Mass firing at UAE newspaper raises question of censorship

By ISABEL DEBRE
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A state-linked newspaper in the United Arab Emirates published a story this summer about a hot-button issue in the country: How Emiratis are coping with high fuel prices. Editors, accustomed to the UAE’s strict press laws, thought it safe. Instead, it unleashed a firestorm. Within days, top editors were interrogated. Within weeks, dozens of employees were fired and the print paper declared dissolved. The purge at Al Roeya reflects the intense challenges facing local journalists in the autocratic UAE, even as it courts Western media companies. The newspaper’s publisher, International Media Investments, insisted Al Roeya’s closure stems only from its transformation into a new Arabic language business outlet with CNN.