Dubai: English publications in the UAE yesterday called for an official military spokesperson who can delivery accurate unified information about the situation on the ground in Yemen.
The speakers at the third Emirati Media Forum first session discussed English media’s coverage of the Yemen war.
All speakers on the panel said that one of the major challenges faced by the media in covering the Yemen war is the differing information coming from various sources.
Editor-in-Chief of Gulf Today Aisha Taryam said that if there is a credible source from the battlefield in the form of a spokesperson from the military who can regularly speak to the media, it will support the media in providing clear coverage.
Editor-at-Large of Gulf News Francis Mathew also emphasised the need for a spokesperson who can provide and explain information on the war. He said that the media needs access to regular briefings from the military for the sake of establishing clarity.
The speakers also stressed the need for English media to explain the larger background to the war in Yemen so that their readers understand the context behind the UAE’s involvement in the Yemen war.
Mathew said: “It is important that we explain why the UAE is ‘making this sacrifice’ for the sake of security and peace in the region. There are good reasons that the UAE is involved in this war and the media need to explain it not only to expatriates in the country but also the larger global audience.”
Recalling a recent news story in The Economist, Mathew said that international media have forgotten the war in Yemen. To remedy this, he said UAE’s English media should exert efforts to explain the context and reasons behind the war.
Aisha said that readers of English newspapers should be made aware of the historic background of the UAE military’s humanitarian activities in the region and their role in promoting peace and security.
Editor-in-Chief of The National Mohammed Al Otaiba said reaction from the readers of English media to the martyrdom of UAE soldiers in the Yemen war has been extremely positive. “They share the pain of the families that have lost their children and their brothers,” he said
On a question from the moderator on whether the readers of English newspapers understand the security concerns of the UAE, Otaiba said that he has seen eagerness from readers in engaging with and understanding what is happening in the war in Yemen and why it is happening. “They see what the UAE stands for,” he said.
