Arab media leaders forum kicks off in Jordan

Amman, The Gulf Observer: Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication and government spokesperson Faisal Shboul inaugurated the eighth session of the Arab Media Leaders Forum.

The forum is organized by the Arab Media Forum in cooperation with the media and communication sector in the Arab League and the Ministry of Government Communication, in the Jordanian capital Amman, Petra news agency reported.

In his remarks at the opening session, Shboul, who was deputizing for the Prime Minister, underscored the importance of the participation of media pundits to reiterate the profession’s code of conduct and commitment to addressing any public confusion between a dedicated media professional and a “chaotic individual” who spreads hatred and false news and violates people’s privacy.

Media outlets are under threat nowadays. Modern technology has given humanity an unprecedented opportunity for communication, but it has also left societies vulnerable to extremism, hatred, rumors, attacks on people’s dignity, and violations of the rights of children and the most affected groups in local communities.

Two major challenges face the media- engaging the audience without resorting to spreading false news or rumors or using unusual rhetoric and vocabulary in media discourse, and maintaining its share in the advertising market, which is slowly diminishing due to social media platforms, he said.

Shboul urged media outlets to exhaust all professional, legislative and educational means to fulfill the media’s commitments to Arab societies.

Pointing out the lack of a regulated partnership with international media companies, the minister said that Jordan had proposed to Arab media ministers a draft law that regulates this relationship by leveraging the European Union’s experience.

Assistant Secretary General of the Media and Communication Sector at the Arab League Ahmed Rashid Khattabi stressed the importance of the forum and the initiatives that are put forward under it toward dialogue on the best approaches to developing Arab media and constructive interaction with the transformations of the media scene.

Arab Media Forum Secretary-General Madi Abdullah Al Khamis said that the idea of the forum came from a need for dialogue between officials and leaders of Arab media institutions about the status and future of Arab media.

Arab media must be a partner in the industry rather than a consumer, he said.