In a February 12, 2007 article on the Arab News website [1], Samar Fatany discussed her reactions to meeting with the CCJ's Bill Kovach and Jeffrey Dvorkin and reading the Elements of Journalism [2].  

Among her observations:

...What we see today in the news is hype in stories that bear no relevance to the issues of the day, and there is an absence of accurate analysis on major problems of public concern. The news has become a source of entertainment.

Talk show hosts suddenly have become experts on almost every subject, and every Tom, Dick or Harry is in the news talking about politics, terrorism and strategic planning...

...Our study group became members of the CCJ in hopes that a global exchange and cooperation among journalists will create a better informed media and help professionals in the field provide the public with more accurate information and a better understanding of complex issues that threaten world peace and global security. Journalism will regain its respect only if we as journalists recognize our mistakes and respect the ethics of our profession.

I hope that we can have our own committee in Saudi Arabia where journalists, publishers, owners and academics work together to raise the professional standards of our media and monitor its performance.

Such an organization can help us achieve our mission of empowering journalists to mobilize and move the public debate toward positive attitudes and global thinking — dire needs for the progress and development of our country...

Click here to read Fatany's article in its entirety on the Arab News website. [3]