GCC information ministers issue media recommendations

GCC states’ ministers of information recommended Tuesday at the end of their 20th session that GCC member states produce more TV and radio programs on national events, GCC march and popular dialogue. In a statement marking the end of the session, the ministers welcomed Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the forthcoming symposium regarding the activation and implementation of the Information Strategy, Bahrain’s holding of the First Information Forum of the GCC 2013, the 21st GCC Information Conference and the arrangement of a visit by a number of post-graduate students from the US and Europe to GCC countries, particularly those studying political science, international relations and media, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The ministers expressed support for a proposal submitted by the Saudi minister of culture and information regarding the activation of the role of foreign-language oriented radios. They agreed that the GCC national news agencies launch a unified account on YouTube, and an internet channel for direct broadcasting of all official events so as to make them accessible for websites and social communication networks. They recommended that all GCC news agencies intensify the news and reports explaining the political positions of GCC member countries, noting that the news should be taken from their official sources and then distributed to a wide-range of recipients in different languages.