Main Article Content

Abstract

'The right to know' represents a fundamental and vital human right. Progress and development of nations fully require information freedom and knowledge sharing. Using a qualitative analysis of a sample of information and press laws in most of Arab states, this paper aims at discussing 'the right to know' from different perspectives while highlighting the surrounding aspects and their consequences on the right of freedom of expression in those states. The paper also tends to clarify the effects of new media on the vision and practices of governments regarding 'the right to know' and the freedom of the press in the digital age. Moreover, the paper analyzes the different types of censorship the Arab states use to control the new media. Findings shed light on different aspect of 'the right to know' within the different challenges of the digital age and clarify the strong bondage of this right with the other human rights, especially freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

Keywords

Digital Age Freedom of expression Freedom of the Press Publication Laws Right to Know

Article Details

References

  1. Abd Al Gawad, A. A. (2003). The right of people to know (In Arabic). Najah University for Human Sciences Journal, 17(2), 419-442.
  2. Access Information Europe and the Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe. (2010). Legal Leaks Toolkit: A Guide for Journalists on How to Access Government Information.
  3. Access To Information: an instrumental right for empowerment. (July 2007). Article 19.
  4. Al Aly, Z. et al. (2017). Arab Organization for Constitutional Law Annual Report: 2015-2016 (In Arabic). Tunisia: Arab Organization for Constitutional Law
  5. Al Araby, O. (2002). The internet: Uses and spread in Saudi Arabia (In Arabic). Paper submitted to Communication Revolution and Gulf Societies Conference, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat.
  6. Al Laban, S.D. (2002). Freedom of expression and censorship on New Media (In Arabic). Paper submitted to Communication Revolution and Gulf Societies Conference, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat.
  7. Al Nashmi, E. et al. (2010). Internet political discussions in the Arab world: A look at online forums from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. The International Communication Gazette. 72(8), 719–738. DOI: 10.1177/1748048510380810
  8. Al-Jenaibi, B. (2016). The Twitter revolution in the Gulf countries. Journal of Creative Communication, 11(1), 61-83. DOI: 10.1177/0973258616630217
  9. Ang, P. H. (1999). How countries are regulating internet content. Singapore: Nanyang Technological University
  10. Boserup, L. K. (2005). An introduction to openness and access to information. Copenhagen.
  11. Bukhart, G.E. (1998). National security and the internet in the Persian Gulf region. Available online at: http://www.georgtown.edu/research/pgi98.8.html
  12. Chalaby, J. K. (2000). New media, new freedoms, news threats. Gazette. 26(1), 23-29
  13. Ellickson, R. C. (1991). Order without law: How neighbors settle disputes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  14. El-Sadany, M. (2017). Human rights in the constitution: A survey of the Arab uprisings. Paper Presented to Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy and Arab Center. Washington DC.
  15. Fadl Allah, O. S. November (2012). A knowledge society between the right to access information and the challenges of reality and hope (In Arabic). Proceedings of the 23rd Conference of the Arab Union for Libraries and Information entitled: (Government, Society and Integration in Building Arab Knowledge Societies). Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Qatar and the Arab Federation of Libraries and Information, Doha.
  16. Freedom of Thought and Expression Foundation. (2011). Freedom of circulation of information: A comparative law study (In Arabic). Cairo.
  17. Global Internet Liberty Campaign. Regardless of frontiers. Available online at http://www.gilc.org/speech/report/
  18. Halstuk, M. E. and Chamberlin, B. F. (2001). Open government in the digital age: The legislative history of how Congress established a right of public access to electronic information held by Federal Agency. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. 78(1), 45-64.
  19. Human Rights Watch. The Internet in the Mideast and North Africa: Free expression and censorship. Available online at http://www.hrw.org/hrw/advocacy/internet/mena
  20. Jagwanth, S. (2002). The Right to Information as a Leverage Right. In Calland, R. and Tilley, A., eds. The right to know, the right to live: Access to information and socio-economic justice. Open Democracy Advice Centre.
  21. Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum Foundation. (2009). Arab knowledge report 2009: Towards productive intercommunication for knowledge. Dubai. UAE.
  22. Nasr, H. (2003). Internet and media: Electronic journalism (In Arabic). Kuwait: Al Falah Publishing.
  23. Nasr, H. January 27th (2014). The right to know between international codes and national laws. AlShabiba.
  24. Peled, R. and Rabin, Y. Winter (2011). The constitutional right to information, Columbia Human Rights Law Review. 42(2), 375-378.
  25. Pettrachin, A. (2018). Towards a universal declaration on internet rights and freedoms? The International Communication Gazette, 80(4), 337-353. DOI: 10.1177/1748048518757139
  26. Rathmell, A. (1997). Netwar in the Gulf. Janes’s Intelligence Review. 3. Available Online at: http://www.infowar.com/class_3/class3-9.html_ssi
  27. Report of the Special Rapporteur. 18 January (2000). Promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. UN Doc. E/CN.4/2000/63. Para. 42
  28. Report of the Special Rapporteur. 28 January (1998). Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression. UN Doc. E/CN.4/1998/40, Para. 14.
  29. Saleh, S. (2002). Media ethics (In Arabic). Kuwait: Al Falah Publishing.
  30. Saleh, S. (2007). Communication revolution and media freedom (In Arabic). Kuwait: Al Falah Publishing.
  31. Shuji, H. (1997). The internet and Middle East Studies. Japanese Institute of Middle Eastern Economic Review. Available online at: http://www.pws.prserv.net/h.
  32. UN General Assembly Resolution 217000. December 10th, 1948.
  33. UN General Assembly Resolution. December 16th, 1966, executed in: January 3rd, 1976.
  34. UN General Assembly Resolution. December 16th, 1966.
  35. UN General Assembly. 1946 Resolution 59 (1). 65th Plenary Meeting, December 14.