Saudi Gazette
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Okaz Organization for Press and Publication |
| Editor-in-chief | Khaled Almaeena |
| Managing editors | Shams Ahsan and Mahmoud Ahmad (for local and Gulf affairs) |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Jeddah |
| Circulation | 50,000 |
| Sister newspapers | Okaz |
| ISSN | 1319-0326 |
| Official website | Saudi Gazette |
Saudi Gazette is a leading English-language daily newspaper published in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.[1] It is available both in print and online.[2]
As of 2 April 2012, Khaled Almaeena is the Saudi Gazette editor-in-chief, replacing Omar S. Elmershedi who took over on 1 July 2011. Almaeena is joined by some of his most trusted staff from Arab News, led by deputy editor-in-chief Somayya A. Jabarti.
Policy changes
Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Saudi government loosened its visa requirements to attract more Western journalists to report from Saudi Arabia in an effort to open the country to media scrutiny. These new policies also allowed Western journalists to work in the Saudi newspaper industry. Up until 2003, the Gazette's editorial staff consisted largely of Indian and Pakistani expatriate journalists. Since the early 1980s the day-to-day operations were led by editor Ramesh Balan, an expatriate Indian who retired in 2009.[citation needed]
There were early missteps in efforts to open Saudi journalism to Westerners. Journalist Lawrence Wright, on assignment for New Yorker magazine, spent several months observing Gazette journalists before penning “Kingdom of Silence” in 2004. It was a scathing portrait of Saudi journalists’ ethics and journalism skills, and Saudi Arabia’s gender segregation rules and customs. Wright’s visit and subsequent article were an embarrassment to the Gazette and almost derailed the newspaper’s plans to hire Western journalists.[citation needed]
Tabloid experimentation
In 2003, the Gazette, which was a traditional broadsheet, was redesigned as a tabloid under the direction of Khoury and American journalist Ron Raposa. In 2004, American newspaper editor Rob L. Wagner joined the staff and remained as managing editor until 2007. Four years after the launch of the tabloid, the newspaper reverted to a broadsheet. The newspaper’s editors attempted to give the Gazette a tabloid-style sensibility, but the effort failed in Saudi’s conservative society.
Acting editor-in-chief Mohammed Al Shoukany brought in the new format on 14 April 2007. He also brought in international newspaper consultant Peter Ong from Sydney, Australia, to redesign the paper. It launched that same year, with two weekly magazines, one for children and young readers: Fun Times and Fun Times for Teens.
During its progressive period, the Gazette covered a range of social issues once considered taboo in Saudi journalism. It covered Saudi education reform, young runaway girls, forced marriages, women’s right to drive, abortion, drug addition and gender mixing.
Editorial team
The Gazette editorial team is now led by editor-in-chief Khaled Almaeena and deputy editor-in-chief Somayya Jabarti. Its managing editors are Mahmoud Ahmad and Shams Ahsan Saifi. Senior editors include Dennis Danchik, Athar H. Rizvie, Querubin Miñas, K.O. Paulson and Mehmood Hassan.
History
The newspaper started in 1978, with a western editorial staff under the leadership of Saud Islam, a Saudi native and business studies graduate (London). Key western staff worked at the newspaper in the old 'Thumb statue' street Building and overseeing its move to new purpose-built offices and press just a few kilometers away at the edge of Northwest Jeddah in 1981.
While the newspaper was based in Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast, it had two bureaus: Riyadh, the kingdom's capital, and Al-Khobar on the Persian Gulf in the Eastern Province. Prior to computerization, bureau reporters telexed their stories to Jeddah where Jaffar Khan (India) and his staff typeset the transmission for press runs. Photos and related visuals for publication with stories from bureaus were pouched to Jeddah via air. The publication process was slow and precarious.
From 1981 to 1983, Western journalists serving on the Gazette's staff included David Therough (U.K.), Rick Thompson (U.S.) and Kevin Muehring (U.S.). Jeddah-based Randall Palmer (U.S.) would later serve as a reporter in the newspaper's Riyadh bureau alongside Peter Theroux (U.S.). Theroux, while serving as a Gazette reporter, also was a correspondent for United Press International. Brad Heller (U.S) would later join the reporting staff in Riyadh. Gazette reporter Rick Snedeker (U.S.) was based in Jeddah until he was assigned to the newspaper's Al-Khobar bureau, where he joined James Wright Domnick (U.S.). Domnick was a Gazette reporter who also served as a correspondent for The Associated Press. Jenny Cook (U.S.) was based in Jeddah and served as features editor. Sales to expatriates grew slowly.
A chief photographer was appointed in 1981, Chris Wheatley, who rebuilt and taught the local photographers to use modern film tanks and timed film development. Until that point, Okaz photographers used a tray, dipped the film into it in darkness, hearing the film scrape on the tray bottom and timing it with a popular song, sung by the photographer. The published photos were often too dark and off-kilter, with Towers leaning at 35 degrees, etc. Doug was appointed junior staff photographer in 1982 and Jamal was the Sudanese photographer on the street. Armed with Western-style practices, Jamal soon became the star among the native-speaking photographers. With the addition of an English sports editor, the publication figures soared and overtook the Arab News for the first time in its history.
The paper had two female staff journalists during 1981-1983, and three or four female stringers, including Saudi nationals. The quality of the paper surged dramatically and a Wednesday (weekend) family pictorial publication called 'Variety' was launched. This continued well into the 1990s. Many of the contributions were from expatriate female writers, including British freelance photographer and writer Bizzie Frost who started working for the Gazette in 1986 when Andrew Craig (son of former Ambassador to KSA, Sir James Craig) was the features editor. She continued to write for the newspaper until 2012, and is the longest serving freelance writer for this newspaper. By 1987, the Saudi Gazette was also began to use colour photographs.
The photography department got the first photos of King Fahd's inauguration and David Therough the first interview with the new king. Some investigative journalism was attempted, a first for Saudi Arabia; the under-staffing, lack of pharmaceuticals and funding of Baha Hospital resulted in the termination of American Hospitals Management (AMI) and the building collapse of the National Commercial Bank building (substandard construction) in Jeddah were major coups for the paper. These stories were held back and inspected by the Ministry of Information, but eventually allowed a new freedom to start to emerge in the Kingdom. Unfortunately, the rise of local militants and internal bombings put an end to this new freedom.
In 1982, Saud Islam left his post and most Western journalists went with him. Pakistani and Indian staff were brought in to save money, Thereafter, the quality of the paper plummeted dramatically, sales went down and the paper virtually disappeared for the next decade and a half.
European features editors also worked for the Saudi Gazette and several local Western female writers continued to contribute. The newspaper flourished and continued to be one of two main English daily newspapers. Because of its Wednesday 'Variety' section with all its features, it was the newspaper of choice at weekends. Bizzie Frost was one of the regular local contributors during these years, working with Andrew Craig and Ramesh Balan, and editors Ridah Lary and Dr. Mohammed Al Shoukhany. In the 90s, Frost pioneered a new type of column, linking the Marketing section under Waleen Katan with the editorial team under Ramesh Balan when she negotiated with Mothercare to sponsor her weekly column 'Small Talk'.
During this period, it was perhaps the most anti-US paper in the Kingdom. A Saudi citizen of Persian origin, Ridah Lary became its editor. The Saudi Gazette's chief cartoonist Abdel Rahim Alireza had a particularly strong anti-US streak to his cartoons. At the beginning of 1990s, it was second largest English paper and then, lost this characteristic.[3]
During the era when the Saudi Gazette was experimenting with the tabloid format, it became popular because of the variety of features and human interest stories. It was the 'Daily Mail' of the Saudi press, while the 'Arab News' was the times. The newspaper also catered for the Filipino, Indian and Pakistani expatriates as well as the European and American expatriates.
References
- ↑ "Country profile: Saudi Arabia". BBC. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2007.
- ↑ "Saudi Gazette". NYDailyNews. July 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ↑ "91RIYADH3320, THE SAUDI PRESS: PROFILES OF INDIVIDUAL PAPERS". Wikilleaks. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
External links
"The Kingdom of Silence" Lawrence Wright, 5 January 2004, The New Yorker
Saudi Gazette terrorism coverage and editorials (2004–2007) Rob L. Wagner
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