Journalists worldwide find themselves covering state- owned or state-controlled enterprises, with private busi- nesses in the minority. This poses special challenges, not only because of the politics involved, but because such enterprises are usually secretive and unwilling to open their books or practices to the public. Yet they are often the backbone of a country’s economy.

Underperforming SOEs undermine competition and thwart growth, says Dr. Saidi of Hawkamah Institute. The solution: “We need to level the playing field with the private sector, reinforce the SOE’s ownership function, try to delineate and avoid the mixing of political or social policy and business decisions, improve transparency, empower SOE boards and improve their accountability,” he says.