As we celebrate 53 years of achievements, one major sector that needs to be highlighted is Omani media, a genuine and honest mirror of the society that continues to disseminate a message of inspiration while being a source of knowledge and an objective instrument of shaping Omani character, its traits and civilised role.
In this past period, we are proud to say that Omani media, in general, has been an authority in a world saturated with fake news. With its authoritative voice, Omani media has cut through the noise, and many believe there is value in what it offers.
Under the supervision of the Ministry of Information, which was established in 1970, Omani media has seen significant developments, and the ministry has worked to establish and develop the media system in the Sultanate of Oman. Indeed, Omani media has fostered a national morale that consolidates the march of progress and prosperity and has brought about a change in all aspects of life during the last five decades.
Those working in the media sector can testify that freedom and responsibility are two inseparable concepts in Oman. "Professionalism constitutes a life jacket for responsible media freedom. An observer of Omani media finds that there is wide scope for all to comment on various topics of interest to society through a media approach that allows all opinions to contribute towards addressing common problems without defamation or unnecessary instigation of sentiments," Dr Abdullah Nasser al Harrasi, Minister of Information, said in an interview with Al Sharq al Awsat newspaper earlier this year.
"Omani media has a national and humanitarian message, and it is utilising its authentic and open experience with others positively by reporting the facts with full transparency, professionalism and responsibility," said Dr Abdullah. "As a result, Omani society developed great confidence in its media and the message it undertakes to achieve, he stressed.
During the last decade, the media industry in Oman has tipped in favour of digital and social media, leading to a host of advantages and challenges.
Technology in media has been the biggest game changer. It has impacted the media industry in many ways – from changing how media is consumed to media houses adapting to the new ways of disseminating information.
The Sultanate of Oman has been included in the cross currents of this new wave as tech-savvy younger demographic junks traditional forms of media in favour of new age devices and social media options like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
During the past period, the Ministry of Information embarked on preparing a new draft law for the media due to new developments introduced by technologies and the need to make the media system more comprehensive in its response to contemporary changes. Once it becomes law, the draft will constitute a valid legal reference and a solid ground for the Omani media.
Over the last five years, there has been a major shift in Oman's media as people have moved from traditional media to digital and social media.
However, the birth of digital media has not killed traditional media. In fact, they go hand in hand and complement each other, given the existence of a number of newspapers and magazines.
Omani media contributed to the creation of community awareness and enlightenment, as well as the preservation of Omani identity's civilisational and human dimensions.
Dr Al Harrasi said Oman's media experience can be defined in two main headings — 'A True Mirror' and 'An Honest Message'. "'The media track' in Oman Vision 2040 is fundamental. Since the National Conference for the vision, whose objectives were formulated under the supervision of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the media embarked on a live relay of the conference's dialogue sessions and played an effective role in motivating the acceleration of executive programmes aimed at finding prompt and sustainable solutions for priority lanes that spearheaded the whole process such as like fiscal balance, economic diversification and foreign investments attraction." Omani media conveyed work plans, programmes and solutions envisaged by the government.
This is done through dialogue sessions bringing together decision-makers, analysts, experts, academics and specialists—with the prime aim of following up on the performance of target growth sectors. For this purpose, the media has also established a permanent communication channel with the Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit.
In regards to the role of media in promoting Oman's tourism, there has been the existence of media programmes dedicated to this purpose to activate tourism in various seasons and monitor relevant news in all media.
The Ministry of Information has also taken a step towards improving the efficiency and performance of external media, encouraging it to serve the goals of Oman Vision 2040.
"We receive journalists and media professionals from different countries of the world who visit Oman and report their findings about the country, its society, its nature and development projects, in addition to the promising investment opportunities available in different sectors," said Dr Al Harrasi.
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