GCC Information Ministers urge more active role for professional media

Information Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have granted, in a final communique at end of the 19th session, the General Secretariat all powers to help media convey the real story of the events in the region. "The decision comes from deep belief of the importance of the media and its role in showing the GCC achievements and official stances," the communique noted. The ministers called for activating the GCC media role in covering regional events,reported the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA. The officials expressed appreciation to the professional media outlets that covered the recent events in the region. The council approved the GCC 2010-20 media strategy and the participants decided to form an executive committee of experts from relevant agencies in the GCC states and the Joint Program Production Institution to propose new mechanisms for the implementation of the GCC media strategy. They stressed that the 2010-20 media strategy will be present on the agenda of all regional media committees meetings. Meanwhile, the UAE Minister of Public Works and Chairman of National Media Council (NMC) Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan said in the opening speech that the media strategy aims to bolster joint media action and strengthen integration among GCC media outlets. For his part, GCC Secretary General Abdullatif Al-Zayyani underlined that the Arab world is going through major events and media has great role to play in it. "These developments increase the responsibility of the media in conveying realities on the ground and protect public opinion against biased media that do not adhere to media ethics," he said. Qatar''s delegation to the meeting was led by Qatar Media Corporation (QMC) executive president Mubarak bin Jaham Al-Kuwari.