Arab Media Forum debate: Regulate or restrict electronic media?

Dubai: The question whether or not electronic media and social media networks should be regulated was a topic of debate at the Arab Media Forum’s session ‘Digital media: Authority without responsibility’ which discussed restriction versus freedom of online public expression.

Mohammad Nasser Al Ganem, Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, pointed out that while the internet has created a new society, the negative impacts of online media include cyber bullying, cyber wars, and cyber deception which has resulted in worldwide scams.

“Arab users have easy access to all sites and therefore we need to exert efforts to educate our societies which start at home and in schools,” said Al Ganem.

Sharing his views, Mohammad Al Rumaihi, Professor of Political Sociology in Kuwait University, added that it’s important to have a new model of regulation for the internet.

“Legislation is key to solve these problems,” he said.

Al Rumaihi also said that the high penetration of electronic media through smartphones and the fast dissemination of news on social networks is an issue when managing content online.

Contrary to these beliefs, Adel Al Toraifi, Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al Awsat newspaper, referred to online media and social networks as a “gift and a blessing” as they are a mean of reaching the masses and bringing their attention to unknown subjects.

“Online social media is complementary to traditional media,” he added, pointing out that the regulation on online media is an easy process.

“Well-known media outlets abide by certain criteria, and citizens will verify any information they read by using these outlets as references,” he said.

Nejiba Hamrouni, President of the Tunisia Journalists Syndicate, also said that traditional journalism in all its aspects is still struggling to become an authority.

“We don’t need laws to respect human rights,” she said, referring to the freedom of expression. Hamrouni added that journalists exert the same efforts and ethics in both traditional forms of media and electronic media.