Is Sultan for real here?

"Over the past few years Western media’s negative coverage of the Arab Gulf states has increased so much that it is starting to look more like a rite of passage for some journalists and news organisations. Meanwhile, what’s notable is that most Western media outlets have softened their tone when reporting on Iran." This is a silly contention I am used to reading in Saudi media but how can you, Sultan, make it? Who on earth will believe that Western media are soft on Iran and harsh on Saudi Arabia? You remind me of the nutty CAMERA organization which access US media of being pro-Palestinian.  And then you reduce the problems that humanity has with GCC regimes to image: "That said, there’s no question that the GCC struggles with image perceptions"?  Image problems? Domestic workers, repression of women, ruling dynasties, dynastic monopoly of natural resources, under the table alliances with Israel, all that is an "image problem"?  Subservience to Western powers is an image problems? Beheading is an image problem? Inability to voice a mild criticisms of rulers is an image problem? Creating empty consultative assemblies to deceive citizens is an image problem? Personalty cult around the corrupt rulers is an image problem?