Freedom of the Press - Qatar (2002)

Status: Not Free
Legal Environment: 14
Political Influences: 24
Economic Pressures: 24
Total Score: 62

Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 72
Religious Groups: n/a
Ethnic Groups: Arab (40 percent), Pakistani (18 percent), Indian 18 percent), Iranian (10 percent), other (14 percent)
Capital: Doha

Though press censorship formally ended in 1995, self-censorship remains pervasive. Direct government pressure on the media has been steadily reduced but state-run radio, television, and newspapers generally avoid reporting on the royal family and Islam. The editor in chief of the major daily Al-Watan was assaulted after criticizing an official. After September 11, worldwide attention was focused on the satellite television all-news channel Al-Jazeera after it carried lengthy interviews with terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. Al-Jazeera, created and funded by a member of the Qatari royal family, had previously confounded other Arab governments after gaining widespread regional viewers by telecasting critical news and opinion of Middle East politics and personalities. Al-Jazeera generally avoids critical reports of Qatar. The government has opened government information to the public over the Internet, which has some 45,000 users.