Journalists’ attitudes towards journalism regulations in the Arab world: Oman as a case study

Abstract

Abstract This study researches journalists’ attitudes towards journalism regulations, mainly publication laws. The study focuses on the Sultanate of Oman as one case study from the Arab world. To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, no local work on this topic has previously been undertaken. However, there do exist some studies that deal with textual and critical analyses of the legalizing press laws in the Sultanate. This study employs the survey method and uses the questionnaire to research journalists’ attitudes, especially those of journalists working on the Arabic dailies Al-Watan, Oman, Al-Shabiba, Al-Zaman and Al-Ro’ya. The questionnaire covered fourteen different topics from which a number of conclusions could be drawn. Notably among them, the majority of journalists working in the Sultanate do not have the necessary background in press legal culture. Furthermore, many of the surveyed journalists thought that the Publications and Publishing Law contradicts the Basic State Law of the country (the Constitution) in some of its stipulations and that it is out of step with current local, regional and international developments in the world of media and communication. Because of this it shackles press work.