Social media can be good as well as bad: Ambassador Lyutha

Muscat, Jan 30 - “Social media influences people a lot and it can be good as well as bad,” Ambassador Lyutha al Mughairy has said.
Speaking after being honoured for being a media pioneer at the Media Family Day, held at Sultan Qaboos University on Wednesday, she said social media helps people learn about other countries.” The event was organised by the Ministry of Information along with the Public Authority for Radio and Television.
“We have lot of tourists from Germany coming here because of what they see about the country. They learn more about Oman, its development and the people (through social media).” According to her, we see a lot of things happening around the world which aren’t nice. “We look at it because we have to know what is going on.” Asked about her advice to the Omani youth, she said: “Do your best in whatever you are doing. Encourage yourself and encourage those working with you.” They should encourage themselves and continue working, she said.
That’s the advice she gives her daughter too. “Do it, just do it,” she said. “Don’t stop, it is important because that is the only way to move forward.” Reminiscing about Al Alam, Lyutha said it looks entirely different from what she was used to back in 1975 when she was the Director of Radio of Oman and Television.
“It was a small place looking down the sea. So much has changed.” The Ministry of Information is where her career began upon her return to the Sultanate from Cairo, where she was studying.
Asked about the role of media when the country’s Renaissance had just begun, she said: “At the instruction of His Majesty, we wanted to develop the country for the people, most of whom at that time had not seen or owned a television or radio.
“There is so much people can learn from the media — radio, television and newspapers. We did not have entertainment programmes but we had programmes that would teach people about so many things needed for a country, which was just starting up.” “It was wonderful,” she said. “We were all eager to build our country. Everybody was enthusiastic. It gave us all high hopes as we had just started our cooperation with each other and they are all pioneers. I remember them all fondly. I am very proud of them. We had an excellent team.” Today she is Oman’s Ambassador to Germany. When she started her career in 1975 as a broadcast journalist, she didn’t realise a path was being set for her to move towards being a diplomat.
“It is natural for journalists to move towards politics or diplomacy because you follow political issues, current affairs, future events and past as well.” Lyutha was a student at the University in Cairo when she was chosen as a broadcaster for the overseas programme.
This meant she had an opportunity to travel around the world. She gave lectures on Oman and the developments in Oman.
It was not long before the UN offered her a job. “Going to the UN was a great experience as I learnt a lot and did a lot in the field of information.” But she wanted to come back to Oman and she was offered the post of a diplomat.
“I am very grateful to His Majesty and the minister for having faith in me and offering me this position. I worked as the Head of the Secretary-General’s Office and later as Ambassador to the UN.”