‘Al Diwan’ celebrates World Press Freedom Day

The Arab Cultural House “Al Diwan,” sponsored by the Qatar embassy to Germany, held a panel discussion through video conference technology to celebrate World Press Freedom Day, under the slogan: “Independent Professional Journalism from Political and Economic Influences in Germany and the Arab World,” QNA reported from Berlin.

The discussion — in which more than 50 participants took part — hosted prominent journalism figures for talks on various topics, namely, TV journalist Ali Aslan, broadcaster at CNN, ABC News, Deutsche Welle, in addition to Professor Dr Michael Luders, author, journalist and Middle East expert for Die Zeit, who spoke about the war of storytelling between media and geopolitics. In the panel discussion, Luders expressed his regret at the lack of alternatives to the prevailing storytelling in the German media, as Russia, Iran and China are criticised, while the actions of the Israeli government and Julian Assange’s imprisonment are noticeably absent from public discourse.

The panel discussion also hosted Julia Leib, a professor at Northwestern University in Qatar, and a TV documentary director, who documented with her camera, the daily life in war and crisis areas from Libya, through Sudan and Congo, to Gaza, Syria and Afghanistan.

Leib noted that the majority of German and European journalists live in a closed intellectual bubble.

She added that in light of the coronavirus pandemic journalists today need support more than ever.Journalist and director Bashir Omron participated in the discussion to talk on the topic, “Press freedom in Germany between lack of objectivity and pressure for compliance.” Omron criticised the inequality of opportunities within German media institutions between German and foreign journalists, which, in his opinion, is leading to unfair media coverage.

After the end of the guest speakers’ interventions, the session witnessed a discussion between guests and participants about the challenges that the traditional press faces in light of fake news and social media.