2011-06-14 21:21:33
WAM Abu Dhabi, Jun 14th, 2011 (WAM)--Arab and Western journalists, academics and experts gathered at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi today to address the role of the media in Arab societies.

Organised by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, a German think tank, and the College of Communication and Media Services of Zayed University, the conference aimed at exploring the reciprocal relationship between societal changes and the media.

In his key note address, Dr. Johannes Beermann, Media Minister of the German Federal State of Saxony, elaborated on the universal duties of journalists worldwide, no matter which cultural background they work in: to provide information that allows people to understand current events in politics, economy and culture and enable them to orient themselves.

"Various media represent differing opinions which allow the public to form its own opinion independently," Beermann said.

In the first panel "Western and Arab News Media: a comparative approach", which included Dr. Jan Keulen from the Center for Media Freedom in Doha, Dr. Abbas Sadig and Dr. Rainer Herrmann from the German daily newspaper the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, they agreed that the ethics of journalism are the same, but the conditions in which journalists work differ. .

"There is no Arab or Western journalism," Keulen said. "There is only good and bad journalism." During the discussions on the recent coverage of developments in the Arab world, Michael Peel from the Financial Times explained just how difficult it was to get access to reliable information, particularly where governments stop journalists travelling to countries or try to control their movements while they are there.

He added, "relying on the social media as an information source is not possible as you need to be able to verify the source as authentic and reliable." Bill Spindle, Middle East Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswire agreed.

"There are many false leads by people who use social media," he said. "Hence, there is still a strong need for professional journalists to be on the ground and report directly from the hotspots." One focus of the discussions were the role of the new media like Twitter or Facebook that have been frequently as the driving force behind the Arab revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia. However, Dahlia Mogahed, the lead researcher at Abu Dhabi Gallup Center, a participant at the conference, pointed out that only 17 percent of demonstrators in Egypt had access to the Internet, putting into question the actual influence of social media.

Blake Hounshell, Managing Editor of Foreign Policy Magazine, said that while many consumers in the Middle East have turned to social media to gather news because they do not trust the traditional media in the region, the influence of news channels like Al Jazeera is still unchallenged.

Mishaal Al Gergawi, Columnist at the Gulf News, Shadi Hamid, Director of Research at the Brookings Doha Center, Caroline Faraj, an editor with CNN Arabic, as well as Najib Bencherif, a senior editor with Al Arabiya also took part in the discussions.

The co-organizers of the event were thrilled with its success.

"We've gathered an impressive array of speakers and engaged in a great discussion about the role of the media here in this region," Marilyn Roberts, the Dean of Zayed University's College of Communication and Media Sciences, said. "The importance of strong, ethical news coverage can not be understated." "Events like these are the ones that encourage a dialogue between the cultures." Thomas Birringer, Regional Representative to the Gulf-States of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung stated. "One of our activities here in the region is to train young Emirati journalists. It is important for them to understand the dynamics between the media and society to carry out their duties as journalists responsibly.

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