Sharjah: Edgy relations between governments and the press have failed to improve significantly, media specialists said during a Sharjah communications conference on Monday.
They said relations remain “stereotypically tense” as state officials and reporters try to dominate information flow.
The observations were made during the opening ceremony of the final day of the International Government Communications Forum (IGCF) at the Expo Centre, Sharjah.
Kathleen Carroll, executive editor and senior vice-president of the Associated Press, said governments, “may not enjoy” dealing with typical “strong-headed and nosy” journalists pressing officials for comments and information, but they should understand the process is “part of the national dialogue” with the public.
Reporters meanwhile, should ensure their stories are “accurate, factual and air all sides of the debate,” she said.
According to a report cited by Carroll, India and Mexico have demonstrated the biggest leap in information sharing. Around 1,000,000 citizen Right to Information requests were registered in India last year. And in Mexico, 85 per cent of the 3,000 weekly requests are answered.
Public interest
Mona Al Shazly, a popular talk show host on Egypt’s Dream 2 channel, said the “prevailing model is a failure.”
She added that “the world will not have any positive impact” if state officials and journalists fail to cooperate in the public interest.
Meanwhile, officials revealed plans to develop the annual IGCF into a year-long initiative that may include workshops, presentations and conferences.
Osama Samra, director of Sharjah Media Centre, said the forum, now in its third year, would continue to assess it success as “the first credible reference for government communications in the region.”
He said there may be research documents and “new ways of dealing with the government communication sector”, made available outside the event.
