The mass media in Qatar relays information and data in
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
by means of
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
,
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
,
cinema
Cinema may refer to:
Film
* Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography
* Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image
** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking
* ...
,
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
s,
magazine
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
s and the
internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
. Qatar has established itself as a leading regional figure in mass media over the past decade.
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
, a global news network which was established in 1996, has become the foundation of the media sector. The country uses media to brand itself and raise its international profile.
Despite Al Jazeera being considered to be one of the Middle East's most open media outlets, Qatari authorities enforce stringent restrictions on freedom of local media, including censoring internet services and outlawing criticism of the
ruling family
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...
in the media.
Print media
Newspapers
![Alwatanlogo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Alwatanlogo.JPG)
There are currently seven newspapers in circulation in Qatar, four published in Arabic and three in English.
Qatar's first weekly newspaper, ''Gulf News'', appeared in 1969. ''
Al Arab
''Al Arab'' (Arabic: العرب; ''The Arabs'') was the first Arabic daily following the independence of Qatar. It was printed between 1972 and 1995 and was relaunched on 18 November 2007 as an e-newspaper which is based in Doha, Qatar.
History ...
'' was the first post-independence newspaper to appear in Qatar, in 1972.
''
Gulf Times
The ''Gulf Times'' newspaper was founded in 1978 as the first publication of the Gulf Publishing and Printing Company in the capital city of Qatar, Doha (or ad-Dawhah). It is one of three English language newspapers in the country (the others be ...
'' was the first English newspaper in Qatar until the arrival of ''
The Peninsula'' in 1996.
According to circulation estimates released in 2004, ''
Al Watan'' was the most widely circulated newspaper in Qatar, with a circulation rate of 18,000. ''
Al Sharq
''Al Sharq'' (Arabic; الشرق; ''The Orient'') is an Arabic pro-government daily newspaper published in Doha, Qatar. The paper is one of the three leading Arabic newspapers in the country in addition to ''Al Raya'' and '' Al Watan''.
History ...
'' and ''Gulf Times'' both came second, with circulation rates of 15,000.
A 2008 report asserted that the total circulation rate was approximately 100,000 copies per day, with ''
Al Raya
''Al Raya'' (Arabic: الراية; also known as ''Arrayah''; ''The Banner'') is an Arabic daily newspaper published in Doha, Qatar. It is semi-official newspaper of the country and is one of the five leading Qatari dailies. As for Arabic dailie ...
'' and ''Gulf Times'' both having the highest circulation rates at 18,000, and ''Al Sharq'' and ''Al Watan'' having circulation rates of 15,000.
Magazines
Firefly Communications and Oryx Communications are two of the most prominent magazine publishing houses in Qatar.
There were nine magazines in 2009.
The first weekly magazine, ''Al-Urooba'', was issued in 1970.
English-language magazines in the country include family publication
Doha Family Magazine'' the first regularly printed parenting publication in Qatar and ''Society'', published by ''Gulf Times.''
Business magazine ''The Edge'', women's fashion magazine ''GLAM'', and ''Qatar Today''. ''Qatar Al Yom'' is an Arabic-language business magazine.
By 2014, Firefly had added more publications to its brand, including Qatar Construction News, Alef, Volante and Sur La Terre.
Publishing
Qatar established a foothold in the publications market with the founding of
Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing in 2008.
Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development ( ar, مؤسسة قطر) is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar, founded in 1995 by then-emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Moza bint Nasser. Qatar Founda ...
ceased its partnership with
Bloomsbury Publishing
Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. It is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. Bloomsbury's head office is located in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a U ...
in 2015, and created its own publishing house in its place under the name
Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press) is a publishing house based in Doha, Qatar. The press was initially managed by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC and was founded as Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (BQFP) in 2008 until its transition in ...
. Another Qatari book publisher, Katara Publishing House, was established in 2018.
Qatar also holds annual book fairs to celebrate the new publications produced by the local publication companies. In the 30th annual Qatari International Book Fair there was a number of publishing companies that participated. Lusail Publishing House, Roza Publishing House are some of the new additions to the publication companies.
Radio
All radio programs from Qatar are state-owned and are amalgamated as the
Qatar Broadcasting Service. Since 2017, there had been four new radio stations that had been launched.
Radio broadcasting in the country began from 25 June 1968 on
Qatar Radio
Qatar Radio ( ar, إذاعة قطر), abbreviated as QR, is a Qatar Government owned public service national radio station in Qatar which is owned and run by the public service broadcasting network Qatar General Broadcasting and Television Corpo ...
. English transmissions started in December 1971, first appearing on Qatar Radio for roughly an hour a day started in December 1971 in an effort to accommodate the increasing non-Arabic speaking expat community.
[Abbas Kadhim, p. 273] Qatar Radio currently features radio stations in English, Arabic, French and Urdu.
According to the Director of broadcasting, the aim of having radio stations in different languages is to try and diversify the media content aimed at the residents in Qatar.
Television
![Al Jazeera English Newsdesk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Al_Jazeera_English_Newsdesk.jpg)
The first television station in Qatar was
Qatar TV
Qatar Television, ( ar, تلفزيون قَطَر); abbreviated as Qatar TV or QTV), is a Qatar Government owned public service national television channel in Qatar which is owned and run by Qatar General Broadcasting and Television Corporation
...
. It began producing and transmitting its own programmes in 1970, with color transmission since 1974. It had a monopoly on television audience until 1993, when Qatar Cablevision began broadcasting satellite channels. Despite the broadening of television offerings, Qatar TV remains popular amongst locals.
The first news network was the
Qatar News Agency
Qatar News Agency () is a state-run Qatari news agency.[Qatar General Broadcasting and Television Corporation
Qatar Media Corporation (formerly known as Qatar General Broadcasting and Television Corporation) is a public service broadcasting network in Qatar. It was incorporated on 27 April 1997. Several television channels and radio networks are being r ...](_blank)
was founded.
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
, currently Qatar's largest television network, was founded in 1996. Initially launched as an Arabic news and
current affairs Current affairs may refer to:
News
* Current Affairs (magazine), ''Current Affairs'' (magazine) a bimonthly magazine of culture and politics.
* Current affairs (news format): a genre of broadcast journalism
* Current Affairs, former name for Behi ...
satellite TV channel, Al Jazeera has since expanded into a network with several outlets, including the internet and
specialty TV channels
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...
in multiple languages. It is accessible in several world regions. The network is a Private Foundation for Public Benefit under Qatari law, receiving its funding from the Qatari government but operating independently.
beIN Sports
beIN Sports ( ) is a global network of sports channels owned and operated by the Qatari media group beIN. It has played a major role in the increased commercialization of Qatari sports. Its chairman is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and its CEO is Yousef O ...
, a global network of sports channels, was launched in 2012. It is an affiliate of
Al Jazeera Media Network
Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) (Arabic: الجزيرة, romanized: al-jazīrah, IPA: l (d)ʒæˈziːrɐ , referring to the Qatar Peninsula) is a Qatari international state-owned public media conglomerate headquartered at Qatar Radio and Tele ...
. It currently operates three channels in France – beIN Sport 1, beIN Sport 2 and beIN Sport MAX – and launched two channels in the United States in August 2012.
During the
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup was the 15th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Qatar from 7 to 29 January 2011. It was the fifte ...
, the
Al-Kass Sports Channel
Alkass Sports Channels ( ar, قنوات الكأس الرياضية) is a group of eight sports channels that are broadcast 24/7 from Qatar. Its official name is ''Al Dawri wal Kass'' ( ar, الدوري والكأس, lit=the league and the cup), ...
set a world record when it deployed 51 different cameras in a broadcast of a single match.
Motion pictures
Qatar's modern film industry was conceived in 2009.
From then onwards, there have been efforts to develop a sustainable film industry in the country and in the region,
such as the organization and hosting of the
Doha Tribeca Film Festival
The Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) was an annual five-day film festival that was organised from 2009 to 2012 to promote Arab and international films, and to develop a sustainable film industry in Qatar. One of Qatar's largest entertainment event ...
from 2009 to 2012, which formed a partnership with the American-based
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...
.
In 2010, Khalifa al-Muraikhi released Qatar's first full-length film, ''Clockwise''. The film is a documentary on 'fijri', a genre of Arabic music performed during pearl trips, and was premiered in Doha during the celebration ceremony for the city's successful nomination for the 'Arab Capital of Culture'.
The
Doha Film Institute
Doha Film Institute (DFI) is a nonprofit cultural organisation established in 2010 by Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to support the growth of the Qatari film community and to provide funding and international networking oppor ...
was launched in 2010 with the aim of developing a film industry with strong links to the international film community. DFI is credited as a production company on several films, including the co-production of ''
Black Gold'';
''
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'' is a "metafictional"Madiou, Mohamed Salah Eddine. “Mohsin Hamid Engages the World in The Reluctant Fundamentalist: ‘An Island on an Island,’ Worlds in Miniature and ‘Fiction’ in the Making.” Arab Stu ...
'', directed by
Mira Nair
Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural sphe ...
, which was the opening film in the
69th Venice International Film Festival
The 69th annual Venice International Film Festival, organized by Venice Biennale, took place at Venice Lido from 29 August to 8 September 2012. The festival opened with the Indian director Mira Nair's ''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'', and clos ...
; and
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
's ''
Cruel Summer'', a
short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
shot in Doha which premiered during the
2012 Cannes Film Festival
The 65th Cannes Film Festival was held from 16 to 27 May 2012. Italian film director Nanni Moretti was the President of the Jury for the main competition and British actor Tim Roth was the President of the Jury for the Un Certain Regard section. ...
.
Innovations Films have been credited by the DFI as being one of the leading film production companies in the country.
Some observers in the Arab art scene have criticized the Qatari film industry, claiming that they feature more foreign films than regional ones, and view it as more of a platform to put the country's film industry on the map rather than a means to support regional talents.
Internet
Internet services have been available in Qatar since 1997. Statistics released by the
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...
reveal that as of 2012, 88% of the population is connected to the internet. Internet usage has drastically increased from 2000, when it was 5%. All of the major newspaper publications have online websites. Al Jazeera's English website was launched in 2003 at the beginning of the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. It has been the subject of numerous cyber attacks. The Facebook page for global-facing media outlet AJ+ has obtained over ten million 'likes' as of April 2018.
In 2007 Qatar was the second most connected country in the Arab region. Qatar's internet penetration rate grew from 6% in 2001 to 37% in 2007 to 86% in 2011.
From 2013 until 2016, internet penetration in Qatar grew 12%, leaving it at 93%.
In regards to telecommunication infrastructure, Qatar is the highest ranked Middle Eastern country in the World Economic Forum's Network Readiness Index (NRI), an indicator for determining the development level of a country's information and communication technologies. Qatar ranked number 23 overall in the 2014 NRI ranking, unchanged from 2013.
Media censorship
Prior to 1995, there were severe restrictions in regards to the disposition of information that journalists were permitted to report. The censorship of local media was formally lifted after Sheikh
Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani ( ar, حمد بن خليفة الثاني; born 1 January 1952) is a member of the ruling Al Thani Qatari royal family. He was the ruling Emir of Qatar from 1995 ...
deposed his father in July 1995, when a few weeks after the deposition, he withdrew censors from local newspapers.
Further restrictions were lifted in 1996 when he abolished the
information ministry and its censorship office. The information ministry was later replaced with a government-owned corporation.
The 1979 Prints and Publications Law, which imposes many restrictions on the freedom of the press, remained in effect despite the other reforms made by Sheikh Hamad.
Article 46 of the press law outlaws criticism of the Emir. It declares, “The Emir of the state of Qatar shall not be criticized and no statement can be attributed to him unless under a written permission from the manager of his office.”
As a result, journalists practice
self-censorship
Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own discourse. This is done out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities or preferences (actual or perceived) of others and without overt pressure from any specific party or insti ...
, particularly in regards to the
ruling family
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...
.
They are also subject to prosecution for insulting
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
.
IREX reports that newspapers and radio programmes possess a wider margin of freedom than the official news media.
Internet service is monitored by the government, which censors pornography and other materials deemed inappropriate.
The customs and the censorship office in the Qatar General Broadcasting and Television Corporation monitor imported foreign broadcasting for sensitive content.
In 2014, a
Cybercrime
A cybercrime is a crime that involves a computer or a computer network.Moore, R. (2005) "Cyber crime: Investigating High-Technology Computer Crime," Cleveland, Mississippi: Anderson Publishing. The computer may have been used in committing the ...
Prevention Law was passed, threatening to punish anyone who violates social values by publishing information regarding the private or family life of an individual, even if the information is accurate. If convicted, a perpetrator can face up to a year in prison and a fine of QR 100,000.
The law also stipulates that anyone found guilty of publishing false news which could jeopardize the safety of the state could face a maximum 1-year prison sentence and QR 250,000 fine, while anyone who is found guilty of publishing false news with the aim of destabilizing national security may face up to a three-year prison sentence and a fine of QR 500,000.
The Gulf Center for Human Rights has stated that the law is a threat to freedom of speech and has called for certain articles of the law to be revoked.
Initiatives to alleviate media censorship
In 2008, Qatar was the only country which abstained from signing the Arab Satellite Charter, a proposal intended to regulate and control satellite TV stations.
AFP reported that Qatar abstained from signing the charter due to legal reasons.
The
Doha Centre for Media Freedom
The Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF) was a non-profit organization working for press freedom and quality journalism in Qatar, the Middle East, and the world. It was formally created on December 7, 2007, by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, ...
was established in December 2007 with the aim of promoting media freedom throughout the region.
Robert Ménard
Robert Ménard (born 6 July 1953) is a French far-right politician, currently serving as Mayor of Béziers. Formerly a journalist, he was a co-founder of the Paris-based international non-governmental organisation Reporters Without Borders, actin ...
, a founder of
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
, was appointed as the director-general of the organization in April 2008. He resigned in July 2009 over a dispute with the Qatari authorities, whom he accuses of restricting the centre's freedom of speech.
See also
*
Al Jazeera effect
References
{{Qatar topics
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...