A dose of media
By Reaven DSouza
By Reaven DSouza
The world is getting smaller, I feel so because I have just returned from a conference where 425 delegates from 97 countries attended, deliberated and decided a greater collaborative role for the media.
For the first time journalists from countries as remote as Zambia and Western Samoa sat along with journalists from the rest of the world to exchange viewpoints and share experiences.
Topics ranged from Media Development to media for development to the role of journalists and their training, media law, independence of media, reach and access of media, quality, professionalism and relevance of media and its sustainability.
The three-day Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) was incidentally held in Amman, under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II. Jordan had provided journalists a forum for discussion with the kind of freedom that even its local media does not enjoy. This was a groundbreaking conference for the region and in a way for the world.
Nowhere is globalization more apparent than in the media.
Television, radio, newspapers magazines and the internet bring to our living rooms, offices and even our breakfast tables, glimpses of events from every corner of the globe. New communication technologies have shrunk the world, and in a real sense made it all one: One market, one audience, one people.
GFMD 2005, will be remembered long after the conference has ended and the ripples I am sure, will be felt to distances and areas that were once immune. But what exactly was the gist that set the Amman conference apart from the others?
For one the coming together of media organizations made us understand the diversity of problems facing nations and that one rule for media somewhere could not be applied to it everywhere.
Television, radio, newspapers magazines and the internet bring to our living rooms, offices and even our breakfast tables, glimpses of events from every corner of the globe. New communication technologies have shrunk the world, and in a real sense made it all one: One market, one audience, one people.
GFMD 2005, will be remembered long after the conference has ended and the ripples I am sure, will be felt to distances and areas that were once immune. But what exactly was the gist that set the Amman conference apart from the others?
For one the coming together of media organizations made us understand the diversity of problems facing nations and that one rule for media somewhere could not be applied to it everywhere.
There is a vast difference in the problems of the Middle East vis-a-vis the problems of Africa and so on. For example freedom of information is meaningless if people dont have the means to access this information.
A connection was also established between freedom of the press and cracking down on corruption and improving governance. Since good governance is now thought to be a critical factor in overall development, this would mean also a correlation between a flourishing local media and overall socio-economic development.
A connection was also established between freedom of the press and cracking down on corruption and improving governance. Since good governance is now thought to be a critical factor in overall development, this would mean also a correlation between a flourishing local media and overall socio-economic development.
Every nation, region and even news organization was able to put forth their predicaments and exchange experiences something unimaginable in the past. As the fourth estate the onus was high as was the challenge.
The world is changing and so must the role of the media. In conclusion, media must act as a catalyst for change to make the world a better place to live in!
The world is changing and so must the role of the media. In conclusion, media must act as a catalyst for change to make the world a better place to live in!
Reaven DSouza is secretary-general of Kuwait Asian Journalists Association (Kaja). He represented Kaja at GFMD which was held from Oct 1-3, 2005. He is also founder managing editor of The Times, Kuwait. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Forwarded by Gaspar Almeida, Associate, www.goa-world.com
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