Arab citizens are no longer limited to information resources from the West thanks to the revolution of the media in terms of its expansion and development over the past few years, said an expert.

Dr Mohammed Qayrat, dean of College of Communications, Sharjah University, was speaking at a seminar titled ‘Will the hands of the censors reach the satellites?’ held as part of an ongoing media forum in Dubai.

Themed ‘Shifting mediascape: inspiring content…expanding reach’, the two-day Arab Media Forum 2010, which opened yesterday (May 12) at The Atlantis-Palm, brought together more than 2,000 media personalities and experts from the region and across the world.

The monopoly of the Western media has ceased and subsequently compromised its position of power in the global landscape, Dr Qayrat said.

The seminar attempted to predict a timeframe by when the scissors of the censors would reach satellite channels.

Dr Qayrat added: “Arab media institutions are, however, under threat and it is high time we consider all Arab satellite channels as an intellectual product that is responsible for influencing the lives of millions of people.”

The debate in the Arab League continues for establishing a commission for Arab media for regulating the sector in addition to promoting transparency and keeping content clean from provocation or racism, a statement said.

Khalid Al Nasiri, Minister of Media, Morocco, urged a redefining of regulations and organizations for Arab media institutions to enhance their creativity and intellect.

He stressed on the need for more independent broadcasting and rejected any call for terrorism, violence or corruption.

“Respecting dialogue on religion and moral values is critical with a commitment to precision and integrity,” he added.

Yousif Al Ibrahim, media consultant, Qatar Media Corporation, brought to light that the Arab media has historically been known as a governmental vehicle to drive messages to the public. Since the events of 2001, this has changed, he said.

“We have witnessed a shift in Arabic media. Arab countries are now able to voice their position in relation to established western channels, and have the freedom to reformulate and correct what they believe needs to change,” Al Ibrahim said. – TradeArabia News Service