Mass firing at Emirati Alroeya newspaper raises question of censorship

The story about high fuel prices was safe, editors agreed, even under the strict press laws of the United Arab Emirates.

Instead, it unleashed a firestorm at Al Roeya newspaper in Dubai. Within days, top editors were interrogated. Within weeks, dozens of employees were fired and the print paper declared dissolved.

The newspaper’s publisher, Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments, or IMI, said Al Roeya’s closure stems only from its transformation into a new Arabic language business outlet with CNN. However, eight people with direct knowledge of the newspaper’s mass firings told The Associated Press that the layoffs came in the immediate aftermath of the article on the UAE’s gas prices.

Their accounts, given on condition anonymity for fear of reprisals, show the limits of speech in the autocratic nation that tightly controls its domestic media. Self-censorship is rife among journalists at local outlets expected to provide a stream of good news in the UAE, which advertises itself as a globalised destination attractive to tourists, investors and Western media companies.

“The UAE touts itself as liberal and open to business while continuing its repression,” said Cathryn Grothe, a Middle East research analyst at the Washington-based group Freedom House. “Censorship is rampant, online and offline. ... It limits the work that journalists are able to do.”