Workshop on the Syrian media
Syria, Politics, 8/16/2005

Syria's Minister of Information Mehdi Dakhlallah on Monday opened a 3-day workshop organized by the Media Directorate at the Ministry of Information on "Improving Media: Issues, Obstacles and Prospects."

Discussions of the first day were administered by Khalaf al-Jrad, Director general of Tishreen Establishment on the Administrative and Legal Structure of the Syrian Media.

Assistant Information Minister Taleb Kadi Amin talked about the strategy of developing the Syrian media from the view point of his ministry which had been adopted as an integrated project by the state planning Commission. He indicated that this project aims at creating a state of integration between the Syrian media, whether state or private, through modernizing the existing laws and regulations of media.

Amin pointed out that restructuring the Syrian media depends on transforming the state media institutions into economic establishments, financially and administratively independent, and run by a board of council with the Information Ministry playing the role of supervision and steering.

He added that the law of printings and publications allowed the private sector to work in the field of print, audio and video media where permits were issued for several publications as well as two private radio stations. He said there is another study on allowing more than one private radio station to broadcast in Aleppo as well as setting up several electronic sites and private television stations soon.

Amin gave a clarification on the mechanism of independency of media institutions in the upcoming 5-year plan, saying they involve the Syrian Radio and Television with its five channels, al-Wihda, Tishreen and the Establishment of Distribution of Publications, the Syrian Arab News Agency ( SANA) which is on the way to becoming a photo (visual) press agency.

For his part, lawyer and journalist Bashir Kawadri concentrated on the legal side of the Syrian media and the necessity of issuing right legislations to remove obstacles to the development of media and at the same time serve the society.

Director of the Syrian Media Center in London, Yahya Aridi, talked about this experience which Syria initiated to challenge the hegemony of the Western media on the international arena as well as the duties of the Center in conveying Arab issues to the world opinion and shedding light on the Syrian stances.

The Minister of Information took part in the discussions where he talked about the structure of the Syrian information and intentions in ending the monopoly on media by the state through steps outlined by the law, and in a way that secure civic society's participation, and the freedom of expression as stated by the constitution.

The minister also spoke about financial and administrative independence of the media establishments and transferring them into active economic agencies.

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