By
Stephen Dockery
BEIRUT:
A debate between journalists on objectivity and reporting standards capped a
two-day conference on press freedom backed by the United Nations Tuesday, with
attendees focused particularly on how to improve the country’s very politicized
reporting atmosphere.
Held
at the Holiday Inn hotel in Verdun, the event addressed a range of press issues
in Lebanon including attacks on journalists, legal protections, new journalism,
ethics and the responsibilities of journalists in the country.
The
question of how reporters can remain objective in a politicized country held
the attention of participants during the final discussion of the seminar.
“What
is needed is to maintain integrity,” said Antoine Messara, a sociology
professor at the Lebanese University, as he addressed the audience before the
discussion. “Some people are hiding behind objectivity.”
Messara
said there was a disconnect with reporters and objectivity that could only be
fixed through soul-searching and stronger morality.
“It
is time for journalists and journalism students to reconnect their knowledge of
these values,” he said.
Despite
Lebanon’s relatively uncensored media environment, the country has been
consistently criticized for its partisan press and biased news reporting.
A
recently released report by the media watchdog organization Maharat scored the
country very low in “freedom of the press” and even lower in “serving public
needs.”
Many
audience members asked questions about those areas and just how journalists can
improve their reporting in the country.
But
speakers pointed out that it was difficult to pinpoint exactly the areas that
need to be changed.
Broad
cultural changes need to occur first, they concurred.
“For
social responsibility to be achieved, there needs to be a suitable environment
such as robust civil society and citizens exercising their rights to hold officials
accountable,” said Nahawand Qadari, a communications professor at LU.
Issues
of news organization financing and their lack of independence from political
patrons is also a factor that contributes to the country’s woes, Qadari said.
“We
can say we live in a world where all factors are interconnected: economic,
ethical and advertising. There are blurred boundaries between producer and
receiver,” Qadari said.
Rola
Makhail, the head of the watchdog Maharat, said that money is at the crux of
the country’s media partiality problem.
“If the media is not
liberated from the investments of policymakers, then we will surely have
pro-authorities media,” she said. “Media had become a production tool for
politicians. However, we have confidence in the choices of the people, who are
becoming more aware of this situation.”
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/May-09/172783-media-experts-discuss-local-medias-objectivity-deficit.ashx#axzz1uMmgVfAw
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