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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 June 2000 Issue No. 487 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 June 2000 Issue No. 487
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Focus Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Compatible credibility
By Fadia El-Ghazali Harb*
Increasing the number of specialised television channels, extending transmission hours, supporting satellite stations and expanding their coverage are surely commendable achievements. In terms of relaying the views of the public, however, the Egyptian media's performance leaves much to be desired.
Keen to maintain its position at the forefront of the Arab media, the Egyptian media must seek to reap the benefits of its eminence in practical terms. Arab state and private satellite stations have succeeded in breaking free of the historical barriers imposed on the Arab media for long years, and today pose a real challenge to the Egyptian media. In a world where the communications revolution has rendered information so readily accessible, no average viewer would choose to watch or listen to half-truths about regional or international events. Today, a dissatisfied viewer has only to change the channel.
A free media plays a direct role in creating a general environment of credibility and generates a healthy interplay between official discourse and public opinion. Admittedly, high illiteracy rates still plague the Arab world, but to argue on this basis that our viewers cannot tolerate open, frank discourse is untenable. We must denounce the narrow-mindedness advocated by those who appoint themselves as guardians of the people, possibly to realise their own interests.
Creating a free economy and attracting foreign investment are goals incompatible with a media that fragments the truth and reports events of vital importance in bits and pieces. For media consumers the world over, the prime achievement for any media is its truthful reporting and credibility.
* This week's soapbox speaker is the deputy director of the Middle East radio broadcast.
