Globalization and Media Regime in the GCC Region

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2009-01-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

http://www.metimes.com/Opinion/2009/01/09/al-hurra_locates_the_arab_street/9311/

Al-Hurra Locates the 'Arab Street' By ALVIN SNYDER Published: January 09, 2009

http://www.illumemagazine.org/magazine/publish/in_the_element/al-jazeera_bridging_the_divide.php

Al-Jazeera: Bridging The Divide
Posted in: In The Element
Souheila Al-Jadda Vol. 3, Issue 1 June 1, 2008

Satellite media broadcast regulation is serious challenge : Qatari official

2008-12-05T03:32:00.000-08:00

Dr. Hessa Sultan Al-Jaber Satellite media broadcast regulation is a serious and challenging issue facing the Gulf region, and it will require new thinking and the involvement of various stakeholders to tackle the issue effectively, according to Dr. Hessa Al Jaber, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR).

"Ready access to some ideas and images, especially those broadcast into people's homes, via broadcast satellites can offend social and cultural values. Satellite regulation is an especially complex issue in the Middle East because politics, religion and culture are so intertwined in the region. With the number of satellite channels available in our homes multiplying, an effort must be made to protect our families," said Al Jaber.

The Secretary General shared her thoughts at a forum held in Doha addressing satellite channels and the ethical challenges they present for the Gulf region. The two-day forum , November 2 and 3, was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned, Chairerson of the Supreme Council of Family Affairs. It included presentations from regional and international experts in the field of media and content regulation and tackled the issue from legal, economic, social and educational perspectives.

As the head of Qatar's telecommunications regulatory body, Al Jaber felt that government institutions should play a role in the regulation of satellite, but recommended putting a greater emphasis on enabling providers and consumers to better self-regulate content with government restrictions serving as a last resort. She noted that what is considered offensive or inappropriate is subjective, and since satellite crosses international boundaries, it would be nearly impossible to completely regulate content.

"International best practices towards satellite broadcasting vary in approaches from light-touch, self-regulation, to imposed laws and authority regulation. It is my opinion that viewers must play an important role by being responsible for their own choices in what they watch and what they allow their children to watch. In the end, replacing traditional censorship with a more enabling framework will produce a more sustainable event," said Al Jaber.

The forum was held in response to H.H. Sheikha Mozah's call to action at the GCC Leader's Conference held last year in Doha to protect children in the region from the variety of harmful materials being communicated over satellite waves and other modern forms of communication. In a letter presented to the leaders at the Summit, Her Highness said "The protection of our youth in the Arab world is the responsibility of us all, whether the government or private institution. Without prejudice to freedom of the media, our nations must adopt clear policies and apply both legal and legislative mans to address this issue (satellite regulation).

http://www.ictqatar.qa/output/NewsPage.aspx?PageID=857

Qatar's ministers warns of indecent channels

2008-11-28T04:22:00.000-08:00

‘Indecent TV channels threat to GCC’

DOHA, Nov 3, (KUNA): Secretary General of Qatar’s Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Khalifa said in Doha on Sunday that the indecent materials aired by some satellite TV channels undermined the ethical systems of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. Addressing the opening session of the international forum of “Satellite TV Channels and Their Impact on the Youth in Gulf States,” Al-Khalifa said the boom and the advanced technologies of satellite channels attract growing numbers of young viewers and impact their morality badly. “The improper products of the entertainment industry aired by such channels pose grave risks to the moral and ethical systems of the Gulf countries,” he underscored. Al-Khalifa accused the companies working in the entertainment sector profiteering as they “seek material gains regardless of any moral considerations.”

In statements to the press on the sidelines of the forum, Qatari Minister of Culture Dr Hamad bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Kawari highlighted the role of families in minimizing the impact of improper TV material on the young generation. “Such negative social impact also affects grown-ups,” the minister warned. “New satellite TV channels are emerging every now and then without having a specific aim or positive message,” he noted, asserting the importance of the current forum in controlling the this dangerous phenomenon. For his part, GCC Secretary General Abdul-Rahman Al-Atiyyah urged offering all possible support to the TV channels that provide useful material and programs.
“We are in need of TV programs that could direct youths to useful values and noble targets,” the GCC chief underscored. He voiced hope that the forum would yield results conducive to combat the negative impacts of offensive channels, calling on the participants to develop common stances and crystallize a common GCC media strategy.

Meanwhile, legal experts, taking part in the forum, suggested international legislation to protect societies against indecent materials of TVs. Secretary General of the Kuwaiti National Anti-Narcotics Commission Dr Ahmad Dha’en Al-Samdan said in a paper tabled to the forum such legislations should serve as a media code of conduct in organizing the operation of satellite TV channels. The Arab world faces the danger of losing its identity amidst the current global revolution of information technology, he warned. The Arab world, which is involved in this revolution wily-nilly, has to cope with the revolution through modern legislation and toughened controls, Al-Samdan underlined. He outlined some suggestions on protection of young generation against the psychological impacts of globalization and negative impact of IT.

In a similar paper to the forum Justice of Lebanon’s Juvenile Court and Member of Child Care Association Ghassan Rabah highlighted the role of TVs in spreading juvenile delinquencies. He held mass media, specially the TVs, responsible for the cultural and moral degeneration in the Arab world. For his part, Director of North Africa Studies Center of Cambridge University Dr Saad Jabbar pointed out in his paper that many of the offensive TV channels were broadcasting from Arab countries or financed by Arabs. The Arab region is in need of a penal code that incriminates all infringements on public order and ethics, he asserted. Liberalism and the freedom of the press have not to go counter to ethics or infringe on the morality of the young generation, he said, urging tackling the legal, political, cultural aspects of the problem in an objective way. Dr Patrick Truman, a US legal expert, noted that some TV programs promoted violence, hostility, sex and fierceness among teenagers.

He urged for more efforts by governments and parents to control the obscene and offensive broadcasts and minimize their impacts on the young generation. Dr Mohammad Lutfi, professor of law at Bani-Suef University, Egypt, deemed the sponsorship of families as the most effective way for controlling “the flood of broadcasts.” “Globalization has no mercy on the cultural identity of any community. To the contrary it works against the cultural diversification of world,” Lutfi pointed out. The two-day forum, being held under patronage of Sheikha Mozah Bint-Nasser Al-Missned, wife of Qatari Amir and SCFA Chairperson, seeks to develop a media strategy at the Gulf states-level, raise awareness among the youth and parents about the dangers of some satellite TVs, and highlight the ethical challenges posed by the new wave of the satellite TVs during the last few years.

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/client/pagesdetails.asp?nid=24360&ccid=9

Gulf Film Industry

2008-11-28T04:15:00.000-08:00

Middle East film industry faces triple expansion challenge

by Alexandra Dubsky on Sunday, 24 December 2006

the recent success of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), the local film industry faces three major challenges if it is to expand, according to Fadi Fahim, managing director and executive producer of Final Cut Productions. “It needs to attract more professionals, increase access to production funding and develop local talent," he said.

“Filmmaking needs an entire crew with runners and assistants besides directors and producers. Those crew members usually work on a freelance basis, so in order for them to move to Dubai — an increasingly expensive city — they need to be sure that they can generate a certain amount of jobs every month.

The industry is however not big enough to grant that at present,” Fahim told Arabian Business on the sidelines of DIFF.

“There is currently a South African and a Lebanese crew based in Dubai but they are not particularly good and are always booked,” Fahim added. “I estimate it will take another few years before the industry is fully established.”

Fahim, who produced the film ‘Al Seefara Fil Eemara’ (Arabic for the 'Embassy in the building') last year — a film about an Egyptian worker in Dubai — explained that funding feature films is not an easy task in the UAE: “What usually happens when you produce a feature film is that the respective government of the country co-produces the movie with you.

“They are then also involved in the distribution and normally re-invest the profits to support the local industry, for example, by funding new films or film schools. However, when I produced my film last year, the UAE government did not do this.”

Fahim argued that the authorities need to support the local talent pool more in order to expand the Dubai film industry. “The young locals are very motivated, and three awards were presented for local films at the festival. It’s great that talent is starting to be recognised but I think Dubai needs a more established art scene for filmmaking to progress," Fahim said.

“Filmmaking is an art that descends from other fine arts like painting and photography. I think authorities should set up a film school with a veteran director and producer to assist newcomers, and they could stage short film competitions,” he added.

Fahim believes that Dubai has the potential to become a favoured destination for international filmmakers. “There are many advantages to shooting here — Dubai has sunny weather, the desert, authentic Arabic locations but also modern buildings that resemble Western landscapes. At the present there are no studios, but once Dubai Studio City opens filmmakers will be able to shoot an entire feature film exclusively in Dubai.”

With the Middle East’s current affairs being a heated topic in the US, Fahim believes that Dubai is becoming increasingly attractive for foreign movie backdrops such as the successful ‘Syriana’ released earlier this year. “When US filmmakers want to shoot in the Arab world they realistically have the choice between Morocco and Dubai in terms of a stable political environment, suitable locations, modern equipment and a decent crew.

“Dubai is more expensive, but has more diverse locations to offer so I would imagine that Dubai will take the lead in attracting international productions,” predicted Fahim.

The annual DIFF event launched in 2005 and Fahim said that this year's festival was an “immense improvement” on last year’s inaugural festival. “The festivals are growing quickly and DIFF’s chairman Abdulhamid Juma is very sharp and PR oriented. He will surely help to promote the local film industry.”

DIFF managing director Shiwani Pandya explained that this year’s festival was successful in putting Dubai’s film scene on the international map. “We had a lot of response from regional and global film makers who were all keen on attending the festival, especially from the US.”

Pandya, however, agreed with Fahim that film funding is a common problem for UAE producers.

“We are aware of the financial challenges of producing feature films in Dubai, so we are making an effort to get governmental organisations to offer more support. We should have a body set up to provide film funding by next year.”

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/5245

Middle East Film Industry

2008-11-28T04:11:00.000-08:00

Hollywood comes to the Middle East

With stars such as George Clooney and Sharon Stone gracing the red carpet at the Dubai International Film Festival this week, it has put the spotlight on the movie business in the Middle East.

· Middle East: Wednesday, December 12 - 2007 at 12:59

Egypt has long led the way in the film making industry in the Middle East, with the highest number of Arabic movies filmed in the country. But things are beginning to change, as other Middle East countries show interest in developing their movie infrastructure for film making.

Experience shows that developing a movie doesn't have to be mission impossible, but selling tickets can be. And while we hear of new Arabic movies coming from Egypt, the situation is not the same in other Middle Eastern countries. Be it the resources, lack of ideas, or fear, the result is the same: the Arab film industry continues to be underdeveloped.

Sheila Whitaker, programmer for Cinema of the World and the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), thinks the infrastructure for film making is not well established in the Middle East, but she cites some serious efforts to build it now, as initiatives such as DIFF and the Dubai Studio City (DSC) in Dubailand establish themselves in the heart of the international industry.

Local talent

Studio City is Dubai's push to establish a film industry in the emirate and it is now creating resources as a first step towards establishing a well recognised film industry. The city will have the infrastructure for filming, radio production and broadcast.

DSC aims to attract production and broadcast companies, as well as those that provide support services, such as animation, dubbing, makeup, costume design, set design and construction, casting, telnet agencies, telecine (the process of transferring a film into electronic form, or the machine used in the process), and laboratory facilities.

However, developing infrastructure is not the only key to open the way for a Middle East Hollywood. Developing local talent and supporting good script-writers and directors is equally important and it's one side that needs much work currently.

This is a challenge the Middle East film industry as a whole is facing, and what makes it harder is the fact that there are currently not enough jobs in the industry to make professionals come and establish a base for the future generation.

'I think the challenges that any film industry faces in the world are the same. Get finance, infrastructure, a good story and a talented crew and then you will get a movie that will sell,' says Whitaker.

Academy Award winner

In the recent years, we've seen increasing interest in the region from international film-makers. 'Syriana', the Academy Award winning geopolitical movie, was shot between the UAE, US and Europe, and is one of George Clooney's most celebrated movies. And this year, Abu Dhabi provided the location for 'The Kingdom', another political thriller inspired by the bombings at a Riyadh compound in 2003.

Arab actors also played roles in international movies such as 'Kingdom of Heaven' and 'Syriana. To Whitaker, this is a sign of a global interest in the Arab region, which wasn't there 10 years ago. And therefore, this represents a chance for the Arab film-makers to speak for themselves and show the world what they have.

But a look at the movies that were partially filmed in the region, or even just had the region mentioned in them, suggest films here will be trapped in the political and terrorism genre, pushed into it by its instability.

'This is normal due to the overall situation prevailing here. Take Iraq and its complications or Lebanon or Iran for example. It's natural that people will want to make movies about it and show what's happening in these hot spots. And I think this happens to be the entrance to the region now, but eventually they will move on and start filming other things in the region as well,' argues Whitaker.

Hollywood invasion

Nonetheless, the advantages the region has are its weather and diversity, and this is driving people to it. Recently, we've seen two giants opening up to the United Arab Emirates and this might just be the starting point for the film-making industry.

One major step happened in Dubai, with Paramount pictures partnering with the Ruwaad real estate company to develop a multi-faceted destination which will include a Paramount-branded theme park. It will incorporate a blend of Hollywood, Bollywood and Arabian movie content. So far no details have been released on where this will be located or when it will be completed.

Another strategic partnership is between Warner Bros, Aldar, and Abu Dhabi Media Company in September. The three will establish a theme park, hotel and multiple cinemas in Abu Dhabi. It will have the facilities to make movies in the region.

Warner Bros considers it a great opportunity to expand its local language film production business to a new region. To this end, a film production fund was established between Aldar and Warner Bros to develop and produce mutually agreed-upon, broad-appeal films. Also, Warner Bros will work with Abu Dhabi Media Company to develop and produce a slate of Arabic-language films for local and pan-Arabic distribution.

And with the biggest production companies in Hollywood showing interest in making both international and Arab movies in one of the Middle Eastern countries, the region will not then take long before it opens to a new area of growth.

http://www.ameinfo.com/141679.html

Stop being scared of satellite TV and get involved

2008-11-18T02:46:00.000-08:00

Muhammad Ayish

Last Updated: November 09. 2008 11:16PM UAE / November 9. 2008 7:16PM GMT

In 1994, during my work at the UAE University, I was involved in organising an international conference on television in the GCC countries. At the time, satellite broadcasting was still in its infancy, with no more than 10 trans-border channels ruling the region’s airwaves.

It was quite alarming at that time to see a surge of public sentiment building up against the potential effects of transnational television on one of the region’s expanding age groups: youth. Back in 1994, it was being argued that the younger generation was being targeted by the “evil” forces of globalisation, and that satellite television was the most harmful influence of them all.

Ever since, the potential impact of satellite television on the youth of the Gulf region has been a topic of heated debates in hundreds of conferences, academic forums, and policy meetings, as well as in the media. The latest of these discussions I recently attended has been in Doha, Qatar with the participation of more than 300 media scholars, Muslim clerics, broadcasters, lawmakers, and civil society representatives.

Almost 15 years after the UAE University conference, I was amazed to hear the same discourse being floated: that our young men and women are at risk of losing their cultural and national identity due to their exposure to foreign and pan-Arab satellite television content.

While GCC governments and NGOs are commended for raising public awareness of the potentially negative impact of satellite television on the young, I believe it is high time to go the extra mile and bring this awareness to bear directly on the region’s policymaking process.

While state regulation has always been touted as the panacea for correcting any problems with “subversive” television content, I believe we need to look for additional methods of empowering the region’s young people – to enable them to harness creatively their cultural heritage and evolve their own visions in the age of globalisation.

It is clear that public concerns over how satellite television affects young men and women in the region are absolutely legitimate. The demographics of this region are distinctively marked by the large numbers of the young: more than 40 per cent of the population is aged between 12-22.

Successive reports released by the World Bank and numerous UN agencies suggest that a relatively high birth rate is likely to continue thanks to the region’s economic boom and its political stability.

Unfortunately, governments are fighting uphill battles to secure more jobs and foster an enduring sense of national identity to match the rise in population levels. Because young men and women in the GCC region share many of the same handicaps as their peers in other Arab communities, they are experiencing the three deficits impeding human development in the region (as outlined in the United Nations Development Programme-published Arab Human Development Reports): freedom, knowledge and women’s empowerment.

The recent feature series run by The National on the youth in the region was quite revealing, especially about how the young perceive themselves in the midst of political, economic and cultural uncertainties.

Although there are many claims made about how satellite television shapes our children’s lives, we seem rather apathetic in putting those claims to test. To my knowledge, there are no credible polling operations in the Arab world capable of generating convincing evidence of the nature of such effects. All we have are no more than academic exposure studies that document youth communication habits and perceptions of different channels and shows, something that can never amount to effects investigations.

I am raising this point here because I believe future discussions of the effects of satellite television on our youth will continue to be little more than hollow rhetoric unless they can be substantiated by solid evidence.

Satellite television is undoubtedly a source of concern for the region’s communities and each time a new channel is launched, we seem to brace for yet another evil addition in the skies. I was impressed by a proposal at the Doha Forum to establish a satellite television observatory to monitor different types of content aired to GCC audiences and publish periodical reports on the successes and disappointments in the region’s public sphere.

Another proposal that struck me as extremely worthwhile was the suggestion that the region’s youth should be involved in the production of the very television genres that are causing all the uproar, particularly “reality” shows, Arabic-dubbed soap operas and music videos. If these programmes could be given an indigenous character, I believe many of the criticisms levelled at them would disappear.

I think the Doha Forum and its likes in the region truly reflect sincere commitments on the part of governments and NGOs to safeguard their communities. However, it is high time to get down to action and constructively engage with satellite television – and what better way than by opening up new windows of opportunity for the young and incorporating the region’s historical and cultural heritage in the programmes produced?

Muhammad Ayish is a Professor of Communications at the University of Sharjah

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081109/OPINION/447992012/1080?template=opinion

Rasal Khaima Media City after Dubai and Abu Dhabi Media cities

2008-11-18T02:43:00.000-08:00

RAK Media City plans Dh80m expansion

The money will be invested in building 10 studios, 10 dubbing theatres and 20 shooting stages for films and TV productions. (SUPPLIED)

By Rami Eljundi on Sunday, November 09, 2008

The Ras Al Khaimah Media City is going on an expansion drive by investing Dh80 million into building 10 studios, 10 dubbing theatres and 20 shooting stages for films and TV productions.

"The new facilities under construction are expected to be completed in four months and are aimed to offer a more convenient place for media-related companies that are establishing business in the UAE with RAK as their base," said Junaid Shaikh, Chief Executive of RAK Media City.

"The new facilities will be used by publishing, advertising and media houses as production bases. Media companies from countries such as the UK, India and South Africa have been expanding their business to the UAE and eying RAK Media City as headquarters for their operations," said Shaikh.

Available space, competitive rental costs, service convenience and an upcoming future with economic growth in RAK are the main reasons why media companies are starting to have a presence in the emirate, added Shaikh.

In recent months, more than 20 international companies from the publishing, advertising and media sector have established activities in the RAK media free zone.

"We wanted to start our activities from the Dubai Media City about a year ago, but we were told it was full and we would have to wait," said Asha Mohen, Middle East Business Development Manager of Machinery Market, a UK-based publishing company. "I was told about the new RAK Media Zone and that is where we are now and we have not had any complaint on anything so far."

Mirage Holdings, a Hollywood-based production company, said it plans to invest $1 billion (Dh3.67bn) on a two million sq m area as part of its international expansion. The project will include a shopping mall, golf course, polo field, filmmaking academy, film museum and residential buildings, Mirage Holdings said earlier this year. The project will produce both local and Hollywood productions.

The RAK Government has been playing a major role in encouraging local and foreign investors to come into the emirate and use it as a base for their business activities across the UAE and the GCC region.

The RAK Free Trade Zone Authority, RAK Media City and RAK Investment Authority have been the major contributors in putting Ras Al Khamiah on the regional and international map in industries such as real estate, tourism, media and communications.

THE COMPETITION HEATS UP

The UAE is set to see aggressive competition among media free zones to offer company and individual licensing. Following the track record set by Dubai Media City to become the media hub of the region, emerging "media cities" in other Emirates are bidding the least licensing fees.

Industry observers do not see that as robbing Dubai Media City of potential opportunity since it is already fully occupied. Freelancers and companies, however, will soon have more choices to get access to the media market in the UAE and the region.

Licensing fees at the Dubai Media City range between Dh15,000 and Dh20,000 based on the business activity of the company. An advertising agency may have to pay Dh20,000 per annum, while it is Dh15,000 for a new media company. The size of the business or the number of staff it employs does not have any bearing on the fee.

However, the type of legal entity that a company or individual wishes to incorporate such as a branch, free zone, LLC or freelancer, could have a bearing on the fee.

The current rent for new entrants is a flat rate of Dh200 per sq

ft annually.

RAK Media City, on the other hand, offers a licence for a fixed fee of Dh15,000. Rent is equivalent to the dirham per sq ft per annum.

At Creative City – the Fujairah Media Free Zone – freelancers and companies alike can obtain a licence for Dh12,500.

The annual lease fee is estimated at Dh90 per sq ft, with a minimum office space of 350 sq ft. The Fujairah free zone offers the service of providing the visa for Dh3,500, with an additional visa security payment of another Dh3,500 that is refundable at the end of the contract.

A hot desk costs another Dh18,000, call centre package worth Dh2,000 per month and an amendment fee of Dh12,500

http://www.business24-7.ae/articles/2008/11/pages/11092008_2c4b94b7ca9e48eea60c4ef3e0cefaa4.aspx

Girls outnumber boys in media course

2008-11-18T02:41:00.001-08:00

Web posted at: 11/10/2008 5:37:8
Source ::: The Peninsula/ By Zainab Sultan

: Adrian Hall, , and Florent D’ Souza

DOHA: The inaugural class of Northwestern University, Qatar, which offers courses in journalism and communication, has a high proportion of Arab students, mainly Qataris. The demographics of this group reveal the new trend of girls outnumbering boys in the quest to make a career in the media. A lot of them are here to change the perspective of the Qatari media world and also to bring a new kind of journalism, which is reckoned and respected around the world. One of the many options why these Qatari students have opted for these courses is because they would prefer a Qatari talking about their own issues rather than a foreigner doing the same.

They also feel that the girls have more liberty to do what they want because they don’t necessarily have to follow their fathers’ footsteps which is usually expected from a son in this society. Almost all the students felt that girls are much better in the creative sector than the boys because from childhood they are encouraged to write and learn arts whereas boys have always been pushed towards science, mathematics and engineering.

A few students from the Northwestern University gave their opinion on why more girls are opting for courses in journalism and communications.

Sara Al Thani - Qatari (Journalism)

“Guys are not very creative. Moreover, they have the responsibility to carry their father’s legacy so they usually end up taking the careers of their fathers. It is not a social issue anymore that girls have to stay back in Qatar and study, not anymore in a lot of families. My aunts had the chance to go abroad and study, but at the same time there are families who won’t allow their girls to go to Qatar University because there are male teachers.

I decided to stay in Qatar because I am really close to my family and attached to my grandmother. I am lucky to be able to live and study with my family and therefore, I don’t want to lose this opportunity. My brother will be ready to go to the States in three years and then even I intend to go and study there.”

Omer Mohammed-Canadian (Communication)

“The Indian, Pakistani or the Arab culture is quite similar. They don’t want their sons to get into arts because they don’t view it as a major thing to do. The families intend to marry their daughters within a few years time, so they don’t really care what they choose to study.

“I love what I am doing and this is the reason I am here. Even though my parents think it is a girl’s job, I don’t agree and I don’t know how to convince them. It is just that, I am interested and I consider myself to be a rebel. I guess my attitude towards my work makes it easy for me to stay at Northwestern.

“I believe the main reason for so many Arabs to move into journalism, is terrorism. It is really sad and unfortunate but I feel this is the reality. People here want to change the American viewpoint of Arabs and the Muslim world. They want to tell stories from their point of view and change the present mindset of the people.”

Florent D’Souza–Indian (Communication)

“First of all, in the communication programme, the ratio is almost equal as we have seven boys and 13 girls, which isn’t bad. I think communication is not regarded sexist by the society but when it comes to journalism, people consider it to be feminine and not professional even though we have a lot of male journalists.

“In the American system, all degrees are considered to be equal but here in this part of the world there is a hierarchy in education. “Qataris realise the value of education being provided to them by reputable American universities here. They want to study here so that they can aid in the productivity of their own country.”

Ola Diab - Sudanese (Journalism)

“Curiosity is a girl’s thing and writing is a female talent. Girls always love to know things. Men in Qatar are more exposed to local issues than women because women often don’t get a chance. Their desire to explore more about an issue concerning them is what draws them to this profession. There are a lot of problems which need to break out and women getting educated is helping this process, as Qatari women are realising this and that is one of the reasons they are stepping into these professions.”

Lolwa Al Jefairi-Qatari (Communication)

“First of all, the country needs people in these fields because most of the journalists here are Egyptians or Lebanese. Moreover, Northwestern University is one of the prestigious universities for studying journalism and communication.

“The opportunities in the coming years are amazing with the Media City coming up. We have an excellent chance to promote Qatari culture and I think it would be best done if we, Qataris do it.

“I think Qatari boys usually don’t opt for these courses because they feel journalism and communication courses can be learned through workshops and extra-circular activities. If we are considering the gender factor, during my admissions I found that girls outnumbered boys even at the Evanston campus (main campus of Northwestern University) in US. So it isn’t a cultural issue, probably it’s all around the world that more girls opt for journalism and communication courses.”

Adrian Hall - Canadian (Journalism)

“A lot more women dominate journalism and communication courses springs from the fact that men had the power role in this part of the world for a longer period of time. All of a sudden this part of the world has opened up and women are rebounding. They are coming from a place where there was not much freedom and now with the advancements taking place in Qatar, they are taking complete advantage of it.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=November2008&file=Local_News200811105378.xml

‘Irresponsible media diluting values’

2008-11-18T02:13:00.000-08:00

Web posted at: 11/11/2008 9:15:18

Source ::: The Peninsula

Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud, General Manager of Dar Al Sharq and Editor-in-Chief of Al Sharq, interviewing H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned.

H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned underscores the role of ethical media in building a bright future for youth in an exclusive interview with Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud, General Manager of Dar Al Sharq and Editor-in-Chief of Al Sharq

Sheikha Mozah clarified that if we considered responsible Media as a strategic factor in enlightenment and development, we would consider it as an important support for the reinforcement of family and the educational message. We must not let some vulgar satellite TV channels to be a source of diluting the deeply rooted moral and social norms of our society, or hinder our lawful educational and scientific ambitions. How could educational institutes who are seeding scientific enlightenment, let such channels to spread toxic effect on their minds, making our youth look stranger in their own society, remote from their roots and heritage”

She said we are facing a great challenge that requires patience; it is illogical for the recommendations brought by the forum to take effect in one day. From here comes the importance of initiating our campaign titled “towards responsible media space”, representing an anticipation mechanism enabling us to have the necessary protection before diseases reach us and become more severe.

Sheikha Mozah was particularly emphatic on the parent’s role, supervision and follow up of their wants, part of parent’s social and family responsibilities. She said what is more important than this is to strengthen Qatari, Gulf and Arab youth’s self-immunity. With this, fruitful cooperation between media and family institutions may be accomplished, she added.

In reply to a question about her call during the forum about the importance of collaboration to fight media illiteracy, and whether this role was restricted to official sectors, or private sectors needed to participate more positively, she said: “I think we cannot make a separation between the roles played by private and government sectors to deal with media illiteracy. It is wrong to continue relying on governments for everything. We must realise the importance and value of civil society roles, and it is a responsibility that must be understood such as the case of education. It is wrong to think that official educational tools are the only one responsible for fighting educational illiteracy. There should be collaboration in efforts, whether it was an official or civil society initiative to accomplish a mission whose value is very clear, which is fighting media illiteracy”

Sheikha Mozah rejected the view that the initiative was a call for enforcing censorship on media. She added that freedom of speech and opinion is respected and praised in Qatar. Nothing could prove this more then the Emir who always insists on this issue in all his speeches. This is one of our country’s choices and invariables. We talk here only about vulgar media, and we talk about vulgar commercials, there are some commercials that convey no message at all, strangely enough, some are made as if it is apparently directed to our Islamic societies, while it is totally contradicting our ethics, society, and culture. This is what makes me reemphasize on the responsibility of media apparatuses”.

She added: “Today, we invest large sums of money on education, science, and research… in human resources, Today, we spend a lot of money, and the Emir always calls for directing attention towards young people… they are the real investment, the future…if youth lost their belief in ethics and virtues…it’s over. We would be building our future on quick sand. We wish that media would help us fulfill our goals; negative approaches will not do us well! Reliance will not do us well! Our efforts need to be unified…she stressed again on the role youth play by saying “My hope is in the youth”.

She concluded that responsible media presents good examples to be followed; such good examples are the ones to be emulated and not those freaky images that creep into youth’s imagination in our region, through such TV channels that take advantage of the spare time youth have. Filling the vacuum with intruder programmes that do not have anything to do with our cultural fabric, and other exported metamorphosed material laden with ethics opposite to ours, and costumes dissimilar to ours, and manners different from what we have, blind imitation without calculating the grave consequences coming from it.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&month=November2008&file=Local_News2008111191518.xml

Important Arabic Debates about Media

2008-11-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

مشروع وثيقة ضبط الفضائيات العربية

http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A6ABC8A5-D5A6-4EF6-ACCF-C116D601CEE7.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic,Basic_Current

منتدى الفضائيات اليوم

2008-11-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

تاريخ النشر:يوم اللإثنين ,3 نوفمبر 2008 2:15 أ.م.

الدوحة - هديل صابر - قنا :

تخاطب صاحبة السمو الشيخة موزة بنت ناصر المسند رئيس المجلس الاعلى لشؤون الأسرة اليوم الاثنين الجلسة الختامية لاعمال منتدى الفضائيات والتحدي القيمي والاخلاقي الذي يواجه الشباب الخليجي. وكان سعادة السيد عبدالله بن ناصر آل خليفه الأمين العام للمجلس الأعلى لشؤون الأسرة ورئيس اللجنة التحضيرية لمنتدى الفضائيات والتحدي القيمي والأخلاقي افتتح أمس أعمال المنتدى بفندق شيراتون الدوحة، بمشاركة مايفوق 300 شخصية عربية وأجنبية من وزراء وخبراء وأساتذة جامعات ومفكرين.

تفاصيل.

افتتح أعمال منتدى الفضائيات.. وبحضور أمين عام المجلس لدول التعاون ..آل خليفة: الشيخة موزة حملت على عاتقها حماية جيل وتحصين نشء

"الأعلى للأسرة" يتعهد باستمرار إطلاق الحملات التوعوية والبرامج التثقيفية

الفضائيات والشركات المنتجة جُلِّ همها السعي وراء الربح دون الاهتمام بالقيم

(51%) من الشباب الخليجي يتابعون القنوات الهابطة لمشاهدة الرسائل القصيرة

دراسة تكشف أنَّ الشباب يهدرون (28) ساعة أسبوعياً في مشاهدة التلفزيون

افتتح سعادة السيد عبدالله بن ناصر آل خليفة-الأمين العام للمجلس الأعلى لشؤون الأسرة ورئيس اللجنة التحضيرية لمنتدى الفضائيات والتحدي القيمي والأخلاقي-أعمال منتدى "الفضائيات والتحدي القيمي والأخلاقي الذي يواجه الشباب الخليجي" الذي يعقد تحت الرعاية الكريمة لصاحبة السمو الشيخة موزة بنت ناصر المسند -رئيس المجلس الأعلى لشؤون الأسرة- التي تختتم أعماله اليوم بفندق شيراتون الدوحة، بمشاركة ما يفوق الـ(300) شخصية عربية وأجنبية من وزراء وخبراء وأساتذة جامعات ومفكرين قدموا من كافة الأقطار العربية والعالمية لمناقشة قضية غاية في الأهمية تجسدت في المد الإعلامي المسِف الذي ينال من قيمنا وقيم شبابنا..

كما سلطت أوراق العمل للجلسة الأولى على الجانب القانوني، مطالبة بضرورة إعادة النظر في التشريعات العربية لتتماشى مع الهجمة الفضائية لإيجاد آليات للتصدي للخطر الإعلامي الذي تناسى القيم والعادات والدين في المقام الأول سعياً وراء ربح مادي غير نظيف.

هذا وقد اشتملت الجلسة الافتتاحية على عرض فيلم تحدث عن سلبيات الفضائيات التي غزت مجتمعاتنا ومنازلنا العربية، كما كشف الفيلم عن أنَّ(54%) من الشباب لهم حرية الاختيار فيما يشاهدون، كما أنَّ (51%) يتابعون القنوات الهابطة لمشاهدة الرسائل القصيرة، وبينت الدراسة أنَّ الشباب يهدرون (28) ساعة أسبوعياً في مشاهدة التلفزيون، وتساءل الفيلم عن دور الأسرة في هذا الجانب؟، كما تساءل عن الدور الرقابي لهذه القنوات التي ليس لها عدد.

وقد حضر الجلسة الافتتاحية سعادة السيد عبدالرحمن بن حمد العطية -الأمين العام لمجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية-وعدد من المسؤولين في الدولة، وأعضاء السلك الدبلوماسي المعتمدون لدى الدولة، ويتناول منتدى الفضائيات على مدى يومين أربعة محاور هي المحور القانوني والمحور الاقتصادي والمحور الاجتماعي والمحور التربوي التي تتضمن بدورها العديد من المواضيع والبنود الفرعية ذات الصلة بموضوع المنتدى.

ونوه سعادة السيد عبدالله بن ناصر آل خليفة -الأمين العام للمجلس الأعلى لشؤون الأسرة-خلال كلمته التي افتتح بها أعمال المنتدى بجهود صاحبة السمو الشيخة موزة بنت ناصر المسند-رئيس المجلس الأعلى لشؤون الأسرة- التي حملت على عاتقها حماية جيل الشباب وتحصين النشء من التأثير السلبي الذي تحدثه بعض المضامين الإعلامية على فكرهم، وتحتال في الوقت نفسه على مقدراتهم المالية، وشدد سعادته على أهمية المنتدى والقضية التي يناقشها كونها تعد من أكثر التحديات التي تواجه الشباب في الوقت الراهن والتي تتمثل في تأثير بعض مضامين القنوات الفضائية الهابطة على منظومة القيم والثقافة والأخلاق.

وقال سعادة السيد آل خليفة "إنَّ هذه المضامين لاتحقق الحد الأدنى من القيم المعرفية أو الخلقية أو التربوية، وباتت قوة مؤثرة في سلوك الشباب ونمط تفكيرهم وتوجهاتهم، لافتا إلى الانتشار الفضائي السريع وصناعة المواد الإعلامية الموجهة باستخدام أساليب جديدة ومتطورة، فنية كانت أم تجارية بهدف استمالة شريحة الشباب واليافعين، محذراً من التوسع المذهل في تجارة التسلية الموجهة للشباب التي تدس بين طياتها ورسائلها الإعلامية الكثير من المخاطر والسلبيات".

وأضاف سعادة السيد آل خليفة قائلاً: "إنَّ الفضائيات والشركات المنتجة والعاملة في هذا القطاع هي مؤسسات جل همها السعي وراء الربح والكسب دون الاهتمام بالقيم.. مضيفا انه في حالة التعارض بين هدفي الكسب وزرع القيم فان الغلبة تكون للأول على حساب الثاني".

وأكد سعادة الأمين العام للمجلس الأعلى لشؤون الأسرة انَّ الوعي الحقيقي لما يجرى هو جزء من عملية التصدي للمخاطر والتحديات المستقبلية، كما تعهد سعادته أمام الحضور باستمرار المجلس الأعلى لشؤون الأسرة بدولة قطر في تقديم المزيد من برامج التوعية وحملات التثقيف نحو هذه القضية لكافة إفراد الأسرة، انطلاقاً من شعار المنتدى "نحو فضاء إعلامى مسؤول"، مشيراً في الوقت ذاته إلى الالتزام بمواثيق الشرف الإعلامية ومبادئ حرية الإعلام بما لا يخل بالقانون والآداب العامة والأخلاق وبما لا يؤدي إلى تمييع فكر الشباب وقيمهم واستغلالهم ماديا، وشدد آل خليفة على ان الجميع شركاء في الواجبات والمسؤوليات تجاه هذه القضية التي تمس كل أسرة في مجتمعنا العربي كون الشباب هم مسؤولية الجميع، وأعرب عن ثقته بأن ما سيخرج به المنتدى سيكون على قدر تطلعات شعوب المنطقة بأسرها، داعيا الحضور للعمل معاً على وضع استراتيجية إعلامية على مستوى دول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية، بل والوطن العربي لتوعية الشباب بمخاطر الفضائيات دون المساس بحرية الإعلام.

ويسعى المنتدى إلى مناقشة تأثير القنوات الفضائية العامة والخاصة على الشباب، لا سيما بعد ان دخلت مفاهيم مستحدثة غيرت من لغة التليفزيون والصورة المعروضة فيه وأضافت له أدواراً جديدة بعيدة عن الدور التقليدي التربوي والتثقيفي والترفيهي الهادف، كما يهدف إلى وضع استراتيجية إعلامية على مستوى دول الخليج لتوعية الشباب بمخاطر بعض الفضائيات دون المساس بحرية الإعلام وبحث مجالات التعاون الإعلامي من خلال توحيد الأنظمة والسياسات الإعلامية بين دول المجلس لدرء التأثير السلبي لبعض الفضائيات وبالتالي التأكيد على الالتزام بمواثيق الشرف الإعلامية ومبادئ حرية الإعلام بما لا يخل بالقانون والآداب العامة والأخلاق وبما لا يؤدى إلى تمييع فكر الشباب وقيمهم واستنزافهم واستغلالهم مادياً، كما يهدف إلى بناء منظومة إعلامية هادفة قائمة على التنافس الإيجابي بين القنوات الفضائية والاستخدام الهادف للوسائط المتعددة فيها نوعاً ومضمونا والوقوف على مضامين البرامج الإعلامية العربية الموجهة للشباب، وتتضمن الأهداف أيضا تقديم المقترحات والبدائل الإعلامية الهادفة للتصدي لخطر تسطيح عقول الشباب وتمييع ثقافتهم وحمايتهم وتوعيتهم بمخاطر القنوات الفضائية الهابطة وتأثيرها على منظومة القيم والثقافة والأخلاقيات وتثقيفهم بكيفية وآليات التصدي لها إلى جانب توعية أولياء الأمور بأهمية التوجيه والإشراف على النشء تجاه القنوات الفضائية الهابطة والوسائط المتعددة المستخدمة فيها وتدريبهم على آليات الحماية وبرامجها وتفعيل مشاركة منظمات المجتمع المدني في التصدي للفضائيات غير الهادفة ومواجهة أثرها السلبي على النشء وجعل الإعلام الهادف وبرامجه رافداً من روافد التنمية المستدامة.

تجدر الإشارة إلى انَّ صاحبة السمو الشيخة موزة بنت ناصر المسند -رئيس المجلس الأعلى لشؤون الأسرة- كان لسموها شرف إطلاق هذه المبادرة عندما وجهت سموها رسالة إلى القمة الخليجية لدول مجلس التعاون في دورتها الثامنة والعشرين التي انعقدت في الفترة من 3 إلى 4 من ديسمبر 2007 في الدوحة تضمنت دعوة للتصدي لظاهرة خطيرة تتمثل في التأثير السلبي والدور الهدام الذي تحدثه بعض وسائل الإعلام والقنوات الفضائية على النشء وفكرهم وتحتال في الوقت نفسه على مقدراتهم المالية. ودعت سموها في رسالتها إلى حماية الشباب وضرورة اتخاذ خطوات جادة وعاجلة للوقاية والعلاج لمواجهة هذه الظاهرة في الوطن العربي. وأكدت سموها على الالتزام بمبادىء حرية الإعلام بما لا يخل بالقانون والآداب العامة والأخلاق وبما لا يؤدي إلى تمييع فكر الشباب واستنزافهم واستغلالهم مادياً.

خلال محور التشريعات الدولية الخاصة بحماية المواطنين.. المشاركون أجمعوا على ضرر الفضائيات الهابطة في ظل غياب القوانين الجنائية

د. سعد جبار: الدول "الغربية" أحجمت عن بث البرامج الضارة بالشباب وحددت ساعات بثها

د. باتريك: عدم حرية البث في الفضائيات وتقييدها بإنتاج جيد حق للمشاهدين

د. رباح: وسائل الإعلام مسؤولة عن تدهور مستوى الثقافة وزيادة الميل إلى انتهاك القانون

د. محمد لطفي: العولمة لاترحم الهوية الثقافية ولاتأبه بالتنوع الثقافى

ناقشت الجلسة الأولى في أول أعمال منتدى الفضائيات والتحدي القيمي الذي يواجه الشباب الخليجي" التشريعات المنظمة للإعلام الفضائى عربياً ودولياً،حيث تطرق المشاركون الى التشريعات الدولية الخاصة بحماية حقوق المواطنين والمجتمع تجاه الفضائيات ومواثيق الشرف الاعلامية للفضائيات ودورها فى حماية المجتمع، كما ناقشوا مدى فاعلية القوانين والتشريعات ذات الصلة، وتحدث في الجلسة الدكتور سعد جبار -نائب مدير مركز دراسات شمال افريقيا في جامعة كمبردج- عن واقع بعض القنوات الفضائية العربية،مؤكداً ان المشكلة تكمن في ان تلك الفضائيات تبث من بلاد عربية وبأموال عربية وتستهدف شباب الخليج وشباب العالم العربي، مشيراً الى انَّ بعض القنوات الفضائية في الدول الغربية احجمت عن بث بعض البرامج الضارة بالشباب بل وحددت أوقات وساعات بثها.

لا يوجد قانون جنائي

واعرب الدكتور جبار عن سعادته بالمذكرة التي رفعتها صاحبة السمو الشيخة موزة بنت ناصر المسند للقمة الخليجية الماضية في الدوحة بهدف حماية النشء والشباب من اضرار البث الفضائي وضرورة معالجة هذه الظاهرة دون المساس بحرية الاعلام، ورأى ان المنطقة العربية تميل لليبرالية مغلقه في برامج التسلية والترفيه في وقت يدور فيه الجدل القانوني حول كيفية تعامل الدول العربية مع كل مايمس النظام العام والأخلاق والاداب العامة،لافتا الى عدم وجود قانون جنائي للتعامل مع هذه الظاهرة دون المساس بحرية الاعلام والصحافة. واوضح ان القضية الان لاتتعلق بحرية الاعلام والصحافة بقدر ماتتعلق بحماية الشباب.. مشيرا الى وجود برامج تروج للسحر والشعوذة والدجل تبثها قنوات عربية وبأموال عربية واقمار صناعية عربية. وأضاف إن هناك اشكالية قانونية وسياسية وقضية ادبية واخلاقية فى بث بعض الفضائيات.. داعيا الى معالجة كل تلك الاشكاليات بشكل موضوعي وهادئ.

برامج تروج العنف والجنس

وتحدث الدكتور باتريك ترومان - محامي وقانوني في الولايات المتحدة الامريكية - عن الاثار السلبية والضارة لبث بعض القنوات الفضائية وبرامجها على عقول الاطفال وعلى مستوى العالم.. مستشهدا بترويج بعض البرامج للعنف والجنس وماتحدثه من روح عدوانية لدى الاطفال وشراسة في طباعهم. واكد على الدور المهم للحكومات للسيطرة على هذه البرامج والتحكم فيها وعلى دور اولياء الامور وجمهور المستهلكين من حيث تحديد واختيار البرامج التي يرغبون في مشاهدتها ودخولها بيوتهم، مشدداً على ضرورة عدم ترك حرية البث في الفضائيات وتقييدها بانتاج جيد يرغب فيه المستهلكون.

تطوير التشريعات العربية

وتناول الدكتور احمد ضاعن السمدان -عميد سابق لكلية الحقوق بجامعة الكويت- التشريعات المنظمة لعمل القنوات الفضائية فى الوطن العربى وتجاوب هذه التشريعات مع التطورات العالمية فى الاقتصاد والتكنولوجيا والقانون وغير ذلك، وقال انَّ العالم العربى دخل طائعاً او مرغماً فى خضم الثورة المعلوماتية وكان لابد له من مواكبة ذلك عن طريق تطوير تشريعاته ذات العلاقة والعمل على اعادة هيكلة الجهات المشرفة على تنظيم الاتصالات والاعلام والنشر بما يحفظ لكل دولة خصوصيتها،مضيفاً ان الدول العربية عرفت منذ وقت مبكر تشريعات النشر والمطبوعات فى اطارها الوطنى..كما اضطرت الى مراجعة تلك التشريعات فى ظل الثورة التكنولوجية وانتشار المعلومات العابرة للحدود. واستعرض السمدان فى ورقته التغييرات التى حصلت فى الدول العربية فى مجال التشريع على نطاق الدول فرادى وعلى نطاق المجموعات الإقليمية من حيث القوانين الوطنية والاتفاقيات الثنائية والجماعية الاقليمية.

وقدم الدكتور السمدان في ختام ورقته بعض التوصيات والمقترحات لحماية شباب الأمة من الاثار النفسية للعولمة والتطور التكنولوجى.

التلفزيون مسؤول عن تدهور الثقافة

وتحدث الدكتور غسان رباح - قاضى الأحداث وعضو جمعية حماية الطفل بلبنان- مدى فاعلية القوانين والتشريعات لحماية النشء وصد التأثير السلبى للفضائيات. واشار الى الآثار التى تركتها وسائل الاتصال على النشء والشباب،مؤكدا ان لوسائل الاعلام دورا فى الانحرافات الاجتماعية الامر الذى يدعو الى البحث عن طرق للوقاية والحماية والمعالجة للشباب وحمايتهم من الاثار السلبية لهذه الوسائل وخصوصا وسائل الاعلام المرئية. وقال ان هذه الوسائل متهمة حتى فى المجتمعات الغربية بانها مسؤولة عن تدهور مستوى الثقافة وزيادة معدلات اللامبالاة والميل الى انتهاك القانون والمساهمة فى الانهيار الاخلاقى العام.

وتطرق الدكتور رباح الى التأثير الكبير للاعلام المرئى "التلفزيون" الذى يستقبل الفضائيات،مشيراً إلى أنَّ هذا الجهاز لايزال يعد من اكثر وسائل الاتصال الجماهيرية تأثيرا على الطفل وارتباطا به, ذلك ان تأثير الصورة اكبر من تأثير القول"البث الاذاعى"..

وأضاف الدكتور رباح قائلاً "ان اهم الظواهر التى صارت مشاهدة بصورة يومية نتيجة متابعة الاطفال والشباب للفضائيات تتمثل فى ظاهرة اقدام الاحداث على ارتكاب جرائم تصل الى حد القتل الى جانب انتشار العنف بين الاطفال سواء بصورة فردية او جماعية وتقليد العصابات وارتكاب جرائم السرقة والنشل والاعتداء على الممتلكات العامة او الخاصة"..

وتحدث الدكتور رباح عن طرق المعالجة من آفات الفضائيات،منبها الى اهمية دور الاسرة والمدرسة والمجتمع والجهات الدينية ووسائل الاعلام الوطنية والتشريعات الرادعة التى تصدرها الحكومات المعنية فى صد ومنع الآثار السلبية لتلك الوسائل.

العولمة والهوية العربية

واستعرض الدكتور محمد لطفى استاذ القانون -جامعة بنى سويف "مصر"- التشريعات المنظمة للاعلام الفضائى ورأى ان الرقابة الذاتية هى الوسيلة الوحيدة اليوم لمواجهة الطوفان الاعلامى الذى لايتردد فى الدخول من اي مكان يجده متاحا لتغلغله فى الرصيد الثقافى لكل الدول. واكد ان العولمة لاترحم الهوية الثقافية ولاتأبه بالتنوع الثقافى ولاتلتفت الى التراث القيمي لاى مجتمع, حيث المهم هوالعائد المادى فحسب. وتحدث الدكتور لطفى عن الزيادة الهائلة فى عدد القنوات الفضائية على المستوى العربى لاسيما بعد اضافة القمر الصناعى الاماراتى "noor" الى جوار عرب سات ونايل سات.

http://www.al-sharq.com/DisplayArticle.aspx?xf=2008,November,article_20081103_113&id=local&sid=localnews

Al Jazeera sets up human rights watchdog

2008-11-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

By Anwar Elshamy

THE Al Jazeera TV network yesterday launched its own rights watchdog. The Public Liberties and Human Rights Desk will be headed by its cameraman, Sami al-Haj, who spent six years at the Guantanamo prison.

The primary focus of the desk will be to promote respect for human rights and public liberties by monitoring, documenting, broadcasting and raising awareness about these key issues in the world as a whole and the Arab region in particular, a spokesman said.

Speaking at a seminar on promotion and protection of human rights, held to mark the 12th anniversary of the Doha-based Al Jazeera TV, the network’s director general, Wadah Khanfar said the idea of setting up the desk came after the “horrible experience and violations to which Sami al-Haj was subjected in the US-run Guantanamo detention centre.”

“The need for such a desk was a pressing one. Any delay by media in exposing the human rights violations and conveying the suffering of people would only mean further sufferings and violations,” Khanfar said.

Asked if the coverage of rights issues by the new desk would upset many governments, Khanfar said Al Jazeera had successfully faced many pressures by governments, and hence “will not care much about them as long as the channel is committed to the professional principles.”

To a question whether the desk will be also concerned with the rights of expatriate labour in the Gulf states, Khanfar stressed that Al Jazeera TV has highlighted abuses of labour rights in the Gulf in many exclusive reports.

“The new desk is concerned with any human rights violations including those committed against expatriate labour in the Gulf states. We have been the first TV to bring the labour woes under the spotlight,” he added.

Al-Haj said his experience in the US prison at Guantanamo was a key element in the shaping of the idea of the rights desk.

“The Guantanamo detention centre would be one of the main focuses of the desk. It has been an example of the glaring violations of human rights in a country that was known to be a supporter of human rights in the world. The violations going on in the prison made it a global concern,” al-Haj added.

The new desk will enable people to have direct access to the former Guantanamo detainee via e-mail.

Making an intervention in the seminar, Jarallah al-Marri, a former Qatari detainee at Guantanamo, appealed to international rights groups to reach out to his brother Ali al-Marri who is in a US jail.

“I have no choice but to remember my brother Ali who is still jailed without any charge,” al-Marri said.

National Human Rights Committee secretary general Dr Ali bin Semaikh al-Marri requested Al Jazeera to highlight the case of Ali al-Marri as it did with al-Haj.

Gitanjali Gutierrez, an attorney with the US-based Centre for Constitutional Rights, slamed the US policies towards the Guanatanamo inmates, saying that no detainee at the prison received a fair hearing.

“Because my organisation is based in the US, I have to apologise for what my government did to individuals during its so-called war on terror,” Gutierrez said

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=251824&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

Media war between Abu Dhabi and Dubai

2008-11-03T04:27:00.000-08:00

The Abu Dhabi Media Park launched today. The 200,000 square meter project will take over five years to complete, Gulf News reports. It will be temporarily housed closed to Khalifa Park until its larger campus in Mina Zayed is completed around 2014.

But does the UAE really need yet another media park? Aren’t Dubai Studio City, IMPZ and DubaiMedia City enough? Apparently not. Abu Dhabi Media Park is quick to highlight its unique selling proposition: speaking to Gulf News, a senior executive at the Abu Dhabi Media Park states that at the media park content will be created “by Arabs for Arabs.”

While it sounds like it will have an exclusion policy, it won’t. In September 2008, the Abu Dhabi Media Company, which will be located in the media park, forged a deal worth $250 million with Participant Media, a Los Angeles based production company behind controversial hits like “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Syriana” (which, ironically, was censored in the UAE). The deal is to produce over 15 feature films over a span of five years. More recently, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Media Company, Image-nation Abu Dhabi, signed a deal with National Geographic Entertainment to produce 10 to 15 films by 2014. Clearly, the content created ‘by Arabs for Arabs’ will have significant boosts from non-Arabs.

But it’s easy to be cynical. The truth is without foreign help it’ll take decades before Abu Dhabi’s media scene matures enough to produce good quality documentaries. At least with the presence of established production companies, Arabs will be involved in the production of high-profile movies and documentaries: “We will be doing films on this region using local talent, producers and local writers,” said Tim Kelly, president of National Geographic Global Media (quoted in Gulf News).

Not only do the collaborations allow Arabs to take part, they also give nationals and Arabs a chance to have hands on experience without having to deal with the cutthroat competition other media hopefuls would face in the United States.

Such initiatives have yet to be announced in Dubai’s DMC. Indeed, DMC seems like more of a business park than a breeding ground for local talent and Arab-centric media productions. Dubai, however, doesn’t seem keen on becoming a center of arts and culture. Abu Dhabi does.

It appears the two emirates are vying for difference audiences. And if that’s true, then it begs the question: is the Abu Dhabi Media Park yet another addition to a larger ‘vision’ for the UAE?

TV ratings – finally!

2008-10-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

Oct 26th, 2008

Last week, The National reported on the long-delayed media initiative dubbed Project Illumination – the effort, under way for eternity and a day, to install TV ratings boxes in Arab family homes so that advertisers can know precisely who’s watching what and when.

It’s a staple in more developed markets, but it’s never happened in the Arab world (except for Lebanon) for various reasons. Those reasons aren’t worth going into here, but let’s just say it has a lot to do with the fact that too many of the major players in the Arab media industry just don’t get along too well.

The latest news is that Dubai Media City is involved with the project. That might give it some additional steam in the UAE. After all, probably another reason it’s difficult to get such cross-industry initiatives off the ground in this part of the world is that so little happens here – in business, as in any sphere of life – without government involvement. And “people meters,” as the system is dubbed, is primarily a non-governmental initiative. Call it a “civil society” project, albeit one that’s mainly aimed at improving the livelihoods of big advertisers, rather than everyday people.

So that suggests progress. The UAE is not the market that matters most, however. Saudi Arabia is. The project there, which is being handled jointly by market researchers AGN Nielsen, Ipsos and Pan-Arab Research Centre, has hit a snag as it waits for a license from the Saudi government to go into people’s homes and install the boxes.

But even when they are installed, industry experts are skeptical about the validity of the results. Media planners and buyers who know how things work on the ground in Saudi say they won’t trust the data even when it does arrive, claiming that the sample size is too small, and that it is not truly representative of Saudi households.

Such is the level of pessimism that many agencies will continue to trust their own research, even after the much vaunted arrival of people meters. So much for a common media currency.

http://www.kippreport.com/kipp/2008/10/26/tv-ratings-–-finally/

The great shift

2008-10-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

Oct 28th, 2008 Austyn Allison

Lebanese broadcasting big-hitter LBC Sat is readying to move its advertising sales in house, taking the lucrative contract away from Arab media sales giant Choueiri Group and giving it to LBC affiliate Rotana Media Services (RMS).

An employee at the RMS office in Dubai appeared to confirm the report on Thursday, saying the company was not releasing any official statement yet but was preparing a press release related to the matter. Executives were not immediately available for comment and a message requesting confirmation of the report went unanswered.

LBC and Choueiri officials in Beirut also did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Sources say the deal will commence in January 2009. LBC Sat is one of the leading TV channels in the Arab world, broadcasting hit shows such as Star Academy throughout the Middle East and North Africa – although Saudi-owned MBC Group, the dominant broadcaster in the region, has taken an increasing market share in recent years.

When LBC Sat and Rotana Group, both of which have a lead shareholder in Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, announced a merger in 2007, the companies hailed it as the formation of a new Arab “media conglomerate” even while remaining “organizationally and financially” independent. Since then it has been unclear to what extent the two companies would share resources or if the merger would even last.

Rotana is already 100-percent owned by Alwaleed, who is a shareholder in Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. In July, Alwaleed boosted his stake in LBC to 85 percent with a capital increase of $78 million, a move that signaled intent to further the integration of his media businesses. Giving LBC’s advertising sales to a Rotana unit would further fortify both the horizontal and vertical integration of his investments.

http://www.kippreport.com/kipp/2008/10/28/the-great-shift/

Dubai TV vs Abu Dhabi TV

2008-10-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Dubai TV and Abu Dhabi TV are battling to get a bigger share of Arab audience, thus gaining exposure on behalf of the emirate they represent. While Dubai is widely considered the region’s media hub, Abu Dhabi is going out of its way to become a serious contender. And the stakes have become higher with Abu Dhabi TV’s recent revamping.

Pan-Arab ambitions and more

Launched in 2000 and part of the government-backed DMI (Dubai Media Incorporated) network, Dubai TV caters to the family segment of the Arab audience, broadcasting mostly Arab-speaking programs, predominantly produced locally. The fact that since 2004, it is represented by Choueiri Group’s Mems also contributed to its strong regional presence.

At one point, Abu Dhabi TV, which went on air in 2000 and is owned by Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC), had been trying to attract pan-Arab audiences by offering them a combination of news, politics and entertainment. But with the advent of Al Jazeera in 2003, down the drain went Abu Dhabi TV’s former grid. And perhaps that was a smart move: Al Jazeera made a name for itself with its successful coverage of the Iraq war, but the war soon became morbidly routine.

But for the past few months, Abu Dhabi TV has been going full-throttle with its plans to become a major pan-Arab contender, sparing no efforts. Earlier this year, it poached LBC’s deputy manager Karim Sarkis and made him executive director, while former Disney International executive Ed Borgerding was hired as chief executive of ADMC. Its prime-time schedule has been shifted, a clear sign … that the station intends to break away with the common habit of giving priority to Saudi Arabia: “We used to air (prime time shows) at 10:30 p.m., which is what everyone does to align with Saudi (Arabia),” said Sarkis. “However, prime time will now begin at 9 p.m. in the UAE. In the UAE, it’s not fair to ask people to stay up later.”

New looks

Abu Dhabi TV’s recent revamping may give it another serious push. Indeed, the new branding and positioning (Abu Dhabi Al Oula for the flagship channel, Abu Dhabi Al Emarat for the local channel, Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya for sports, under the umbrella of mother brand Abu Dhabi TV) are clear references to its Emirati roots. The new logo, an ancient dhow sailing vessel, also emphasizes this sense of belonging.

Four years ago, when it replaced Emirates Dubai Television with a more upbeat format, Dubai TV had been subjected to a similar overhaul costing an alleged $100 million. New studios were built, others were upgraded and a 600 square meter sports studio was acquired.

And ahead of many competitors, DMI’s station had also strengthened its presence by signing a multi-year free TV programming deal with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution and by launching over 20 programs produced locally, plus an additional half dozen exclusive serials for Ramadan. It appeared to be aware that content was its key asset.

Content wars

Abu Dhabi TV learned from its competitor. Not only did it give its look a complete makeover, it also generously invested in content. “The Million’s Poet” and “The Prince of Poets” were hugely successful, … drawing audiences to the station’s revamped grid. Production giant Endemol, the Dutch television company behind the popular Big Brother reality series, inked its first deal last November with reality-TV heavyweight gamer “Ton of Cash,” which has aired since the beginning of October. Shows “Top of the Flops” and “Divided” (due in May) followed. Local Abu Dhabi Al Emarat should also get a new focus soon, with more shows produced locally.

Thanks to these successive strategic moves, Abu Dhabi TV has jumped in Arab satellite channels rankings from 20th to seventh or eighth in just a few months, according to Endemol Middle East head Ziad Kebbe.

To add insult to injury, ADMC’s station just launched a new channel, Plus One, right in time for Ramadan. By running the same program as Abu Dhabi TV one hour later, ADMC wants to attract viewers by offering them the chance to watch its programs while breaking their fast.

But Dubai TV isn’t watching idly. For Ramadan, it struck back by airing “Siraa Ala Al” (Struggle In The Sands), an 18th-century epic based around the poems of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and produced for a regional record-breaking $6 million. It also acquired from Endemol a 13-episode run of “The Kids Are Alright,” slated to debut in May.

Both stations are poised for a serious bout of arm wrestling. But the question remains to whether, being so closed tied to their own governments, they are fit for survival in an increasingly competitive environment.

http://www.kippreport.com/kipp/2008/10/22/dubai-tv-vs-abu-dhabi-tv/

Media Research Institutes, Universities, Scholarships, Scholars

2008-10-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Arab Media Centre

African and Arab Media Audiences: Shared Agendas for Research' ... the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) at the University of Westminster, ...
www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-1447 - 16k

Middle East Media Research

Stanhope has been actively researching the rapidly changing landscape of Middle Eastern media for over a year. Among our projects are the Iraq Media Developments Newsletter; a comprehensive policy recommendation for the restructuring of Iraqi media policy; and studies from the Media Development Paper Series.

http://stanhopecentre.org/2007/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=38

Center for Middle East, CMES offers a wide range of programs and activities about the Middle East with the goal of increasing awareness and understanding of the region, both historically and in contemporary perspective. I, and the Center's staff, look forward to meeting you at our events and hope that you will become a lasting member of our community.

http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/

The American University in Cairo

http://www1.aucegypt.edu/academic/cej/

Center for Media and Communication Studies (CMCS)

CMCS has emerged as a center of excellence for promoting media and communication studies throughout the Central and Eastern European region. Based at the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest, it conducts cutting-edge research and provides expertise which is valuable for academia, NGOs, policy-makers and regulators http://www.cmcs.ceu.hu/

London School of Economics

The Department of Media and Communications

http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/media@lse/

The Annenberg School for Communication at University of Pennsylvania

http://www.asc.upenn.edu/research/

http://www.asc.upenn.edu/prospective/GraduateApplyOnline.aspx

98.9% of television viewers in Bahrain own a satellite TV dish

2008-10-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

Arab Advisors’ new survey in Bahrain, revealed that FTA Sat TV is quite popular while sports content is a main driver for Pay TV subscriptions. The survey revealed that 95.5% of people over 15 years in Bahrain watch TV.

A new Arab Advisors Group survey of Bahrain’s urban households reveals a widespread adoption of Satellite TV receivers with 98.9% of respondents who watch television stating that their household owns a satellite dish. 26% of Sat TV viewers also watch Pay TV. Gender gaps were clear in types of content viewed: For example, 47.6% of male TV viewers watch sports as opposed to 20.8% of female TV viewers. Conversely, 38.7% of female TV viewers watch fashion programs as opposed to 7% of male TV viewers.

A new major survey, “Bahrain Media Survey 2008” was concluded and released by the Arab Advisors Group on October 12, 2008.

The 86-page report, which has 116 detailed exhibits, provides the results of a major comprehensive survey of the media usage patterns and habits of the population across the Bahraini governorates of Al Manamah the capital, Al Janubiyah, Al Muharraq, Al Wusta and Al Shamaliyah. The survey fieldwork was conducted between 9 August and 20 August 2008. Please contact the Arab Advisors Group to get a copy of the report’s Table of Contents and the survey questions.

“On the radio listening fronts, 76.0% of cellular users in Bahrain said that they listen to the radio. Where, the majority of cellular users who listen to the radio (89.5%) listen to news. Religious and music programs follow respectively.” Ms. Danya Nusseir, Arab Advisors analyst, noted.

The survey involved face-to-face interviews with 550 respondents from different households in Al Manamah the capital, Al Janubiyah, Al Muharraq, Al Wusta and Al Shamaliyah selected randomly in a manner proportionate to the population distribution according to official figures. Respondents were 15 years old and older. This random survey is of Bahraini households and represents the urban population in Bahrain.

This survey provides deep insights into the media consumption patterns in Bahrain. The random survey has a 99% confidence level with a less than 6% margin of error. In surveying households for their telecom and media consumption patterns, Arab Advisors Group always relies on the personal face to face interviews as it guarantees optimal representation and accuracy.

http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Bahrain/236870

du signs exclusive deal with Rotana during Gitex 2008

2008-10-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Continuing to raise the bar through innovative products, du, the UAE's integrated telecom operator, has signed an exclusive agreement with Rotana to offer all content from the Rotana library to du's customers in the UAE For the first time in the UAE, du will offer Full Track Music Downloads to customers from PC's and mobiles.

du customers will exclusively have access to full track music of the best Arabic artists including Mohammed Abdou, Amr Diab, Elissa, Hussein Aljessmi, Ahlam, Sherine, Najwa Karam, Nawal Alkuwaitieh, Fadl Shakir amongst many others.

As part of the deal, du customers will also get the benefit of being the first to access Rotana's new music releases where it will be available on du's network.

In addition, du customers will also get access to all of Rotana's music videos, music reviews, latest entertainment news and access to wallpapers, tunes, etc in the future as well.

This will be made available on mobile using the friendly and easy On Device Portal, as well as online using the exclusive music portal on the du website; and new media, utilizing the specially designed Desktop Client named MyWorld Live to further enhance the user entertainment experience.

As part of the agreement, a brand new interface will enable du customers to download and enjoy this exclusive content easily.

Osman Sultan, CEO, du, said:

'Our strategic relationship with Rotana, a leading name in Arabic entertainment and content, complements our vision and further strengthens the entertainment services we offer our customers in the UAE. We are an integrated service provider and we look forward to enriching our customer's experience in all aspects of communication, through our varied services and products.'

Yousef H Mugharbil, President, Rotana Digital Media, said: 'The launching of Rotana's Digital Entertainment Outsourcing with du, brings to the UAE market and to du's customers exclusively a new world of entertainment experience!'

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, highlighted the importance du places on providing relevant content to its diverse customer base.

'We are constantly monitoring market response to our content and services to ensure each of our customers find something that relates to their language and culture in our content rich MyWorld offering. This is a dynamic portal that we promise our customers is constantly evolving to suit their specific areas of interest.'

As part of the deal, Rotana will also create a du branded streaming TV channel (Rotana du TV) that is custom built for du's customers. This channel is an assimilation of content from Rotana's library, which will be accessible exclusively by du users through mobile, online and new media.

http://www.ameinfo.com/172094.html

Kuwait''s economic media sees radical changes

2008-10-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

KUWAIT -- Kuwaiti Minister of Information Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said on Saturday the economic media in his country had seen radical changes in the recent years.

"The status of Kuwaiti media has grown in today's media world and attracted more local and foreign audience," Sheikh Sabah said, describing this age as "the age of economy." He made the remarks in a press briefing on the eve of the conference themed "Economic Media - News Carrier or Event Maker." The two-day conference, to be organized by MediaPlanet will kick off here on Sunday under aegis of Sheikh Sabah.

"The conference will debate the role of media in today's economic changes," Sheikh Sabah noted.

The recent global financial meltdown drew the attention of all people worldwide to the impacts of the crisis and highlighted the effective role of mass media in the economic transformations.

"The Kuwaiti economic media needs to study several phenomena such as transparency of media and the impacts of rumors and information leakages on the operations of economic institutions," the minister suggested. The conference will gather a constellation of leading media people, economist, CEOs and Chairman of Arab Private Broadcast Union Sheikh Fahad Salem Al-Ali.

http://www.uaedailynews.com/middleeast/2146.html

The Bold Female Face of Saudi Media

2008-10-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Written by Felice Friedson & Rachelle Kliger

A journalist who quit her job because of discrimination, a radio presenter who updates foreigners on key studentstrict segregation by learning media via a computer screen, a TV presenter who shows the world Saudi women can make a difference.

Bright and bold, constantly challenged yet confident, these are the faces of Saudi female journalists, who are changing the media landscape of the strictly Muslim kingdom.

Up until a few years ago, women were a rarity in the Saudi media. Few ventured into the world of communications in a kingdom where the sexes do not mix and women are expected to stay within the confines of their homes.

But this is slowly changing as more Saudi women are being welcomed into the media industry. Employers are also accommodating more women in media workplaces.

But challenges remain rife.

Print Journalists

Samar Al-Mogren is a Saudi print journalist who shot to fame earlier this year upon publication of her book, Nisaa Al-Munkar (The Vice Women).

Al-Mogren worked for four years at the renowned Saudi daily Al-Watan, enjoying a top-notch position where she supervised both men and women at the paper’s social affairs desk. Late last year, the editorial board changed hands and from that point her skills were called into question.

“I was totally marginalized,” she told The Media Line. “I wasn’t consulted as an editor; I’d go home at six or seven in the evening after writing out the pages only to find that when the paper came out the next day, nothing I’d done was published.

“I started to witness real discrimination against women. Women weren’t wanted there, except for a handful who were needed for administrative work. If there was a woman who was capable of making a decision, it wasn’t welcome.”

Loath to capitulate to the whims of her new boss, Al-Mogren decided to leave her job while she was ahead.

“If I’d have stayed there I’d have been buried,” she says.

During her field work as a journalist Al-Mogren interviewed countless Saudi women and documented their plight as second-class citizens in Saudi society.

Al-Mogren, who has since begun contributing to the Kuwaiti Awan,has revealed some horrific stories of violence against Saudi women and hopes to raise more awareness about this issue around the world, and in particular in the Arab world.

My job as a journalist is to investigate these matters and bring them to light,” she says.

Al-Mogren is not alone in her quest and is part of a group of pioneering women who are trying to break the Saudi media mold.

Wajeha Al-Huweidar, 47, a Saudi journalist and women’s rights activist, who has been banned from writing in the kingdom, says women are being accepted more into the media today, but adds that Saudi society is not quite ready to admit them into the workforce as equals.

“Women are facing discrimination. It’s still a male-dominated society. In America they say there’s a glass ceiling. Well, here we have a ceiling made of iron. It’s not easy for a woman here to get to a good position of power unless she’s well connected.”

There is general agreement that when comparing the different media fields, the print media is the most accessible for Saudi women, because it gives them plenty of leeway with minimum exposure.

Sabria Jawhar, former bureau chief at the Saudi Gazette, says she met some resistance among her male colleagues when she was given a higher position, but the administration was happy to find a female who was professional and qualified enough for the job.

However, the handful of female editors who did work at the paper did not stay for long and did not get the recognition they deserved, she says.

Jawhar notes that when it comes to women in the Saudi media, a distinction has to be made between the Arabic-speaking media and the English-language media, which tends to be more open and flexible.

“Women in general are usually a subject of discrimination and I cannot deny that discrimination does exist in the Saudi media industry. Women are kept in separate departments and in most cases don’t have access to the newsroom. This in itself deprives them of their right to learn.”

In addition, she says, there is also disparity in the salaries female journalists in the kingdom get compared to their male peers.

“In many cases women are hired on a freelance basis,” she explains. “This opens the doors to more abuse and discrimination. They can be fired at any time, they have no rights and some don’t even have press cards.”

Jawhar, who is currently completing a doctorate in applied and educational linguistics in Newcastle in the UK, has participated in two forums in Riyadh to address these problems, but says there was very little NGO activity in this respect.

“The only NGO in the media industry, the Saudi Journalists’ Association, has two females among nine board members, and they’re not doing much about women’s issues. On the governmental level, the Ministry of Information has no women at all, so how do they expect women to be treated better if they don’t exist at the decision-making level?

“They’re doing their best but their efforts aren’t very influential.”

There have been improvements with regards to women in the Arabic language media, Jawhar notes, but adds, “I’m not sure whether it’s recognition of women in the media or whether it’s a fashion to show there is openness.”

Many of these women face restrictions in terms of the level of their job, the range of topics they cover and problems of access due to segregation.

During her work as bureau chief, Sabria Jawhar said fighting for some stories to get in was almost a daily war.

“I was responsible for the local pages, which are the most sensitive and censored pages,” she says. “We could run a lot of stories considered taboo in Saudi Arabia, such as addiction among Saudi women and the ill-treatment of expatriates even by some officials. We visited prisons and wrote about women rights inside prisons and the relationship of women to society or women’s rights in the courtroom.”

Samar Fatany, a radio presenter who has been in the media business for more than 20 years, recalls one story in particular that resonated strongly among Saudi and Arab audiences.

“There was a story of a female broadcaster who was brutally beaten by her husband. She allowed the media to take pictures of her bruised and scarred face and to show how domestic violence was an issue that needed to be addressed by the media and taken up by human-rights organizations.”

The story of the well-known presenter, Rania Al-Baz, was widely reported in the Arab world and in the Western media when it broke in 2005, and Fatany believes the coverage marked the start of a freer press.

The fact that women are expected to put their domestic duties as their highest priority presents a challenge for these professional women, who often have to juggle a demanding career with being a mother.

“I think most working women give more to their children because they feel they’ve been working and have been away from them, so they try to compensate by giving more quality time to their kids,” Fatany says.

Majda A-Suwayyah, a journalist with Al-Jazira newspaper, makes an effort to organize her day so that she can also tend to her house and spend time with her daughters.

“I haven’t forgotten the role of the family. My time studying is outside my time of being a mother and a housekeeper,” she says.

Saudi King ‘Abdallah Bin ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz was praised by most of the women interviewed as a major driving force in improving the status of women in the Saudi kingdom.

Recently, there have been continuous calls from the king to open more doors for women in the private and government sectors, Jawhar says.

Higher Education

Not only are there more women working in the media field, but the kingdom now also offers two university programs where women can pursue media through higher education, an unprecedented move that could change the media scene entirely.

Journalism education is key to improving the quality of the profession, says Saudi television presenter Muna Abu Suleiman.

“Journalism is not as it’s seen in the West where you go to Colombia and get a master’s in journalism,” she says.

“We don’t have a lot of investigative reporting, but they’re trying to change this. A lot of real journalists don’t even have high school education. Many don’t speak English, so they’re not updated about the world. You don’t have a very high quality of journalists and people know this.”

Imam Muhammad Ibn Sa’oud Islamic University in Riyadh has been running such a program for the past two and a half years and is now witnessing its first batch of graduates.

The strategy was to start with the graduate level and then pave the groundwork for an undergraduate degree in media for women, explains Muhammad Al-Heezan, one of the initiators of this unique media education program.

Saudi women have been in the field of media for several years, but what they lack is both knowledge and knowledge-based skills, he says. What the university has to offer them in this respect is essential, he adds.

“There are more students applying now, so this means they recognize that this would give them the opportunity to find good jobs in the market.”

With an initial enrollment of 80 female applicants, 40 have braved the course studies and will be graduating shortly. Some were already working as journalists or in the PR industry beforehand, but none had a degree in media. This program gives them both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in TV, radio, print, electronic media, public relations and marketing.

The thinking behind this program was both to meet a growing demand for media professionals, and to improve the skills of women already in the field.

The Saudi Journalists’ Association said it had no data with which to compare the number of Saudi women working in media to past data, but the association confirmed a “huge increase” in the numbers.

The university program is likely to contribute to this surge.

“To be honest, when we were about to start the program we were a little hesitant because we were taking on a challenge and we didn’t know what the outcome would be,” Al-Heezan says.

“There was an initial impression, which later proved to be wrong, that people would oppose a media program for women. But many women applied and the media reacted positively to the initiative.”

Al-Heezan said there were concerns that there would be opposition from among the faculty members of the university, but these worries also proved to be unwarranted. In a university that is entirely backed financially by the government, Al-Heezan found overwhelming support on campus.

A graduate of two American universities, Al-Heezan sees a gap in the American and Saudi higher education systems and aims to narrow this difference using U.S. programs as a paradigm.

“I found that we had stayed with the same courses for 20 years, while the American universities had rapidly moved on. We changed the curriculum of our department to the extent that we cancelled 95 percent of undergrad courses and replaced them with courses from American universities,” he says.

The fact that no female teachers were available to lecture in the program – and nearly all the students were women – presented a challenge for the university in a kingdom where segregation between men and women is the norm.

Majda A-Suwayyah, a student in the pioneering journalism program, told The Media Line all lectures were taught through live broadcast, via a screen.

“At first it was a bit hard because the lecturer isn’t in front of you, but we got used to it,” she says. “I studied my BA degree this way as well so I don’t think it’s odd. While the professor is explaining the material, I write it down, so I don’t look at the screen so much.

"When we studied design I had some difficulties using the screen because it was all new to me. In the practical work we were watching through a screen while the lecturer was explaining how to use the program and it was a bit hard. But I had no problem with the theoretical material.”

While segregation is adhered to in governmental institutions, the private sector occasionally shows more flexibility.

Jawhar said there were mixed training courses at the Saudi Gazette, her former workplace.

“I was a graduate of a mixed course,” she says. “I was taught by male teachers with male students. It wasn’t difficult to cover male issues and I deal with men on a daily basis. But it’s difficult for other female journalists, especially in the Arabic-speaking media.”

A-Suwayyah, the student in the master’s program, was already working at the Saudi Al-Jazira newspaper before beginning her studies. She does not find the segregation at her workplace particularly impeding.

For a recent article she completed, all the people interviewed were male.

“Now, with modern technology, it’s easier for us to reach men. I can contact them by e-mail or conduct a phone interview,” she says. “I can contact my colleagues and sources in my journalistic work; it [segregation] doesn’t stop me from doing my work. I can work in a way that doesn’t contradict Islamic law.”

Espousing strict gender separation in the workplace might seem abnormal to Westerners, but A-Suwayyah says whether it is good or not should be judged by the end result.

“If there was no segregation, would the end result be different? Would the newspaper be any better? Journalistic work isn’t office work; it’s totally about being out in the field. We attend press conferences that have men but there are special seats for us.”

In a way, she feels that as a hijab-clad woman, having a segregated area means she can remove her scarf and feel comfortable in a strictly women-only area.

“I find it very convenient. Segregation doesn’t mean I never meet any men. In my field work there is no getting away from the fact that I will meet men but these meetings follow Islamic law principles; I won’t meet them when I’m not wearing a hijab, but I prefer to meet people so that I can do my job and I’m comfortable.”

Broadcast Media

But if the written media offers some flexibility, there was general agreement that Saudi women working in the field of broadcasting have a harder time.

Samar Fatany works for the English service of Radio Jedda, where she presents the news hour and has a radio magazine about current challenges in Islam. Being the daughter of a diplomat made it easier for her to pursue media studies abroad, as there was no place for a women to study media in Saudi Arabia at that time.

Lately it has become popular for women to enter radio, but it was not always the case, Fatany says.

“I was among the very few to be employed in radio. I started with TV and I remember I was among the first to read the news on TV in English. We’ve come a long way.

“The media has always been a mixed environment,” Fatany say. “They don’t practice segregation because it’s impossible, especially with television and radio. You need to have technicians and studio managers around you and journalism involves males and females working together. It was never a segregated field, just like in the medical profession.”

Unlike some of her colleagues, Fatany feels the segregation is detrimental to progress and development in the media field, and believes this practice should be eliminated rather than accommodated.

As an example, she says at press conferences the female journalists cannot simply approach the male officials.

“They’re more accessible to the men than to the women because of the segregation issue. We have to make an appointment and we have to call. It’s difficult to reach any officials.”

However, Fatany is well aware that changes in this respect are unlikely to be implemented soon.

“We have to admit that a large portion of our society is resistant to change. We need to be united in our vision towards acquiring a knowledge-based society, a more progressive attitude and to be part of the international community,” she says.

One female journalist who has made her mark is leading Saudi media personality Mona Abu Suleiman, who stumbled into television unintentionally and has since become a role model in her field.

In keeping with Saudi practice, Abu Suleiman appears on MBC TV’s popular social affairs program Kalam Nawa’im (Sweet Talk) wearing a religious scarf, something she says was not often seen on Saudi television screens.

“Most Saudi women do wear the veil but you don’t see that reflected in the media,” Abu Suleiman says. “The other women don’t wear the head veil, which is usual for media personalities and that’s common from the places they come from such as Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt.”

The segregation is not as burdensome as some may think, Abu Suleiman says.

“In the age of the Internet, when people no longer need to be in the same room, when people do video conferences which we’ve been doing in Saudi Arabia for many years, it’s not as big an issue as it was maybe 15 years ago.”

The face of the media in the east is traditionally seen as a feminine rather than a masculine job, she says.

However, one of the problems with segregation is that while it does not stop women from climbing to relatively high decision-making positions, they are barred from getting right to the top, Abu Suleiman notes.

“In the Saudi Arabian media, we haven’t had women in decision-making positions but more as presenters.”

The Saudi-run MBC, she says, is different in that the person in charge of program development is a woman.

“So there are changes occurring everywhere.”

Another point she stresses is that Saudi Arabia has a diverse population and not everyone espouses the same level of religiosity.

Eighty percent of the Saudi population inhabits three of the kingdom’s 13 provinces.

It is only in the central region, a desert tribal area, that traditions run deep and interaction between men and women is a problem, she says.

Several of those interviewed said that the reluctance of women to get involved in a job dominated by males had nothing to do with impositions from above but stemmed more from a feeling among the women themselves, who preferred not to get involved in media.

So What's Next?

Many believe the role women are playing in the Saudi media is growing in a positive direction, but it still has a long way to go until women are comfortable and fully integrated into the field.

Al-Heezan, who helped initiate the first media education program for women, believes the glass ceiling is being broken, as more women are getting jobs as journalists and editors.

The Internet has become an important tool for educating about the rights of women, which has opened many doors for them, he says.

“Not only that, society itself is more educated than before and everywhere in the world education is making a very important impact on changing societies.”

Small steps, such as a new law that allows women to rent a room in a hotel, may seem trivial for Westerners, but are very significant for Saudi women, who are witnessing a budding independence.

Al-Mogren says as small as these steps may be, they are significant.

“In one year, we’ve seen greater accomplishments [in Saudi Arabia] in women’s rights than other countries can make in 10 years. True, the situation is still not satisfactory for us as women but it’s certainly a positive step,” she says.

“We now have a high level of freedom of expression. I never dared show my face on a satellite channel before the king encouraged us.”

“People say it’s not changing fast enough,” says Abu Suleiman. “But social change doesn’t happen fast. It takes generations.”

Jawhar says that with an increasing recognition of women’s role in the Saudi media, there must be laws and regulations to protect them and they must be seen in higher levels of representation.

“When we talk about regulations we have to empower women first and this should come from the government,” she says. “Women should also push for that. Some women want to work on fluffy topics like family and fashion, which is fine with me, but we have to push the borders a bit for those who want to take on more challenging topics.”

Fatany sees the U.S. media as a model where women can succeed in this field, and hopes that in the future Saudi Arabia can have a Barbara Walters of its own.

This vision is not as farfetched as some might think.

Last year Walters moderated a New York discussion panel about women, media and the Middle East in which Abu Suleiman was a key participant.

The talk show that Abu Suleiman co-hosts is modeled on Walters’ The View, and it is not out of the question that Saudi female journalists will one day enjoy acclaim akin to that awarded to their counterparts across the Atlantic.

http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=23053

Arab Media Outlook 2008 To Be Released In November

2008-10-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

download Arab Media Outlook Report 2007

http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/14D97CB491E2A59B85257334000B8AAB/$File/Arab_Media_Outlook_2007.pdf

The Second Edition Of The Ground-Breaking Report Analyses Trends In Media Industry In 12 Arab Countries Across All Regions

Advertising InfoDubai, UAE - October 19, 2008: Dubai Press Club announced today that Arab Media Outlook 2008 - 2012, the second edition of the ground-breaking report on the current state of the Arab media, based on extensive research on media in 12 countries, would be released on November 30, 2008.

The report, brought out by Dubai Press Club in association with PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PwC), focuses on a number of global trends in the global media industry and how these trends are impacting the Middle East region. These include the rise in user-generated-content (UGC), - the rapid growth in blogs in some countries in the region and the use of UGC for regional television are among the issues that the report will analyze in detail.

Besides UGC, the Outlook will also study the emergence of mobile devices as a parallel channel for delivering content in markets with limited broadband penetration. Technology deployment to unlock value across the content production and distribution value chain, the development of the mobile internet and mobile television and emerging techniques for audience measurement also form the core subject areas covered in the report. The Outlook will provide a wide range of new facts and insights into the changes that are currently sweeping the Arab media industry.

The study is based on interviews with heads and CEOs of various Arab media organizations, daily newspapers, TV stations, newswire services, media universities, and associations of journalists in 12 Arab countries as well as on PwC’s highly regarded annual Global Entertainment and Media Report and research carried out by PwC.

Due to be released by the end of November 2008, the report is covering 12 Arab countries which are: The UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Mona Al Marri, chairperson, Dubai Press Club, said that Arab Media Outlook 2008 – 2012 will be very representative of the latest developments in the Arab media as it covers 12 countries, pointing out that “The Outlook will be a reference for policy makers, media personnel, regulators, financial investors, technology vendors and academics associated with the media sector. The report will also testify to the quick pace at which Arab media is growing across the region in terms of technology, content and human resources”.

Marcel Fenez, PwC’s Global Media Leader, said PwC is strongly committed to this project: “We are very excited to be working with Dubai Press Club again on the 2008 edition of this ground-breaking publication. The Middle East now has some of the world’s most dynamic media markets and is attracting attention from media organizations around the world. The Arab Media Outlook 2008 – 2012 will, in particular, address the growth of new forms of content production and the distribution of all forms of content via mobile devices. These trends are central to the future development of the media and provide excellent opportunities for media organizations in the Middle East to develop new models for content production and to use technology to ensure high quality delivery of content to rapidly increasing numbers of readers and viewers both in their home markets and further afield. These are developments that will provide a wide of commercial opportunities for media companies and associated infrastructure providers and will contribute strongly to future economic development.”

The first edition of the Arab Media Outlook was released last year at the Arab Media Forum 2007. It covered the entire gamut of issues relating to the development of people and organizations in the Arab media. The size and growth of media entities as well as response of listeners, readers and viewers, advertising issues and the emergence of new media and convergence in the industry were also analyzed in the previous edition.

http://www.middleeastevents.com/site/pres_dtls.asp?pid=4321

World Press Trends: Newspapers Are A Growth Business

2008-10-18T03:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.wan-press.org/article17377.html
Göteborg, Sweden, 2 June 2008

Newspaper circulations world-wide rose 2.57 percent in 2007 while rapid growth of both free titles and on-line platforms is expanding the reach of newspapers everywhere, the World Association of Newspapers announced today (Monday).

WAN said global newspaper sales were up +2.57 percent over the year, and had increased +9.39 percent over the past five years.

When free dailies are added to the paid newspaper circulation, global circulation increased +3.65 percent last year, and +14.3 percent over the past five years. Free dailies now account for nearly 7 percent of all global newspaper circulation and for 23 percent of circulation in Europe alone.

Advertising revenues in paid dailies were up +0.86 percent last year from a year earlier, and up +12.84 percent over five years, WAN said. Print remains the world’s largest advertising medium, with a 40 percent share.

“Newspaper circulation has been rising or stable in three-quarters of the world’s countries over the past five years and in nearly 80 percent of countries in the past year,” said Timothy Balding, Chief Executive Officer of the World Association of Newspapers.

“And even in places where paid-for circulation is declining, notably the United States and some countries in western Europe, newspapers continue to extend their reach through a wide variety of free and niche publications and through their rapidly developing multi-media platforms,” he said.

The new data, from WAN’s annual survey of world press trends, was released to more than 1,800 publishers, editors and other senior newspaper executives from 113 countries attending the 61st World Newspaper Congress and 15th World Editors Forum in Göteborg, Sweden - a record attendance for the global meetings of the world’s press.

The figures showed:

Paid daily circulation grew +2.57 percent worldwide in 2007 from a year earlier, taking global sales to a new high of more than 532 million daily. With free dailies added, daily circulation increases to more than 573 million, a +3.65 percent increase from the total of paid and free dailies in 2006.

The total number of paid-for daily titles was up +2.98 percent in the world in 2007 and up 11.02 percent since 2003 to a record 11,926 titles. The total number of paid and free titles increased by +3.65 percent in 2007 and by +14.30 percent since 2003.

Newspaper advertising revenue increased +0.86 percent in 2007 from a year earlier, and was up +9.39 percent over five years.

The survey, which WAN has published annually since 1986, includes information on all countries and territories where newspapers are published -- 232.

The 2008 World Press Trends report reveals:

On circulation

Paid daily newspaper circulations were up or stable in nearly 80 percent of countries where figures were available in 2007. Over the past five years, they were up or stable in 75 percent of the countries.

More than 532 million people buy a newspaper every day, up from 486 million in 2003. Average readership is estimated to be more than 1.7 billion people each day.

74 of the world’s 100 best selling dailies are published in Asia. China, Japan and India account for 62 of them.

The five largest markets for newspapers are: China, with 107 million copies sold daily; India, with 99 million copies daily; Japan, with 68 million copies daily; the United States, with nearly 51 million; and Germany, 20.6 million.

Circulation sales were up +6.72 percent in South America in 2007 over the previous year, up +4.7 percent in Asia, down -0.49 percent in Africa, down -1.87 percent in Europe, down -2.14 percent in North America and down -4.28 percent in Australia and Oceania.

The number of paid-for newspaper titles increased everywhere except North America, where they were down -0.56 percent. The number of newspaper titles was up +5.3 percent in Asia, +4.55 percent in Australia and Oceania, +3.99 percent in Africa , +2.54 percent in South America, and +0.48 percent in Europe.

In the European Union, paid daily newspapers saw a -2.37 percent drop in 2007 and a -5.91 percent drop since 2003. Combined with free dailies, circulation in the EU rose +2 percent over one year and +9.61 percent over five years.

Newspapers in 11 European Union countries increased their total paid circulation in 2007. They were: Austria +2.12 percent, Bulgaria +7.20 percent, Cyprus +2 percent, Czech Republic +0.18 percent, Estonia +1.09 percent, Greece +1.91 percent, Lithuania +3.55 percent, Malta +2, Portugal +1.49, Romania +3.04, and Spain +0.29. Circulation was stable in Luxembourg.

Those reporting losses were: Belgium -0.49 percent, Denmark -2.13 percent, Finland -0.99 percent, France -0.48 percent, Germany -2.38 percent, Hungary -8.27 percent, Ireland -0.38 percent, Italy -0.29 percent, Latvia -26.48 percent, the Netherlands -2.92 percent, Poland -11.57 percent, Slovakia -5.25 percent, Slovenia -6.29 percent, Sweden -3.49 percent, and the United Kingdom -3.46 percent.

Over the five years 2003-2007, paid circulation rose in 12 countries: Austria +13.17, Bulgaria +4.95, Cyprus +13.33, Czech Republic +0.30, Estonia +11.16, Ireland +3.24, Lithuania +15.42 percent, Malta +20 percent, Portugal +6.67 percent, Romania +19.40 percent, Slovakia +1 percent, and Slovenia +9.33 percent.

In the same period, circulation declined in: Belgium -4.13 percent, Denmark -10.14 percent, Finland -1.83 percent, France -4.83 percent, Germany -8.78 percent, Greece -0.62 percent, Hungary -13.57 percent, Italy -3.80 percent, Latvia -34.08 percent, Luxembourg -0.87 percent, the Netherlands -11.54 percent, Poland -3.88 percent, Spain -0.84 percent, Sweden -6.49 percent, and the United Kingdom -10.14 percent.

Elsewhere in Europe, circulation in 2007 increased in Albania, +7.14 percent, Moldova +21.20 percent, Montenegro +9.09 percent, and Ukraine +5.60 percent. It decreased in Croatia -6.25 percent, Iceland -4.76 percent, Macedonia -3.57 percent, Norway -2.11 percent, and Switzerland -2.94 percent.

Over five years, circulation increased in Moldova +278.75 percent, Montenegro +33.33 percent, and Ukraine +481 percent. It declined in Albania -1.32 percent, Iceland -43.66 percent, Macedonia -10 percent, Norway -9.31 percent, and Switzerland -12.26 percent.

The number of paid-for newspaper titles in the EU climbed +0.41 percent in 2007, to 1,484, and was up +3.49 percent over five years. When paid and free titles are combined, the number of titles rose +0.69 percent over one year and +8.53 percent over five years.

The circulation of US dailies fell -3.03 percent in 2007 and -8.05 percent over five years. Most of the decline came in evening dailies, which saw a year-on-year circulation decline of -10.08 percent, compared with only -1.97 percent for morning dailies. Over the past five years, evening dailies declined -25 percent, compared with a -5.08 percent drop for morning newspapers.

In Japan, newspaper sales fell by -0.96 percent in 2007. Over five years, sales are down -2.70 percent.

China newspaper sales continue to perform well, up +3.84 and +20.69 percent over one and five years.

In Latin America, circulation increased in 2007 in Argentina +7.54 percent, Brazil +11.80 percent, Chile +3.99 percent, and Suriname +3.77 percent. Circulation was stable in Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Uruguay and Venezuela. Newspaper sales fell in Colombia -1.25 percent and Paraguay -3.85 percent.

Over five years, circulations increased in Argentina +22.70 percent, Bolivia +3.70 percent, Brazil +24.93 percent, Chile +13.82 percent, Colombia +8.97 percent, Ecuador +15.22 percent, Guyana +6.67 percent, and Suriname +22.22 percent. Circulations declined in Paraguay -16.67 percent and Uruguay -11.18 percent.

Indian newspaper sales increased 11.22 percent in 2007 and 35.51 percent in the five-year period.

Elsewhere in Asia, sales were up in Bangladesh +7.69, Hong Kong +2.50 percent, Indonesia +2 percent, Kazakhstan +12.5 percent, Kyrgyzstan +18.18 percent, Macau +2.70 percent, Malaysia +61.83 percent, Mongolia +3.85 percent, Nepal +4.62 percent, Pakistan +0.50 percent, Singapore +16 percent, Vietnam 0.71. Circulation decreased in Korea -1.03 percent, the Philippines -0.53 percent and Taiwan -4.76 percent. It was stable in Cambodia and Thailand.

Over five years, circulation increased in Bangladesh +40 percent, Cambodia +10 percent, Indonesia +11.67 percent, Kazakhstan +181 percent, Macau +12.43 percent, Malaysia +93.95 percent, Mongolia +42.11 percent, Nepal +36 percent, Pakistan +32 percent, Singapore +16.44 percent, Thailand +9.77 percent, Turkmenistan +24.44 percent, and Vietnam +6.42 percent. It decreased in Hong Kong -8.89 percent, Korea -2.69 percent, and Taiwan -11.11 percent.

In the Middle East, where it has been difficult to obtain reliable data, circulation increased in 2007 in Bahrain +3.33 percent, Iran +3.61 percent, Jordan +12.50 percent, Kuwait +27.91 percent, Oman +17 percent, Palestinian Authority +12.50 percent and Saudi Arabia +0.21 percent. It was stable in Israel, Lebanon and Syria.

Sales in Australia recorded an decrease of -5.35 percent in 2007. while New Zealand newspaper sales were down -1.39 percent year-on-year.

In Africa, sales were up in 2007 in Algeria +4.17 percent, Benin +4.17 percent, Cameroon +4.29 percent, The Gambia +33.33 percent, Ivory Coast +2.56 percent, Kenya +45.45 percent, Liberia +10 percent, Libya +42.86 percent, Madagascar 4.76 percent, Morocco 10 percent, Namibia +10 percent, Senegal +2.50 percent, Somalia +5 percent, and South Africa 2.70 percent.

Sales declined in 2007 in Burkina Faso -3.03, Nigeria -37.80, Reunion -1.37, -8 percent in Zimbabwe.

The Japanese remain the world’s greatest newspaper buyers, with 624 daily sales per thousand adults. They are followed by Norway with 580 sales per thousand, Finland with 503 and Sweden and Singapore with 449.

The Turks spend the most time with their newspapers -- 74 minutes a day -- followed by the Belgians with 54, and the Finns and Chinese, with 48 minutes each, on average.

On advertising

Global newspaper advertising revenues have increased for five straight years and were up +0.86 percent in 2007. It has increased 12.84 percent over the five-year period.

Newspapers share of the world ad market in 2007 fell slightly to 27.5 percent from 28.7 percent a year in 2006. Newspapers remain the world’s second largest advertising medium, after television, with more revenue than radio, cinema, outdoor, and the internet combined. When newspapers and magazines are combined, print is the world’s largest advertising medium, with a 40 percent share, compared to 38 percent for television.

Newspaper advertising revenues - excluding frees, where consistent data is not yet available - increased in all regions except North America, where it fell -2.77 percent in 2007. Revenues increased in western Europe +2 percent, Asia-Pacific +3.31 percent, Middle East and Africa +13.17 percent, Latin America +10.77 percent and central & eastern Europe +5.39 percent.

Between 2003 and 2007, newspaper advertising revenues increased in all regions: North America, +8.1 percent, western Europe +10.15 percent, Asia Pacific 13.88 percent, Middle East and Africa 99.3 percent, Latin America, 55.38 percent, and central and eastern Europe +8.47 percent.

Newspaper advertising revenues in the USA, by far the largest newspaper advertising market in the world, decreased by -3 percent in 2007 but increased by +8 percent over the last five years.

In Japan, ad expenditures declined in 2007 by -4.08 percent and were down -8.77 percent over the past five years.

China saw an increase in advertising revenues of +16.13 percent last year, and +49.39percent over five years.

Newspaper markets in the European Union saw a +1.51 percent increase in newspaper advertising revenues in 2007, and a +9.91 percent increase over five years.

19 of 24 EU countries for which data was available showed increases in advertising revenue in 2007: Austria +9.07 percent, Belgium +2.36 percent, Denmark +0.67 percent, Estonia +15.78 percent, Finland +5.46 percent, Germany +0.84 percent, Greece +12.73 percent, Ireland +9.04 percent, Italy +1.1 percent, Latvia +6.20 percent, Lithuania +8.18 percent, the Netherlands +2 percent, Poland +2.5 percent, Portugal +1.49 percent, Romania + 20.37 percent, Slovakia +8 percent, Slovenia +1.77 percent, Spain +6 percent, and Sweden +4.5 percent,

Newspaper advertising revenue declined in Bulgaria (-4.66), Czech Republic (-7.04), Hungary (-0.05 percent), and the United Kingdom (-1.79 percent).

Over five years, advertising revenues was up in all but three of the 25 countries for which data was available: Austria +34.92 percent, Belgium +89.97 percent, Bulgaria +30.71 percent, the Czech Republic +27.54 percent, Denmark +27.44 percent, Estonia +67.91 percent, Finland +5.46 percent, France +2.19 percent, Germany +5.7 percent, Greece +78.57 percent, Hungary +19.7 percent, Ireland +58.85 percent, Italy +7.56 percent, Latvia +44.6 percent, Lithuania +33.48 percent, Netherlands +0.63 percent, Romania +106.82 percent, Slovakia +43.09 percent, Spain +26.87 percent, and Sweden +18.95 percent. Advertising revenues declined over five years in Poland -58.58, Portugal -1.63 and in the United Kingdom -5.18 percent.

In India, newspaper advertising revenues decline -1.42 percent in 2007 but were up 64.8 percent over five years.

Internet advertising revenues - not just newspapers online, but all internet advertising - was up 32.45 percent over one year and 200 percent over five years. Most of the revenue is generated in the United States, western Europe and in the Asia-Pacific region: North American internet advertising revenue is 20 times greater than the combined revenue generated in central and eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

Even within the regions themselves, the distribution of internet advertising revenue is striking. The United Kingdom has nearly 40 percent of all internet advertising revenues generated in Europe, while Germany has 23 percent and France has 14 percent. If the US and European markets are combined, the US would have a 62 percent share, followed by the United Kingdom with 15 percent and Germany with 8 percent.

In Europe, internet display advertising revenues now surpass classified revenues while search remains the largest advertising market online.

Newspaper online revenues are forecast to more than double in the next five years and will account for 12 percent of total newspaper advertising by 2011.

Free Dailies

A total of 312 free daily newspapers had a combined circulation of 41.04 million daily, a circulation increase of 20 percent over one year and 173.2 percent over five years.

When free and paid-for circulations are combined, free dailies account for 7 percent of the total world-wide, 23 percent in Europe, 8 percent in the US and 2 percent in Asia.

The six largest free dailies are Leggo in Italy (1.95 million copies), Metro in the United Kingdom (1.37 million copies), 20 Minutos in Spain (1 million copies), Metro in Canada (990,000 copies), and Que! and ADN in Spain (959,000 copies each).

Newspapers On-line

The number of newspaper on-line sites grew +13.77 percent in 2007 and +50.77 percent over the five years from 2003.

A study in the US shows that newspaper web site users also read the print edition: 81 percent of online newspaper readers also read a printed newspaper at least once a week. Half say they spend the same time as they did previously with newspaper content, while 35 percent they spend more time overall with newspaper content.

Also in the US, newspaper audiences grew 8 percent through a combination of print and online in 2007.

The World Press Trends 2008 edition is now available by contacting the World Association of Newspapers, 7 rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00, Fax +33 1 47 42 49 48. E-mail:contact_us@wan.asso.fr.

In addition to much more data, country by country, the 930-page publication includes information on:

Non-daily publications, which in some markets are performing better than dailies;

Advertising expenditure forecasts for newspapers and magazines, together with total spending forecasts, for 2008, 2009 and 2010;

Trends in format and cover price of daily newspapers; in colour capability; in media consumption, in display and classified advertising income, in distribution of sales between single copy and subscription;

Data on the top-selling titles in each country, the top sectors for advertising in newspapers and the major advertisers;

Information on the tax rates and conditions for the press, on subsidies, on ownership regulations, and more.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom and the professional and business interests of newspapers world-wide. Representing 18,000 newspapers, its membership includes 77 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 11 regional and world-wide press groups.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr

Advertising Expenditure for Chapters (000 US$) [GCC & Pan Arab Markets - Jan-Mar 2007 ]

2008-10-18T03:28:00.000-07:00

Advertisement industry in the region is fast growing industry. Here is the report on how much the region is spending on advertisement and whic are the big brands to spend in Media ranging from TV, Press, Internet and Radio. Omair

Chapter & Abbreviation		Y2005	Y2006	Y2007	Sh%	Y07/06	TV	NP	MG	RD	OD	OT
Government/Organization Advertising	GOA	122.0	161.7	195.3	14.7	20.8	20.2	75.9	2.6	*	0.9	0
Toiletries Hygiene/ House Care Products	THP	105.6	126.1	168.6	12.7	33.7	85.5	3.1	9.3	*	1.7	*
Food Beverages And Tobacco	FBT	76.5	92.5	115.2	8.6	24.6	86.4	4.5	3.7	1	4.1	*
Communications & Public Utilities	CPU	66.9	95.0	113.2	8.5	19.2	71.4	17.9	3.6	3.6	3.2	*
Publishig Media	PUM	64.2	79.8	92.0	6.9	15.3	46.3	42.8	6.8	2.5	1.5	0
Insurance & Real Estate	INR	73.8	51.1	88.0	6.6	72.1	13.8	76.3	8.6	0.5	0.8	0
Vehicles,Accessories & Supply	VAS	62.0	60.5	80.9	6.1	33.8	28.7	54.1	13.3	1.2	2.3	*
Shopping Malls & Retail Stores	SMR	61.2	72.6	80.9	6.1	11.5	17.2	53.7	20.8	2.4	5.7	*
Financial Services	FS	47.6	68.0	70.9	5.3	4.2	17.9	67.4	8	2.2	4.5	0
Hotel, Travel & Tourism	HTT	44.8	45.0	63.2	4.7	40.4	31.1	39.2	15.5	2.6	11.4	*
Entertainment	ENT	50.2	48.4	62.7	4.7	29.7	41.2	42.7	11.3	2.3	2.4	*
Professional Services	PRS	47.4	52.7	62.1	4.7	17.9	18	69	11.4	0.9	0.5	*
Clothing,Jewellery & Personal Acs	CJP	37.1	35.4	46.7	3.5	31.8	28.8	30.5	34.4	2.1	4.2	0
Business/Construct Equip. & Supply	BCS	35.3	34.0	37.8	2.8	11.3	25.4	43.2	28.1	0.7	2.4	*
Household Appliances	HHA	17.1	22.6	25.0	1.9	10.6	47.2	37	13.7	0.6	1.1	*
Other Services	SER	19.5	20.2	24.3	1.8	20.1	7.9	77.9	13	*	0.6	*
Total		931	1,066	1,332	100	25	39	46	11	1	3

Overall Media Split Analysis [ GCC & Pan Arab Markets - Jan-Mar 2007 ]


Media	2005		2006		2007		Var'n
	Value	Sh%	Value	Sh%	Value	Sh%	Y2007/2006
Television	363	39	422	40	558	42	32
Newspaper	424	46	473	44	572	43	21
Magazine	103	11	118	11	133	10	13
Radio	9	1	13	1	19	1	48
Outdoor	30	3	38	4	47	4	25
Cinema	2	0	3	0	2	0	-30
Total	931	100	1,066	100	1,332	100	25

Television Top Spenders (000 US$) [ GCC & Pan Arab Markets - Jan-Mar 2007 ]

Rank	Brand	Y2007	Var'n Y07/06
1	Dove	17,335	139
2	Pepsi	11,108	24
3	Johnson	8,973	40
4	Mobily	8,050	0
5	Sunsilk	7,493	140
6	Vodafone	6,836	242
7	Khaliji 18	6,713	N
8	Du	6,424	N
9	Lipton	5,999	53
10	Galaxy	5,848	66
11	Saudi Telecomm	5,509	44
12	Ford	5,197	67

See the full report at this link.

http://www.arabiandemographics.com/servlets/aemi2004gcc.jsp

TV and Print dominated the advertising scene in 2007 in the Middle East

2008-10-18T03:04:00.000-07:00

TV and Print dominated the advertising scene in 2007 in the Middle East, accounting for 93% of the total advertising spend. This is according to theIpsosreport for 2007 covering Pan Arab media in addition to seperate reports for 10 countries in GCC, Levant and Egypt.

The total expenditure in 2007 reached 8.5 Billion USD.

TV maintained its leading position with a 40% increase in the total spends, exceeding 4 Billion USD in the total.

Print, second on the list, witnessed an increment of 24% reaching 3.8 Billion USD.

Outdoor witnessed a drop by 27% reaching a total of 336 Million USD, while Radio scored a 35% increment reaching 197 Million USD. Cinema witnessed a slight drop of 5% in total expenditure, yet remains in last place at 19 Million USD.

See the Graph and report here

http://mediame.com/sites/default/files/Ipsos2007ByMedia.pdf

countrywise report

http://mediame.com/sites/default/files/Ipsos2007ByCountry.pdf

http://mediame.com/tv_and_print_dominate_the_advertising_scene_in_2007

TV ad rates rise up to 25% during Ramadan

2008-10-18T02:52:00.000-07:00

Television advertisement rates for local Arab programmes telecast in the region are 15 to 25 per cent higher during Ramadan than the rest of the year, according to several media buyers.

TV ad spots of 30 seconds during Ramadan range between Dh9,000 and Dh130,000, based on the rating of the TV station, the popularity of the programme and the expected viewership.

Michael Nammour, Media Buying Director, Mediaedge:Cia, said: "Though most advertisers during Ramadan focus on sponsorships rather than buying 30 second advertisement spots, many who don't want to take risks or don't have the budget choose to go with ad spots.

"Many firms depend on this season for exposure, mainly sectors such as food and beverages, car rentals, hotels and restaurants, as Ramadan tents dealers."

Wael Jamal, Regional Director, Mediacom, said: "Established brands go for sponsorships, while new businesses need ad spots to explain their message and build brand awareness."

Ramadan ad spend has been increasing at an average rate of 30 per cent year on year, according to experts from top TV stations and inner circles of the local advertising world.

Jamal said inflation and increased demand for TV advertising influence the price hike for TV ad rates. "Increased prices and high inflation have a direct influence on production costs and broadcasting fees. Higher liquidity and more investments lead to additional advertising spend. TV stations have a limited inventory. To avoid clutter, they have a maximum 12 minutes of ad spots per hour, a limit that cannot be exceeded," said Jamal.

Consequently, he said, TV stations put higher prices on ad spots. "TV is the most efficient medium, with the widest reach. For instance, Syrian hit Bab Al Hara on MBC 1 received an excellent response last year. On an average, MBC's non-Ramadan viewership is estimated between 30 to 40 per cent," said Jamal.

Agreeing with him, Nammour said: "Viewership during Ramadan increases by 30 per cent. Prime time during this month could be anytime between 6.30pm and 2.00am – that is eight hours of continuous prime time."

A representative from a free-to-air TV station said advertisement spots are still undervalued, even with all the increases.

He said as a free-to-air station with excellent ratings in various GCC markets including the UAE and Saudi are benefiting from his station's fixed rates to spread their messages to a much wider audience at no extra charge.

MBC 1 has hit the highest advertising rates with a record Dh130,000 per 30-second spot on its Gulf comedy programme Koullouna E'yaal Qarya.

Bayni W Baynak, another MBC 1 Gulf series, has a rate of Dh100,000 per 30 second spot. Dubai TV's Sira'a Aala L Rimal, the Bedouin series written by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is Dh55,000 per spot.

CARTOON PROGRAMME GETS MORE TIME

Adnan Al Obthani, Managing Director of Qanawat, said his company and Sama Dubai, co-producers of Sha'biyat Al Cartoon have increased their investment in the Emirati cartoon strip by 200 per cent. The Ramadan cartoon strip has been lengthened from six minutes to 12 minutes, employing regional and global expertise, and state-of-the-art techniques. Haidar Mohammad, inventor of the cartoon series, said: "The success of Sha'biyat Al Cartoon last season, forced us to lengthen the duration this time."

http://www.business24-7.ae/articles/2008/9/pages/09032008_7dc0c2a24577460099f72c0da9d950dc.aspx

70% of journalists admit to deleting emails from PR agencies without reading them

2008-10-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

Major regional survey reveals the concerns and frustrations of Middle East journalists with the way they receive PR material

70% of journalists admit to deleting emails from PR agencies without reading them

2nd April 2007 --- The corporate communications industry in the Middle East needs to become more targeted and sharpen up the way it deals with the media, according to the results of a major survey published today.

The online poll, conducted jointly by Insight and MediaSource, canvassed the opinions of 139 journalists working for Arabic and English-language newspapers and magazines in the UAE, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, covering topics ranging from press releases, press conferences, PR practice, the sources journalists use for stories, and the current state of journalism in the region.

The findings provide a revealing insight to the true state of the working relationship between journalists and corporate communications professionals, and makes stark, yet essential, reading for the region’s PR community.

“We set out to discover the main pressures bearing on journalists throughout the region, and to find out how successfully organisations from all sectors are communicating with them,” explained James Mullan, joint managing partner of media training consultancy, Insight.

“While some of the journalists are highly critical of the region’s ‘PR machine’, there is a great deal of constructive criticism and occasional praise, which will help agencies and corporate communications departments better understand the day-to-day concerns and frustrations of the journalists they deal with.”

Among the key findings of the survey are:

Nearly two thirds of journalists receive up to 20 press releases a day, yet 55% say they actually use less than 10% of the releases they receive. Asked to rate the importance of press releases as a news source, 74% of the Arabic-language media believe them to be either ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ important, compared with just 56% of the English-language media.

80% of English-language journalists admit to either ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ deleting emails from PR agencies without actually reading them, while a more forgiving 60% of Arabic media confess to the same practice.

‘On the record’ briefings are the most significant source of stories for the region’s journalists with 85% of all respondents rating them as either ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ important.

When asked whether they would be more likely to use a press release if it came with a gift, 41% of Arabic-language journalists and 19% of English-language journalists replied ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’.

Ben Smalley, managing director of MediaSource, which publishes the Middle East & North Africa Media Guide and represents global PR tool Mediadisk in the region, said: “When asked ‘what is the most irritating practice that PR professionals engage in?’, both the Arabic and English-language press were unanimous in the opinion that sending material which has no relevance to their publication was the single greatest annoyance.

“The ‘scattergun’ approach adopted by some PR practitioners of sending a release to everyone in the hope that those which find it relevant may use it, can be highly counterproductive – one editor even confesses to blocking the receipt of emails from PRs with a history of sending irrelevant releases ‘despite the risk of missing out on genuinely good material’.”

While the survey primarily focused on the relationship between journalists and the communications industry, the questions were also designed to reveal insights into regional journalism.

“When asked to comment on the current state of their own profession, the Arabic-language media have a brighter view than their English-language colleagues,” stated Oliver Blofeld, managing partner, Insight.

“More than half of the Arabic-language press (57%) rate the quality of journalism in the region as either being ‘very good’ or ‘fairly good’, but the majority of the English-language press (56%) believe it is only ‘okay’.

“Conversely, 80% of the English-language press believe standards of journalism are ‘improving’, while only 40% of the Arabic-language press feel the same, with 29% believing standards are ‘staying the same’ and 31% thinking they are ‘getting worse’.”

When it comes to the external pressures journalists feel when writing stories the way they want to, the majority of both the Arabic and English-language press (41%) felt they were under no external pressure, although a substantial minority (32%) found government rules and regulations to be a factor.

The full Insight/MediaSource Middle East Journalist Report 2007, which includes over 500 direct quotes from regional journalists, can be purchased online through the Middle East & North Africa Media Guide website – www.middleeastmediaguide.com for US$150, or by emailing requests to admin@insightmiddleeast.com.

http://www.middleeastmediaguide.com/downloads/SurveyReleaseEnglish.doc.

- Ends -

Notes to editors:

MediaSource is the publisher of the Middle East & North Africa Media Guide and exclusive representative of Mediadisk in the MENA region.

The annual Middle East & North Africa Media Guide is the region’s only comprehensive media directory. Mediadisk is the world’s leading media database solution – providing the PR industry with access to over 800,000 contacts at 200,000 media outlets across the globe.

MediaSource’s in-house research team updates its media database on a daily basis, providing Mediadisk clients and users of the Middle East & North Africa Media Guide with unrivalled access to the regional media - www.middleeastmediaguide.com

Insight is a specialist media and presentation training consultancy providing international- standard, regionally-relevant courses to organisations across the public and private sectors in the Middle East. Insight provides both packaged and tailored courses for senior and middle management and work both together with communications consultancies as well as directly with in-house communications teams.

Issued by Insight and MediaSource. For further information, please contact James Mullan, managing partner, Insight, on +971-4 311 6617,

mobile +971-50 455 9047, j.mullan@insightmiddleeast.com

Or, Ben Smalley, managing director, MediaSource, on +971-4 361 6354,

mobile +971-50 553 0209, editor@middleeastmediaguide.com

Survey: Arab Arab Women and the media

2008-10-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

Regional, Culture, 10/29/2003

A recent survey was conducted by the center of Arab Women for Training and Research CAWTAR, which has Tunis as a headquarters, on Arab women and the media.

CAWTAR's survey is on Arab women and the media. A field survey in Tunisia, Jordan, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.

This study, dealing with the same topic "women's image in the media," by presenting the discourse of media professional women as well as their perception on the co-relation between women and their work and the position of women in the field of mass communication.

The study has enumerated 173 articles published in the sampled four countries, namely articles dealing with various issues related to women.

Among interviewed women, the majority mentioned working in more than one media field indicating the media professional women do not restrict their production to one domain, and rather dedicate themselves to diversified topics.

The proportions of media professional women dealing with political, national and international issues are 47.3% in Yemen, 36% in Jordan, 32% in Tunisia and 2.1% in the United Arab Emirates.

As for questions directed to each woman in the selected sample concerning their preferred topics, answers indicated that social issued are the most preferred ones( 19%) followed by women's issues as their second choice (13.1%), then international issues (12.1%) and finally cultural issues ( 11.7%).

Media professional women's feeling of being discriminated against, compared to their male colleagues, is rather alleviated. About 14 to 16% of women have such a feeling in Jordan, Yemen and in the United Arab Emirates, and only 4.2% in Tunisia. Interviewed women stated that their choice of practicing media proficiency is accepted by more than 90% of their family and social environment.

The reportage type is ahead of all other types, scoring 42.4% of the total space reserved for the articles included in the analysis. The article type indicates that, despite the official celebration of International Women's day and the considerable number of events organized in relation to this event, there are only two editorials dedicated to women issues in Tunisian newspapers. On the other hand, such editorials are totally absent from the press publications of Jordan, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. It is a fact that the editorial is the column in which a specific press publication expresses its choices and opinions. Having neglected to deal with the issue of women in the publications "editorials" of the selected four countries, reveals their weak commitment to promote women conditions and to adopt their problems. Moreover, content analysis exposed the rarity of analytic articles which represents no more than 20.2% of the total published ones.

A schedule conducted by the survey shows the weak commitment of well educated people, experts and associations' activists in enriching media contents with issues related to women conditions even on temporary bases. Further, the distribution of articles according to gender shows that the number of written pieces attributed to women represents 55.7% of the total in the four selected countries.

As for the space unit indicator, it is observed that the space preserved for articles assigned by women is larger than that preserved for man; even if the number of men's articles are more than that of women's articles as in the case of Jordan

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031029/2003102925.html

Building our own Hollywood

2008-10-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

By Najla Al Awadhi, Special to Gulf News

Published: October 16, 2008, 23:48

I was watching a movie last night at the cinema, and as the lights were dimmed, the movie credits began, and as usual, there was the name of one of the big Hollywood studios. As the opening scenes started, I sat there in the darkness, and kept thinking, we can do this. We can produce movies just like that.

So then why are Hollywood movies dominating our appetite for films, and our movie theatres? Where is our film industry?

There is no doubt that Hollywood studios, which started decades ago, have mastered the art of filmmaking. They have also turned filmmaking into a multibillion dollar industry, and a vehicle which has made American pop culture global.

Of course, you could argue that filmmaking in the Arab world dates back to the 1930s, and I'm specifically referring to Egyptian cinema, when the film industry in Cairo became a regional force. Egyptian films in the 1940s and 1950s saw what many called the "golden age" of Arab cinema.

This is not to say that these films were perfect or reflected realities of Egypt or other Arab societies. But like their Hollywood counterparts, Arab filmmakers were producing films which were 'happy endings', but more importantly, the significance here is that they were producing them with really high production values, which meant great stories, great acting, and movies that actually touched you in some way, laid the nucleus for the evolution of a great film industry.

However, that all changed with the shift of the political landscape in Egypt, from Farouq to Nasser, and with the surfacing of the major socio-economic challenges in Egypt, this led to the neglect of the film industry, and consequently its erosion. The 1970s and beyond saw a true decline in the quality of films, and that really was the beginning of the end of Egyptian/Arab cinema.

No Arab country has yet risen to truly proclaim the place that Egyptian cinema once held in the Arab world. But this is changing.

Dubai has taken the lead in establishing itself as the hub of media in the Arab world by opening Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, and launching the Dubai International Film Festival, which takes place every December 11.

In addition, the recently-opened Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Communication has a mission to graduate great Arab media minds, who will feed the creation of a film industry in the UAE and the region.

Abu Dhabi solidified the UAE's position even further by launching a content creation zone 'twofour 54' this year, and also hosting its own 'Middle East International Film Festival'.

So why should we care about Arab films? Why should we want to one day see our movie theatres showing films produced by Emiratis and other Arabs, and know that people will flock to see these films?

Economic force

It goes without saying that the film industry, when approached the right way , becomes an economic force. Hollywood has proven that. So we in the UAE need to continue our drive to build this industry, create synergies between our media projects, and make our country not only a media hub that imports and attracts foreign media, but a media hub that exports value-driven media.

In addition to the economic reasons for aggressively pursuing the film industry, there are cultural reasons too.

Every time I walk into a movie theatre, I see people from all over the world, from liberals to conservatives, from young to old. In spite of all the differences between these individuals, they all come together in one place to watch a story, which is essentially what movies do - they tell us stories, that cross boundaries and ideologies and speak to people's hearts and minds. The power of films, and media in general, to shape perceptions about our world, cannot be overemphasised.

Growing up, I watched a lot of Hollywood movies, and whenever there was an Arab character in these movies, he was either decadent, someone corrupt and rich, or a bloodthirsty terrorist. I was a child when I watched most of those movies, but I still remember those images, and being an Arab and a Muslim, I know that they do not represent my people.

But you can imagine that every other person who also watched those movies, non-Arabs or non-Muslims, or have not interacted with our society, you can imagine the impression that those movies left them with in terms of forming their views about us. So you see, we need to tell our stories. And building a film industry, will give us a powerful platform to do just that.

- The writer is a member of the Federal National Council, CEO Dubai Media Incorporated and General Manager of Dubai One TV.

http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/nation/10252372.html

Qatar: Centre for Media Freedom launched

2008-10-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

Web posted at: 10/16/2008 2:36:7
Source ::: The Peninsula

doha • The Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF), which was officially launched yesterday, will be taking up the matter of getting legislation introduced to benefit the local media in the country.

Robert Menard, DCMF Director-General, told reporters at an event held at Sharq Village and Spa: "We are here so we can express feelings. There are some shortfalls in legislation in the country and we have spoken to H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned about this." The DCMF is under the patronage of Sheikha Mozah and was set up by an Emiri decree on December 9 last year.

Menard, responding to a question on how employers retain the passports of their employees, and the question of exit permits, said the rules were "backward".

Yesterday's launch saw a panel of 13, including Menard as well as several members of the DCMF Board of Governors and Advisory Council, laud Qatar's initiative in setting up the Centre. Social activist Hassan Al Jefairi and several reporters not covering the event took the opportunity to raise points of issue about media freedom in the country, alleging they had faced problems carrying out their duties at one time or the other.

Menard said Qatar would not be kept away from the scanner, saying: "There will be freedom in criticism and we will also criticise Qatar. We will try to protect the integrity of the country and will hold the same critical views of Qatar."

DCMF will be issuing publicity material to highlight media freedom. "Freedom of the media starts here. We want this centre to do practical, tangible and concrete work for journalists, including legal and

medical help."

The DCMF has set up two shelters here for journalists — one to house men and the other women — who have faced harassment or have been hounded out by authorities in their respective countries. They will be allowed to stay for a period of three to six months. "We do not want to stop journalists from pursuing their careers," said Menard. The DCMF has also set up a website, www.dohacentre.org, to get its message across.

Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who is on the DCMF Board of Governors, said: This is an important media initiative. This is a centre which can play an important role in a world which has been facing upheaval over the past few decades. I want the centre's job to be in the service of information and it should stand firm on media freedom."

He said: "Liberty and freedom matter to all of us and in any part of the world freedom is a basic concept of liberty. We should expose those who do not uphold honesty."

Nasser Al Othman, well-known Qatari journalist and member of the DCMF Advisory Council, said: "With the setting up of this centre, I have a wonderful feeling of triumph. We want this to be bigger than Al Jazeera network. We want the DCMF to set its eyes on the entire world.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=October2008&file=Local_News200810162367.xml

Arab Press Laws, International media initiatives

2008-10-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

Press Laws in Gulf Cooperation Council countries

Here are all press laws adopted by the six countries of the GCC region in last some years.

Majlis-e-Shoura of Bahrain adopted the Press law on 19^th November 2003 which consists 88 articles.

Majlis-Umma of Kuwait adopted the law on March, 6, 2006 which consists of thirty articles.

http://faj.org.eg/laws.asp?whichpage=1&pagesize=6&number=&kind=&technique=&place=&p_date=

Qaboos bin Sultan of Oman issued decree on Press law on 29 May 1984 which consists on 71 articles.

Saudi Monarch Fahad bin Abdulaziz issued decree regarding Saudi Press law on 1421 Hijree which consists on 34 articles.

Presidential Palace of United Arab Emirates issued Press law in 1980 which consists on 108 articles.

http://www.gcc-legal.org/MojPortalPublic/BrowseLawOption.aspx?LawID=3160&country=2

Important links about Press Laws in the Gulf Region

http://www.arablaw.org/Arab%20Law%20Net%202U.htm

http://www.gcc-legal.org

http://faj.org.eg/laws.asp?

Arab Ministers of Information

النظام الأساسى لمجلس وزراء الإعلام العرب

http://www.arableagueonline.org/las/arabic/details_ar.jsp?art_id=210&level_id=1569

Sana’a Declaration on promoting Independent and Pluralistic Arab Media

adopted at Sana’a, Yemen 7-11 January 1996. The Sana'a Seminar follows three successive seminars organized by the United Nations and UNESCO on the same theme for the media in Africa (Windhoek, Namibia, May 1991), Asia (Almaty, Kazakstan, October 1992), and Latin America and the Caribbean (Santiago de Chile, May 1994).

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001051/105152e.pdf

Media Sustainability Index, (MSI) 2005 - Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

The Middle East and North Africa Media Development Initiatives Alliance (MENA MEDIA), funded by the US Department of State’s Middle East Partnership initiative and launched in 2005, works in partnership with local media professionals and organizations to address the media profession’s most pressing issues. IREX maintains a regional office in Beirut, Lebanon with local representatives throughout the region

Drawing on its unique experience in developing a successful MSI for Europe and Eurasia over the past five years, IREX is now expanding its in-depth analysis of the conditions for independent media to the MENA region.

http://www.irex.org/programs/MENAmedia/index.asp

The Charter Articles of Association (October 2000)

The Federation of Arab Journalists - F.A.J,

http://faj.org.eg

Media development indicators: a framework for assessing media development

Intergovernmental Council of the IPDC; 26th; Paris; 2008

http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=26032&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html?URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC)

Fostering Media Development. Building Democratic Societies

he International Programme for the Development of Communication is a major forum in the UN system designed to develop free and pluralistic media with a global approach to democratic development.

http://www.unesco.org/webworld/ipdc

Edited by

Omair Anas

International NGOs for Press Freedom

2008-10-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

International NGOs

Article 19

Index on censorship

International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX)

Amnesty International

Human rights watch

International Federation for Human Rights Leagues

Committee to Protect Journalists

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression

Freedom Forum

Freedom House

International Press Institute

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

International Federation of Journalists

International Pen

World Association of Newspapers

World Press Freedom Committee

International Committe of the Red Cross

Freedom and censorship in Arab world

2008-10-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Freedom and censorship in Arab world

http://www.al-bab.com/media/freedom.htm

Organisations

Committee to Protect Journalists
An independent organisation based in New York which promotes press freedom worldwide "by defending the rights of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal". See Middle East overview.

Reporters Without Borders
(Reporters Sans Frontières) A French-based organisation. SeeMiddle East section of its website..

International Press Institute
"Dedicated to the furtherance and safeguarding of press freedom, the promotion of the free flow of news and information, and the improvement of the practices of journalism"

Arab Press Freedom Watch
Seeks "to help Arab journalists and Arab media organisations to preserve the basic right of freedom of expression and to maintain a positive role for the media in the progress of Arab societies towards democracy, peace and prosperity".

Article 19
A human rights organisation "with a specific mandate and focus on the defence and promotion of freedom of expression and freedom of information worldwide". Its name refers to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The International Centre Against Censorship, founded in 1986, campaigns for the promotion and protection freedom of expression. The Law Programme and the programme on the Middle East is of particular relevance.

Index on Censorship
Not really an organisation but a magzine which records abuses of free expression worldwide and has become "one of the world's leading repositories of original, challenging, controversial and intelligent writing on free expression issues".

Human Rights Watch
A general human rights organisation which also addresses freedom of expression issues. See Press Freedom and Internet sections of its website.

General

The Internet in the Mideast and North Africa
by Human Rights Watch. This is probably the most detailed survey yet of official attitudes towards the internet in the Arab world. With special country reports on: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates

The public's right to know
Guidelines for freedom of information legislation. (Article 19 organisation)

The Sana'a Declaration, 1996
This is the only international document on freedom for the Arab media. It was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 29th Session in Paris, in 1997. For the background to this and similar international documents see Media Independence and Pluralism (UNESCO).

Dilemmas of a free media for the Arabian Gulf
by S Nihal Singh, Editor, Khaleej Times, Dubai

The press in the Arab world: 100 years of suppressed freedom
Historical background by Said Essoulami

Arab cinema: the struggle to be seen
Notes issued by Channel Four television to accompany a season of Arab films shown on British TV in the late 1980s.

Bahrain

Reporters Without Borders
Press freedom news from Bahrain

Bahrain: Press Freedom Review
International Press Institute

Bahrain: attacks on the press in 2004
Committee to Protect Journalists

Kuwait

Reporters Without Borders
Press freedom news from Kuwait

Kuwait: Press Freedom Review
International Press Institute

Kuwait: attacks on the press in 2004
Committee to Protect Journalists

Oman

Reporters Without Borders
Press freedom news from Oman

Oman: Press Freedom Review
International Press Institute

Qatar