Instead of moving toward greater transparency, the emirates seem to be moving in the other direction. A new draft media law would make it a crime to damage the country’s reputation or economy, punishable by fines of up to 1 million dirhams (about $272,000). Some say it is already having a chilling effect on reporting about the crisis.Like it is really going to matter ...Last month, local newspapers reported that Dubai was canceling 1,500 work visas every day, citing unnamed government officials. Asked about the number, Humaid bin Dimas, a spokesman for Dubai’s Labor Ministry, said he would not confirm or deny it and refused to comment further. Some say the true figure is much higher.
“At the moment there is a readiness to believe the worst,” said Simon Williams, HSBC bank’s chief economist in Dubai. “And the limits on data make it difficult to counter the rumors.”
The news is bad and it is going to be bad for a while - and as everyone knows bad news travels the farthermost, the fastest.
(The fact that this is posted on this blog should point to the futility of such a ban .. if this little ol'blog has the news ... what do you think the big boys have?)
1 comment:
This one thing that shows that there is not much difference between China & UAE. Freedom of press means social freedom. You cannot hide the reailty by just stopping news reports. Just tell the media to be responsible in what they report.
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