Dr. Abdulrahman F. Alhajri
Assistant Professor – KILAW

Abstract:

The freedom of the press relies on multiple factors, and editorial independence is one of them. It is particularly important in terms of the protection of editorial independence in editor-owner relationships, and it is frequently threatened by various pressures, including economic and political ones.
While Kuwait does have the legislation that postulates the importance of the free press, it does not directly address the topic of editorial independence. In this study, Kuwaiti legislation is examined and compared to those of four other countries to determine if editorial independence can be enforced with the help of the law.
Based on the analysis of primary sources, as well as secondary ones, it is determined that modern governments have the experience of legally protecting editorial independence, and Kuwaiti legislation does recognise the significance of independent press that produces reliable information. Therefore, a law ensuring editorial independence could assist Kuwait in that endeavour.
However, the majority of the studied legislative efforts do not award separate acts to editorial independence, including relevant considerations in communications acts, which implies that specifically editorial independence acts are not a requirement. All things considered, there are arguments for and against an editorial independence law, but the development of legislative protection for this major element of the freedom of the press appears to be a worthwhile endeavour.

Keywords: editors, owners, independence, press, legislation

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