ShareKUWAIT: Minister of Information and Culture Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi said that the Arab Media Forum has been a breeding place since its inception for ideas, initiatives, and forward-looking studies in various fields of media in its written, audio, visual, and electronic branches. This came in a speech delivered by Minister Al-Mutairi, representing the Forum’s sponsor, the caretaker Prime Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, at the opening ceremony of the 19th session.
Al-Mutairi referred to the Ministry of Information’s strategy, which is aimed at strengthening partnerships and unifying efforts with the private sector and civil society, as a true embodiment of the great interest that the country’s political leadership attaches to the media’s mission of raising awareness, educating, and strengthening the cultural identity of the Arab and Islamic worlds. The minister added that hosting such a forum is an extension of the keenness of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for unity among Arab nations in the media field and the development of the Arab media structure.
“Kuwait is proud to host its activities and discussion sessions since its first launch 21 years ago,” the minister said. Al-Mutairi explained that in light of the great transformation that occurred in the media and the modern technological developments that represented a qualitative shift and a real revolution at a remarkable pace, and the mixing of human intelligence with technology in forming the form and content of the media, all professionals and those interested must study, research, and analyze the magnitude of the challenges imposed by technology.
Media landscape
The global media landscape has undergone significant changes, whether in terms of technology or the ability to convey messages, said current and former Arab ministers. During the second day of the 19th Arab Media Forum (AMF), ministers pointed out that there were many rapid changes in the media landscape globally, making social media platforms a challenging competitor with media institutions.
The ministers pointed out the importance of using those platforms in a way that serves Arab issues and wins public opinion. Lebanese Minister of Information Ziad Makary emphasized during the fourth session of the forum titled “Palestine: Facing the Media,” moderated by former Kuwaiti Minister of Information Sami Al-Nesef, that credibility in covering the Zionist occupation’s war against Gaza is essential to winning over public opinion in the West.
He noted that the Ministry of Health in Gaza dealt with great credibility, which was the reason the Western media believed its narrative, expressing pride in their credible media, unlike the occupation’s media, which continues to spread misinformation. Makary pointed out that the West and the Zionist occupation have always controlled the media. Still, the situation has changed with the presence of Arab media conveying the image with great credibility, which has mobilized many supporters of the Palestinian cause in the West.
The General Supervisor of Official Media in Palestine, Ahmad Assaf, stated that the Palestinians and the Lebanese are facing a genocidal war by the Zionist entity, which was created based on a lie, claiming that there was no Palestine, and have been using the media since then to spread this lie and cover up their crimes. Ahmad Assaf noted that Palestinian media realized this and sought to convey the voice of the Palestinian people and their right to the world; however, they faced strong Western media, which coordinated with the Zionist occupation narrative.
He added that, due to the openness of the media and the presence of social media, the Zionist occupation failed to prevent the Palestinian message from reaching the world and revealing the reality of what is happening inside Palestine. Assaf mentioned that the Zionist entity sought to silence this message, resulting in the deaths of 140 Palestinian journalists since last October and the occupation’s bombardment of Palestinian media buildings.
He affirmed that Arab media played a significant role in exposing the Zionist occupation’s narrative and was an important platform for Palestinians to convey their message, along with several workers in major international media institutions who defended the truth and paid the price for it, with some even losing their jobs. He explained that social media platforms also fought the Palestinian message by blocking pages that revealed the truth and allowed the dissemination of the false Zionist narrative. Assaf expressed gratitude for choosing Palestine as the guest of honor in this edition of the AMF.
In the fifth session titled “How to Deal with Media Changes,” moderated by Waleed Al-Jassim, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Rai newspaper, former Omani Minister of Information Dr. Abdulmunim al Hasani affirmed that the minister of information faces a significant task in balancing governmental policy and ongoing requirements. Former Bahraini Minister of Information Dr. Ali Al-Rumaihi clarified that over the past ten years, there have been significant developments, with officials forced to deal with the media, and noted the absence of research centers and leadership training centers to confront the world and other entities in Arab countries.
Former Jordanian Minister of Information Faisal Al-Shboul stated that there was a study in several Arab countries indicating that the credibility of official media in the Arab world is more trustworthy than news services and others on social media platforms, pointing out that the media is a weapon that you either use or is used against you. — KUNA
