The First Arab Media Conference

Journalists agreed: we must make this conference an annual tradition

The ‘First Annual Arab Media Conference’ was held on Saturday, December 17 2011 at the Rimonim Hotel in Nazareth, under the title: “The Role of Palestinian Journalists and the Professional Challenges They Face”. The conference discussed the challenges faced by Arab Palestinian journalists in the unfolding media/political realities nationally and in the region. In particular, it addressed the role of the Arabic news satellite channels and the place of new media versus printed journalism.

The turnout was a success, with fifty journalists attending. Dr. Johnny Mansour, Board Member of I’lam, opened the conference by welcoming the audience. Afterword, Dima Al-Jamel, representative of the conference’s organizing committee, spoke about the organization and the preparation for the conference during 2011. 

 
Dima Al-Jamel, representative of the conference’s organizing committee.

The conference included three different panels, the first entitled, ‘Media Discourse and the Challenge of Official Israeli Institutions’, chaired by journalist Sa’eed Hassanain. The speakers were writer and journalist Wadea Awady, the journalist Zuhair Andrawos, civil society activist Ms ‘Aida Touma-Suleiman, journalist Mahmoud Abu Rajab and journalist Marzouq Halabi. The second panel dealt with ‘Social Media, Arab Satellite Channels and the Arab Spring’ and was chaired by journalist Maqbula Nassar. The speakers were writer and journalist Alaa Hlehel, Ms. Suhair Nahhas, journalist Hasan ‘Abdel Halim, and journalist Abeer Kopty.



The first panel: ‘Media Discourse and the Challenge of Official Israeli Institutions’.

Afterwards, stand-up comedian Nidal Badrne performed a sketch, followed by a live online guest lecture by Al-Jazeera’s Mohammed Krishan. Krishan spoke about the role of Al –Jazeera in reporting on the events of the Arabs revolutions and the importance of a journalist to separate personal opinions of a political situation from what journalistic ethics would require of her/his reporting.


Live online guest lecture by Al-Jazeera’s Mohammed Krishan

The last panel dealt with the conflicting and varied forms of coverage regarding the developments in Syria. It was chaired by I’lam’s Director, Dr. Amal Jamal. The speakers included journalist Anton Shalhat, Mohammed Nafaa’, Member of Knesset Ibrahim Sarsoor, Editor-in-Chief Hafez Al-Barghuthy, and Dr. Waleed Sharafa.


The last panel dealt with the conflicting and varied forms of coverage regarding the developments in Syria.

The conference concluded with several recommendations. First, the importance of making  this conference an annual event in order to build a supportive framework to support all Palestinian journalists since at present they lack an official council or committee to organize their work conditions. Second, that I’lam should continue its work towards the professionalization of journalism via courses, workshops and the like. Third, that youth be integrated into the Arab media sphere and be given greater central representation in media institutions and other public media forums. Finally, that journalists should unite in their media discourse against the violations of journalists’ rights and the rights of the Palestinian community committed by the government.