About the MSI
[8]
IREX designed the MSI to measure the strength and viability of any country’s media sector. The MSI considers all the factors that contribute to a media system—the quality of journalism, effectiveness of management, the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, and more—to arrive at scores on a scale ranging between 0 and 4. These scores represent the strength of the media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress (or regression) within a country. Additionally, countries or regions may be compared to one another. IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and produced the first Middle East and North Africa MSI in 2005.
MSI Overview [9] | Africa [10] | Asia [11] | Europe & Eurasia [12] | Middle East & North Africa [13]
MSI Methodology [14]
Download the Complete Kuwait MSI Chapter (PDF): 2009 [15] | 2008 [16] | 2006/7 [17] | 2005 [18]
MSI Kuwait - 2009 Introduction
Overall Country Score: 2.14
Kuwait ranks high in regional classifications for its relative media freedoms, but its status is somewhat insecure and fluctuates annually. In 2009, Kuwait led the Arab world in press freedom, earning a ranking of 60th in the Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) World Press Freedom Index.1 Yet serious concerns about self-censorship, bans on media outlets, and the risk of criminal penalties for journalists threaten Kuwait's standing.
Governmental attempts to limit free expression and hinder sectarian debate continued throughout 2009. In particular, the country's popular online media faced more stress in 2009, especially as the 2006 printing and publication law does not include protections for media on the Internet. Reportedly, the country's general prosecutor has drafted a bill that criminalizes promoting vice, incitement against the country's leadership, divulging state secrets, or insulting Islam on the web—hinting at more challenges for online media in the coming years.
In Kuwait, all newspapers are private, and most represent political groups. The strengths and weaknesses of the printing and publication law continue to be a source of debate in the media community. The law helped cause a media boom, sending many new papers to the press and providing an appeals process for refused applications. At the same time, the law expanded the scope of media crimes and stipulated prohibitions on materials that offend public morality or criticize Islam, the Emir, or the constitution. In addition, the number of media misdemeanors rose after Kuwait adopted the new law in 2008.
With its adoption of a new broadcasting law in 2007, the Kuwaiti parliament opened up licenses for new television channels and radio stations—but the legislation mirrors the restrictions and punishments included in the new printing and publication law. Although the number of television stations increased in 2008 and 2009, growth in the broadcast sector is not expected to match that seen in the print media. The popularity of online media and new media platforms, such as SMS news, offer ample alternatives.
Panelists also described the impact of the global financial crisis on Kuwait's media sector in 2009. Following the proliferation of newspapers in 2007-2008, no new newspapers appeared in 2009. Furthermore, publication of Al Sawt halted abruptly, leaving dozens of journalists unemployed.
1World Press Freedom Index 2009. Reporters San Frontières. Available at: http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2009,1001.html [19]