Bahrain calls for reconsidering media objectives

The recent developments in the Arab world call for reconsideration of objectives of media and communications, as well as their relation to society, a senior Bahraini official said Monday. Sameera Rajab, Minister of Information, said people were not differentiating between honest media which was serving the society, and opinions of individuals and groups. Rajab was speaking in a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the publication of the first newspaper in Bahrain. She said sophisticated information techology made it easier to influence people, which thus made it difficult to differentiate between the honest media and those reflecting special agendas. Jassem Kamal, member of Kuwait Journalists Association, commended the freedom of press in Bahrain, and congratulated the Gulf island for the 75th anniversary