Media has a better role to play highlighting the positive side of the society and motivate those who do good things, according to Dr Fareed Ayyar, Secretary-General of FANA (Federation of Arab News Agencies).
“Keeping in mind the fact that media is a catalyst and a change agent, let me ask you why we are always focusing on the negative aspects and ignoring the positive side. Media has a greater role to play reflecting the development of a nation in various spheres, education, health, and other progressive steps that the country has been working on to give its citizens a better life,” said Dr Fareed, on the sidelines of the 2-day FANA conference on ‘Tackling Fake News’.
“One of the main challenges that we are facing today is definitely the fake news. Today’s media has a great role in any nation and it should not neglect the positive national strides and focus on the less important or negative moves. Instead, it should support the government and its functions,” he added. He further opined that it is difficult to stop fake news but the receivers can use their discretion to reject such false news and seek the right news.
The 47th session of the General Assembly of the FANA, which was hosted by the Ministry of Information represented by the Oman News Agency and attended by the directors and general managers, members of the federation, concluded on Monday.
The conference discussed a number of media topics and files of interest to the federation’s member states, in addition to administrative and financial files.
The General Assembly of the Federation of Arab News Agencies elected Dr Mohammad bin Mubarak al Araimi, the Director-General and Editor-in-Chief of Oman News Agency (ONA) as Chairman of FANA, for the next two years 2020/2021.
Abdullah bin Fahd al Hussein, Chairman of the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) and Shaikh Mubarak Duaij al Ibrahim al Sabah, Chairman and Director-General of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), were also elected as two vice-chairmen of the federation. The Directors General of the Palestinian News Agency Ayman Baha A’Din Zahir (WAFA), Jordan News Agency (PETRA) Fayek Hijazin, and the Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) are elected as members of FANA General Secretariat.
The General Assembly approved the formation of a committee headed by Ahmed Assaf, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Palestinian News and Information Agency, to study and revise FANA bylaw and make amendments to FANA statutes and bylaw to cope with developments in the fields of media and communication.
The general assembly stressed the necessity of continuing coordination between Arab news agencies and national news agencies in Europe and finding a suitable platform for dialogue between the two sides to spread democratic values, human rights, and social development.
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