One year after Khashoggi’s murder, KSA to host media summit

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is hosting a two-day media summit that began on Monday, just days after a crackdown on writers and bloggers and a year after journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.
International reputation Riyadh, which appears to be intensifying a crackdown on free expression, is seeking to shore up its international reputation following criticism over its human rights record as it prepares to host the G20 summit next November.
The Saudi Media Forum is hosting more than 1,000 journalists from Arab and international media, in a first such conference focused on “opportunities and challenges” in the industry, organisers said.
The forum will also host a media award ceremony.
“We believe in the important role media plays today, as well as freedom and independence of the press,” Mohammed al-Harthi, president of the forum, said in a statement.
Reporters Without Borders This year Saudi Arabia slid to 172 out of 180 countries in an index ranking freedom of the media, prepared annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).