Information Minister underlines importance of Arab media awareness
FANA chief urges more active int’l role for Arab news agencies
KUWAIT: The world today is going through a critical phase of accelerated events and challenges that cannot be ignored by media, especially Arab news outlets, Kuwait’s Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Jabri said yesterday.
Arab news agencies play a major role in promoting awareness among people while also shouldering the responsibility of addressing rumors that aim to destabilize relations, as well as confronting such immoral ideals, especially from terrorizing extremist factions, Jabri said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the 46th General Assembly of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) Conference in Kuwait, where he represented His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
He added that media outlets could support the national development efforts and influence the citizens in taking part in these efforts through channeling their energies in the right direction to achieve maximum benefit from their ideas, which would eventually lead for a more constructive future. Minister Jabri voiced confidence that the next phase would be a new transition for Arab news agencies in various ways in terms of advancements in tools and methods.
In order to reach these goals, there must be collaborative efforts in strengthening relations through continued open dialogue and exchange of experiences among the agencies, assured Jabri. He conveyed greetings of His Highness the Prime Minister, who wished success for Arab media as this patronage comes within the framework of His Highness’s keenness to promote joint Arab cooperation. Jabri welcomed the President of Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) and Director General of Azerbaijan Press Agency (APA) Aslan Aslanov and thanked them for attending the ceremony.
More active role
Meanwhile, Secretary General of FANA Dr Fareed Ayyar called for a more active role for Arab news agencies in the international arena in order to defend the Arab identity to achieve security and stability in the world and region. The current capabilities available in the Arab agencies compared to other international and European ones are the product of weakness and contradiction between aspirations and ambitions, Ayyar told the conference. He added that all news agencies are facing many dangers from social media that are intercepting in what he called a ‘media tsunami’ to dominate the news market and weaken the role of news agencies in delivering credible news. He suggested that the solution to this issue is to provide more freedom, finance and support as well as a priority for broadcasting to maintain its chief role. It is the duty of journalists to take the responsibility of covering trustworthy topics, or there will be no progress, he added.
He also called for emotions to be extracted from the press and to focus on fighting injustice and ‘terrorism’ to embrace the principle of freedom and human rights to better serve the people in understanding events that could affect their actions. He mentioned FANA’s current status among international unions as an active member at the International Conference of News Agencies, which includes more than 130 news agencies. He added that he is assigned to head the sixth session of the international conference on “false news and policies of disinformation,” which will be held in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia next year.
Ayyar also pointed to the Federation’s efforts to establish a web of communications with European, Asian, and Latin American news agencies along with international and regional bodies. FANA has started implementing the training programs of all agencies cadres from their commercial and press sectors, with a promising phase of development ahead.
Rapid developments
In his opening speech at the conference, Chairman of the FANA and Director General of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Sabah said the meeting has gained importance under rapid developments, challenges and the increasing role of media in various walks of life. He added that the press is a ‘double-edged weapon’ which if used in an inappropriate manner could lead to chaos and destabilization of societies. He stressed the role of FANA face challenges that seek to interrupt the development of nations and societies, especially the ones of extremist nature.
Presenting the modern and bright side of “our” societies is a way of combating these challenges on regional and international levels, he pointed out. “Even though these are tough challenges, it is not impossible or a figment of imagination for those goals to be attained,” said Sheikh Mubarak, adding that success will only come through cooperation and solidarity of all institutions. He concluded by thanking His Highness the Prime Minister for his patronage of the Conference, along with Minister Jabri for supporting KUNA in this venture.
Sheikh Mubarak also said that he was grateful for ongoing talks involving news agencies from around the Arab region. “We listened to His Highness the Prime Minister’s instructions over the need to establish a free media,” he said in a statement, thanking the Kuwaiti premier for sponsoring the conference. Echoing His Highness the Prime Minister’s remarks, he said that Arab news agencies have made ‘tangible progress’ in recent years, applauding their credibility and objectivity in delivering news to the general public. — KUNA