To the Minister of Information
Abdullah Al-Fawzan • Al-Watan

It is true that newspapers in the Kingdom are fully owned and operated by the private sector. Notwithstanding this fact, they are all controlled by the Ministry of Information through the publication law. This law gives the ministry the right to hire and fire editors and because of this law, the government exercises control of the media and, instead of maintaining a relative distance from it, is in fact drawn to it.

In addition to the law that guarantees the government’s awareness of what is being said in the media is another factor which is equally important. This other factor constantly fuels allegations, both inside and outside the country, and it provides all our critics with a strong reason for believing that the media is directly controlled by the Ministry of Information.

This is an open letter to the new Minister of Information, translated from the Arabic daily Al-Watan. That means that it was directed at Saudis who speak Arabic, i.e., nearly all of them. It’s not an instance saying to foreigners what they’d like to hear, as some allege of the Saudi English-language media.

It’s a clear indication that Saudis want more transparency in their lives, a move that should surely be applauded and encouraged.