KU College of Arts emphasizes on the need to expand freedoms and streamline media law

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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 19: Scholars and media experts emphasized the importance of media freedom as a responsibility and urged for transparency in the draft media law currently in preparation by the Ministry of Information. They emphasized the need to expand freedoms and streamline the law, ensuring it isn’t influenced by political agendas, and that the ministry doesn’t assume a judicial role.

These discussions took place during a forum organized by the Cultural Committee in the Media Department at Kuwait University’s College of Arts. The event, titled ‘What do we want from the media law?’, was held under the patronage of the Dean of the College, Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al-Madaj, at Sabah Al-Salem University City, reports Al-Rai daily.

Key figures present at the event included Dr. Fayez Al-Dhafiri, Director of Kuwait University; Walid Al-Jassim, the editor-in-chief of Al-Rai newspaper; parliamentarians Dr. Jenan Bushehri and Hamad Al-Olayan; along with numerous academics and media professionals.

Dr. Fayez Al-Kandari, a professor of private law at the Faculty of Law, pointed out the law’s ambiguity, length, and redundancy, questioning the combination of three laws into one. He emphasized the need for linguistic refinement in the law and suggested removing the chapter on election coverage, citing the existence of a separate law for the High Electoral Commission.

Columnist Iqbal Al-Ahmad raised concerns about the law infringing upon freedoms and positioning the Ministry of Information as a quasi-judicial authority. She noted that the law carries a distinct political agenda, leading to numerous flaws and a lack of proportionality in penalties.

Dr. Nasser Al-Mujaybel, a faculty member in the Media Department at the College of Arts, stressed the importance of rectifying past errors, reducing administrative burdens in oversight, and enhancing self-censorship among media practitioners. He also highlighted the need to create a legislative framework for monitoring media development and overseeing funding for media organizations and influential figures.

Dr. Fawaz Al-Ajmi, advisor to the Minister of Information and a member of the college’s media department, underlined the law’s intent to provide responsible freedom to media work. He emphasized the importance of understanding the law’s purpose and the efforts undertaken to address observations and recommendations.

MP Dr. Jinan Bushehri asserted that they won’t accept a law that restricts freedoms and called for more media freedom for all media professionals. She questioned the law’s target audience and the professionals it seeks to regulate.

MP Hamad Al-Olayan expressed his concern over the draft law’s provisions, emphasizing the need to avoid glorifying the authority of the ministry and the minister and to prevent political whims from influencing penalties through vague and flexible terms.

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