The world has become like a small village since the launch of communications and satellite television revolution in the light of many developments in technology noting that the information is floating around our planet within a few seconds, and from here the role of media was emerged as a tool to guide public policy, and has become the authority itself (the fourth estate), and in spite of the numerous Arab satellite channels and the multiplicity of newspapers and magazines and the different Titles but Arab media is still an authoritarian media linked to the regime and the authority , and the authorities are in support of many of them to serve the purposes and requirements of its sustainability and survival, and this has actually led to a loss of confidence between the media and the public in many cases.
In spite of the steady development of the means of modern media, and the variety of methods, but the Arab media is still a traditional media subject to the views and whims of authority and personal interests, and does not represent only itself or a certain class of society, and here lies the danger as a result of the absence of professionalism and the dominance of government agencies on the information tools, until the Arab peoples became distrustful with its institutions of media, as a result of the linkage of this institutions to the foreign agenda or internal censorship, and these institutions of media whether they were TV stations or newspapers, or the means of social communication had become the kitchen of news and trends, ignoring professional foundations, and the rules of media work for a few dollars or for political gains and in our Arab countries infested with such institutions, and satellite TV, for example and not exclusively , the sectarian stations that flared sectarian conflict are considered of the most dangerous of these means, and here we mention that these channels were present, but its activity became clear dramatically after the entry of US troops to Iraq in 2003 and the spread of channels and stations of the Iranian state, which no one disagree for its role in inciting violence and hatred and sectarianism, and we saw how the role of these stations was grown after the revolution in Syria , which the media has become one of the main players and dangerous along with machine of destruction and lethal , and here we do not confine the issue in Iraq, but now most Arab countries are embracing such channels.
The wind of the so-called (the Arab Spring) , has been a turning point in the work of the Arab media , in terms that absent facts and dark corners were disclosed which remained hidden for decades in corridors of media, and its rules of procedure, and here ,we will tackle for example Some excerpts from the deal of these institutions with some of the important issues in the region:
– the Palestinian issue: no any Arab citizen disagree on the fact that the Palestinian issue being central and the most important ones to Arab issues since many decades, which is the essence of the crises that afflict the region as a whole, however, the Arab citizen is surprised of the way of tackling this issue by Arab media noting that it was neglected and considered just an inevitable conflict which can not be dealt with on a regular basis, but now news of the Palestinian case are neglected that sometimes put to fill the time specified for broadcast , even the terminology and nomenclature were not spared from distortion and change , and here we mention the use of words such as (dead or martyr, and a suicide or fedayee , attack or aggression, etc ..) These are all indicators on the role of media in doing things on its plan and whim.
– the conflict in Syria: Here we contemplate of the destruction and devastation inflicted on Syria and the killing of innocent civilians, and the displacement of its people, all of this did not secure from the attempt of the Media of Pro Syrian regime to beatify the image and that the regime is leading a holy campaign to counter terrorism and global arrogance, and the last of these monstrous media was the emergence of this media mouthpieces to justify the bombing of civilian neighborhoods by Russian Air Force, and the killing of innocent civilians, and this is only the tip of the iceberg.
– Terrorism and youth : Here it must be a close examination of the strange linkage between young people and terrorism in terms that the terrorism is an attraction for young people because of its ideas and plans that mimic the minds of young people noting that the Arab media failed to do it because of the absence of youth awareness programs, and only the transfer of news of terrorist groups, and how to think, without giving youth ways of prevention to address these distorted ideas , and immunized them from the docility behind it , young people are very important age group in the construction and development process, but they become dangerous category and timing bomb if we left them without guidance and awareness , especially with widespread unemployment, poverty and persecution, practiced by governments to this category, making it up for grabs for terrorism and its people , so The role of media is very big and important in spreading of awareness and the real knowledge.
The problem of the Arab media:
– the lack of transparency and professionalism in the conveyance of information, and to follow certain policies away from the foundations of media work.
– It is left behind the development of the global media, and weaknesses in dealing with modern technology, experienced by the media and the lack of technology to have.
– The weakness of the special curriculum of media , and relying on the old curriculum in the teaching of new young people.
– The absence of freedom of expression and the lack of space available to the media and impose a strict government censorship.
– the cultural and scientific low level of the Arabs receiver
– The control of government on all means of the state and private media on one way or another.
In fact, Arab media is still , both public and state media ,remarkably suffers from backwardness and dependency , in addition to follow specific policies that are not related to the media work and a mockery of Arab mind receiver , which led to the reluctance of Arab citizens to follow the news, and the trend to the Western media to get the information, which is of the utmost gravity in the medium and long term that requires to catch up with the global media to restore the confidence of the Arab citizen again.
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies