Global Forum for Media Development opens

October 2, 2005

By Ahmad Barakat

AMMAN — The steps Jordan has taken for the development of a true independent media in the country are necessary, but they are far from sufficient, a senior official said on Saturday.
Deputy Prime Minister Marwan Muasher, who deputised for His Majesty King Abdullah at the inauguration ceremony of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) Conference 2005 yesterday, added there was a lot of work still ahead.

“We are well on our way to create a modern legislative framework within which our media can flourish,” Muasher told over 600 media personnel, representing 180 organisations in 104 countries.

Part of the reform process was abolishing the Ministry of Information two years ago in order to disengage direct state control over state media, and introducing draft laws that ensure more freedom of expression, Muasher told the participants.

“We need to evolve towards a culture where diversity is seen as a source of strength rather than weakness, and where criticism of state is tolerated by the state, and by society in general,” he added.

“We must admit that public officials in our part of the world, whether they are Cabinet members, civil servants or members of Parliament, are still not used to their actions being questioned by the press,” the minister said.

UN Undersecretary General for Communications and Public Information Shashi Tharoor, a keynote speaker at the event, told reporters that the conference was taking place “in an interesting time and in an interesting country,” referring to the Kingdom's reform process in the media sector.

Jordan is currently hosting the GMFD Conference, which was organised by 18 media and media development organisations from across the world.

Among the goals of the conference, according the GMFD steering committee, are increasing the collaboration, substantiating the effectiveness of the participating organisations' work, agreeing on professional standards and sharing best practices.

The GMFD Conference also seeks to measure the impact of media on governance and other sectors, demonstrate the linkages between media development and economic, political, and overall development, and come up with recommendations and future means of cooperation.

The event, also organised in cooperation with the Jordan Information Centre, will feature a presentation and a debate of the new Jordanian media reform plan today in which senior local journalists and public officials will take part.

Sunday, October 2, 2005