MANAMA, DEC. 2 (BNA) PRIVATE MEDIA IS OUTDOING GOVERNMENT MEDIA AND INFLUENCING 40 PERCENT OF THE AUDIENCE IN THE ARAB WORLD, SAUDI INFORMATION UNDERSECRETARY ABDULLAH AL JASSER SAID.
WE ARE IN NEED NOT ONLY FOR PROFESSIONALISM BUT ALSO FOR RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM THAT CHARACTERIZES EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN MEDIA, HE ADDED. HIS REMARKS CAME DURING THE FIRST SESSION OF THE ARAB MEDIA LEADERS FORUM THEMED MEDIA AND INTERNATIONAL CHANGES AND HELD UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF ASILA CULTURAL FORUM CHAIRMAN IN MOROCCO MOHAMMED BIN ISA. THE SESSION FOCUSED ON MEDIA ROLE AS A KEY PLAYER IN A WORLD WITNESSING FAST-PACED DEVELOPMENTS AND HAPPENINGS. IT ALSO DEALT WITH THE RIGHT MECHANISMS THAT ENABLE THE ARAB MEDIA TO COPE WITH THE ACCELERATED CHANGES IN THE FIELD. AL JASSER CALLED FOR MORE TRAINING AS ARAB MEDIA UNIVERSITIES HAD FAILED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MARKET IN TERMS OF QUALIFIED STAFF. HE ALSO CALLED FOR CLOSER COOPERATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE MEDIA ESTABLISHMENTS. AS TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF MASRI EL YAWM NEWSPAPER MAJDI AL JALLAD , HE BLAMED THE ARAB MEDIA FOR RESTRICTING THEIR ROLE TO THE PROMOTION OF POLITICAL PARTIES, MAINLY RULING PARTIES. IN THIS REGARD, HE WAS PESSIMISTIC THAT THE ARAB MEDIA WOULD ONE DAY ATTAIN THE LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM FOUND ELESWHERE IN EUROPE AND AMERICA. THE LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM HAS BEEN ALSO HIGHLIGHTED BY KUWAITI AWAN NEWSPAPER CHIEF EDITOR MOHAMMED AL RUMAIHI WHILE ALGERIAN INFORMATION MINISTER EZZEDDINE MAIHOUBI BLAMED THE ARAB MEDIA FOR ITS LACK OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND PROFESSIONALISM. THE SECOND SESSION WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY THE ALGERIAN INFORMATION MINISTER, THE CHAIRMAN OF ASILA CULTURAL FORUM AND THE EDB CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHAIKH MOHAMMED BIN ISA WAS ALLOCATED TO THE DISCUSSION OF THE EFFECT OF CAPITAL ON MEDIA INDUSTRY . MTQ 02-DEC-2009 22:37