الملخص الإنجليزي
This study aimed to look into the history of the emergence and development of the laws governing journalism in the Sultanate of Oman (The Basic law, the Press and Publications Law, the Omani criminal Law, and the Commercial Companies Law...etc). It is also designed to analyze and assess the legal texts contained in the laws concerning journalism in the Sultanate of Oman and to measure their suitability and comprehensiveness. Besides, it aims to observe, analyze, and interpret the journalists' attitudes towards the Press and Publications Law (1984) and to measure its suitability and comprehensiveness for journalism as a whole. The study achieves its goals through answering many questions about laws and legal articles governing journalism in the Sultanate of Oman.
In order to answer the above mentioned questions, the researcher applied the text analysis approach. In this approach, the researcher applies a qualitative analysis of the legal articles under study through specifying categories. In addition to a questionnaire to observe and analyze the journalists' attitudes towards the current Press and Publications Law in the Sultanate of Oman through several topics.
The study concluded the following results: The current Press and Publication law almost similar to the previous law issued in The government intervention was evident in the legal texts contained (the Ministry of Information, the minister of Information, and the Press and Publications Committee) in journalism in the Sultanate. In most cases, competent international authorities consider this intervention as a type of restrictions on the freedom of press and journalists. Also the law is considered one of the main reasons contributed to limiting the press diversity due to stipulations contained in the legal articles concerning licenses, capital and circulation. Despite the recent amendments, the law is still inadequate and incomprehensive for press and publication as a whole, such as electronic publication, codification and electronic press especially that the press and electronic publication in Oman started in 1997. The study concluded that the press and publication law lacked to mention administrative sanctions such as notice and warning, But presents punishments such as arrest, seizure, closure, fines and imprisonment. The study concluded with presenting several recommendations in which the researcher finds it may contribute in modernizing and developing the laws governing journalism in the Sultanate of Oman.
