After years of waiting; The Bahraini journalistic body breathed a sigh of relief, after the House of Representatives announced the approval of the new press law, for years in which this law has been moving between the corridors of the parliament in its successive sessions, until some thought that it had become forgotten files, but last Thursday, everything changed.
The scene was different; The journalists under the dome of Parliament are not there to cover an event or transfer statements, but witnesses on a historical moment related to them directly, the moment of declaring a law that ends decades of stagnation, and gives the profession a bit of definition and legal modernization, the prevailing feeling was similar to relief mixed with inheritance: Did you achieve what the press body was demanding? Will the new law be the beginning of a new stage for the national media?
In my opinion, according to what I have seen from the articles of the new law, it is not only amend legal texts, but also amends the general mood towards the press, as it abolishes negative penalties for freedom in publishing cases, and recognizes the electronic media as part of the official media system, and organizes the relationship between the journalist and the state according to a clearer equation.
It took years of discussion, negotiation and amendment, in which all concerned authorities, led by representatives of the National Press, participated in this moment, in which the representatives of the National Press, the Association of Journalists and the Editor -in -Chief, but what matters now is the result; A recent consensual formula that reflects a deeper understanding of the challenges facing journalists in digital time.
It is no longer acceptable in this era to pursue the journalist on charges that may lead him to prison just because of an opinion or investigation, therefore the abolition and deletion of the penalty of imprisonment from the law besides being a victory for the profession, is also evidence of the state’s respect for the roles of the press in control and accountability, and it is not hidden that this amendment came after lengthy reviews in which various institutions participated, which reflects a legislative and administrative maturity that is important to be completed with a serious application And comprehensive.
However, because the freedom of the press is not only the laws, but by public culture and a political will that believes that the media is a partner and a society that knows the value of free information, so the new law must be followed by real measures by supporting the independence of media institutions, enabling journalists professionally, ensuring transparency in accessing information, and keeping pace with the digital environment with more flexible and realistic legislation.
It is noteworthy that the law not only focused on the punitive aspects, but also expanded the scope of the organization to include the electronic media, advertising and advertising, which were previously living in the gray region of legislation, but today it has legal frameworks that organize it and protect its workers and prevent manipulation or fraud, which is in the interest of the media market, and enhances the investment climate.
Finally, this law has opened a new page in the record of the relationship between the state and the owner of His Majesty, but it is still just a beginning, and the greatest challenge in converting it from a document on the paper to a daily practice that respects the word, guarantees freedom of expression, and establishes Bahrain’s position as a country that is confident towards the future.
