Before I talk about the Kuwaiti media and any possibility that it helps move the country toward democracy, let me give you a general overview of its organization. Once a monopoly with a few powerful families in charge, this changed in 2006 when the Kuwaiti Parliament eased licensing restrictions and stripped the government of some power to close media outlets.

Democracy at last! Well, not just yet. While Kuwait allegedly has an independent media, its independence only really exists in theory. Practically, the Kuwaiti media is an extension of the state, a powerful mouthpiece that prioritizes official thinking and limits any voices that the government may find threatening. 

What gives? Well, despite some of the more progressive laws, along with other freedoms that Kuwaitis have compared to their Middle Eastern neighbors, the Kuwait government has resisted any attempts to truly democratize its media. For proof, look no further than the Kuwaiti legislature and several laws that it has recently passed:

• Law 8, which demands that any electronic outlet first acquire a license from the Ministry of Information (MOI) Many have criticized the law for being too vague, giving the MOI more expensive powers.
• Constitutional Amendments 17 through 25, which gives the government freedom to prosecute any outlet found to be spreading fake news.Fake news is often just code for anything that goes against the government’s line of thinking.

Nothing in the way of democratization, if you ask me, and if you care to know, a step back for a country that has granted its citizens rights that others do not have. Kuwaiti media is not interested in delivering democracy, and it is not interested in creating the “mechanisms that make the rule of the many possible.” Its interests, instead, are to silence dissent and prevent people from thinking in ways that the government does not find desirable.

Somewhat of a tragic reality, but not entirely unexpected in a country that ranks 158 of 180 on the Freedom Press Index 2022. Any attempts to subvert these laws will end poorly, also. Just consider the case of blogger Masaed Al-Musaileem, who fled Kuwait in 2017 after posting information that was critical of the government. Al-Musaileem currently resides in Bosnia and Herzegovina under house arrest and the fear that authorities will deport him to Kuwait, where he faces trial and possible criminal conviction. Law 8 at work, ladies and gentleman, and Al-Musaileem is hardly alone in attracting the attention of Kuwaiti authorities looking to crack down on anyone using the media to broaden expression and take the power, not out of corporate hands but government ones.

Yet, no time for fretting, folks. Democracy does not exist in Kuwait’s media, but Al-Qabas, one of the country’s primary newspapers, has pushed the envelope when it comes to reporting on issues that other outlets avoid. Some of the issues: government corruption, the political struggles in the ruling Al Sabah family, the need for electoral reforms, and others. Former newspaper editor Mohammed Al-Sager even won the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists for his paper’s reporting.

A brave voice in a media landscape that favors elite interests and leaves little room for ordinary people to express their ideas or beliefs. Maybe, just maybe, Al-Qabas can help democracy in Kuwait blossom. Yet, in the face of a repressive media crackdown, imagining a more democratic Kuwait is tough, as the elite have a lot to lose in the face of a media that they can no longer bend their will.