in-chief from e-news sites have said the proposed bylaw on e-publishing would “tighten control over those who go above and beyond the law”. Muhammad Al-Shihri, editor-in-chief of the “Sabq” news site, said the bylaw seeks to regulate e-publication and “serves as a guideline”. “I hope people working in the field will be given the same facilities as their colleagues in print and audiovisual media,” he said. “I hope it will restrain people who mistakenly think the sky's limit in e-media and end up involved in controversial issues that harm the greater interests of the country.” Shouja'a Al-Qahtani, editor-in-chief of the “Al-Boutoula Al-Riyadi” site, described the bylaw as a step forward. “Some colleagues wrongly believe that freedom has no limit and go over the top, abusing and tarnishing people's images with no law to punish them,” he said. “People working in the field need to be sensible in what they write and refrain from make things personal and sensationalizing news to suit their agenda.” Muhammad Al-Ahmad, a professor of mass media at King Saud University's Faculty of Arts in Riyadh, said that massive developments in technology had turned the world into a small village. “That has made it difficult to control emedia, but the new bylaw would rein them in because it gives a comprehensive definition of their rights and obligations to stop excesses and prevent unnecessarily troubles,” he said.
