuming a new regime takes over Yemen, as we know it now, my belief will remain the same: Belqees TV and Al-Jazeera are trustworthy sources and will withstand political unsteadiness through the test of time.
Comments
Post a Comment