When Gulf News started 30 years ago, the UAE was a very different place. Although oil wealth had started to pour in, the country was still a small place in which everyone knew everyone, and government and society kept pace with each other through frequent and informal contact.
The role of a newspaper was much simpler in those days. Gulf News recorded events and government announcements, and brought news from the outside world. There was no satellite TV, no internet, and the only way people could find out what was happening around the world was on the occasional shortwave radio or the printed news tickers which were hung up in hotel lobbies, or through newspapers.
Today is very different, and along with the UAE, Gulf News has developed beyond recognition. Everyone has access to whatever fact or opinion they want through their internet connections and through hundreds of satellite TV stations. The population of the UAE is close to 5 million this year, and is forecast to be 10 million soon. This explosion of successful growth means that old 'small society' thinking does not work, and today's larger population is using the media as an integral part of the way they discuss their social affairs.
As always, Gulf News has to keep thinking in new ways, such as welcoming community journalism. Gulf News has had to keep pace with what people of the UAE look for and not be complacent. It cannot afford to take its readers for granted, and it has been essential to understand their interests in order for the newspaper to move ahead.
Gulf News has also had to stand up for itself over the years, and it is proud of its record in defending its rights to publish fair and true stories. It has gone to court to defend what it has written; it has endured rare boycotts by particular interest groups anxious to force their views on the newspaper; and it has seen companies withdraw their advertisements in protest against a story. It has even seen its reporters questioned by the police over stories that were published.
This puts the newspaper in the forefront of continual efforts to maintain the media "of the highest quality and the highest ethical standards" as the Gulf News Code of Ethics lays out, following the UAE Code of Journalism which starts with the words "respect the truth and the right of the public to have access to the true and accurate information".
As part of the UAE, Gulf News embraces the nation's commitment to quality and transparency. At this time, Gulf News thanks its readers and business partners for being an essential part of that exciting process.
