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24 Nov 2014
In cooperation with the Arab League, the Jordan Media Institute organized a workshop entitled "media and crises" with the participation of 21 media professionals from 9 Arab countries. The workshop aimed at providing participants with crisis management concepts, improving their practical and professional skills in covering crises as well as promoting professional and ethical values while dealing with the crisis situations, and ensuring the public's right to be informed.<br />
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Arab League Assistant Secretary General Haifa Abu Ghazaleh expressed hope that the workshop will pave the way for further cooperation between the Arab League and Jordan Media Institute. She stressed the importance of the event, saying that Arab nations are in dire need to obtain correct and clear information about such topics. Abu Ghazaleh added that cooperation and coordination between media organizations and stakeholders are needed in order to develop media strategies to cope with crises, noting that the Arab League has established a crises management room in collaboration with the European Union. The senior Arab League official clarified that many programs and activities have already been implemented through this room including an Arab conference, held recently in Jordan, which recommended the establishment of a crises response network in the Arab world in order to exchange expertise in this specific area.<br />
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For his part, Jordan Media Institute Dean, Dr. Basem Tweissi, said that the media is often used as a tool in situations of conflict, especially when there is a lack in professional and independent media that is capable of providing people with facts, and of offering objective answers to questions posed by crises. Dr. Tweissi underlined the need for a new debate in media, crises and conflict, as well as highlighting the necessity of self-criticism in order to evaluate the way media has been used in local, regional and international crises, especially in recent years. He said that intensive efforts are needed to entrench the principles of public service media in the Arab world in a way that serves the efficient management of crises, and limits the dissemination of hate speech and extremism.