Those rules I just gave you are the guidelines from 1995 which remain in force, as far as I know.
In fairness, the government has engaged in very little direct political interference since then. A journalist being arrested because some policeman or citizen objects to a report is not political interference. Nor is someone in the bureaucratic hierarchy banning his subordinates from speaking to the press, it is just obstruction. Obstruction isn't censorship and it isn't interference, it just makes working impossible.
Commercial organisations, on the other hand, do try to engage in censorship, threatening advertising bans if something they don't like is published, and threatening to cut advertising if their press releases aren't printed in full. They also routinely bribe journalists with "gift bags" containing pens, watches etc. and, of course, we have the ubiquitous "journalism award" bribe - eg for the "best story" about Dubai shopping festival (meaning "the biggest free advertisement"). I actually loathe this appeal to the venality of local journalists more than I dislike a direct order from the Palace.
Those rules I just gave you are the guidelines from 1995 which remain in force, as far as I know.
In fairness, the government has engaged in very little direct political interference since then. A journalist being arrested because some policeman or citizen objects to a report is not political interference. Nor is someone in the bureaucratic hierarchy banning his subordinates from speaking to the press, it is just obstruction. Obstruction isn't censorship and it isn't interference, it just makes working impossible.
Commercial organisations, on the other hand, do try to engage in censorship, threatening advertising bans if something they don't like is published, and threatening to cut advertising if their press releases aren't printed in full. They also routinely bribe journalists with "gift bags" containing pens, watches etc. and, of course, we have the ubiquitous "journalism award" bribe - eg for the "best story" about Dubai shopping festival (meaning "the biggest free advertisement"). I actually loathe this appeal to the venality of local journalists more than I dislike a direct order from the Palace.