National Media Council discusses approaches

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of National Media Council (NMC), on Monday chaired the board meeting to discuss a number of important issues, namely the role of the council in backing and enhancing the efficiency of the national media to keep pace with the overall development taking place in the United Arab Emirates under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and fulfil the expectations of the sector considered as pillar of progress of society.

The board discussed the progress in carrying out the priorities set out in the council's new strategy, as well achieving goals like elevating the quality of the content to the highest recognised standards, and completing the plans and executive frameworks to bring the media on par with other national sectors involved in the process.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Sultan Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Corporation; Ahmed Al Jarman, Assistant Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Saeed Al Miqbali, Advisor at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs; Mohamed Ebraheem Al Mahmood, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Media; Mona Al Marri, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office; Noura Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of the Media Zone; Ibrahim Al Abed, Advisor to Chairman of the National Media Council; and Mansour Al Mansouri, Acting Director General of the National Media Council.

Participants also discussed approaches for developing, recruiting and training Emirati media personnel who are capable of contributing effectively towards achieving the goals and realising the future of Emirati media.

Dr. Al Jaber stressed that the next stage requires focusing more attention on this important issue. He added that Emirati personnel clearly exhibit efficiency in a diversity of fields in the media industry and have proven that they are highly capable in diverse domains. This, Dr Al Jaber noted, "increases our responsibility for opening wider avenues of opportunity throughout the media industry for Emirati young men and women."

Speaking on the performance of the media industry, the chairman of the National Media Council added, "The various media outlets need to compete for excellent coverage and media content that fulfils the expectations of their audience. Joint efforts and complementary roles are equally important for national issues. We are fully confident that media workers in the United Arab Emirates know how to strike a fine balance between competitiveness and being involved in complementary roles."

He further noted that it is important to utilise the potentials of media organisations and enhance their role and performance to keep up with the fast-paced regional and global developments in the region. New media tools and channels also need to be invested in an optimal fashion to convey the required messages to the public.

Dr. Al Jaber also stressed that commitment towards objectivity and credibility is necessary while highlighting the United Arab Emirate's notable civilisational achievements in various spheres.

At Monday's meeting, the members of the board of the National Media Council touched upon the role of the media in raising awareness in the society about important issues to enhance its ability to face challenges and achieve success.

They also discussed the performance of the media industry in terms of covering prioritised developments, at the domestic, regional and international levels.

The meeting also addressed ways of empowering media personnel and enhancing media work and communication to achieve continuous development.

As part of continuous communication, the board of the National Media Council paid field visits to media organisations, including Abu Dhabi Media, Dubai Media Inc. and Sharjah Media Corporation, where Dr. Al Jaber met with officials and stressed that the council is a strategic partner and that these organisations should work as a team in order to project the noble image of the United Arab Emirates in a fully transparent and objective way.

Al Jaber further praised the media workers for presenting content that promotes the achievements made by the United Arab Emirates in all spheres and highlights national unity and cohesion between the leaders and people.

"The media play a crucial role and constitute an important part of society. They contribute towards social development through focusing on the approach embraced by the leadership to build human resources, promote intellectual, cultural and political awareness of Emiratis. National media represent a crucial asset due to their accumulated experience that contributes to social development and immunises the society against challenges," Dr. Al Jaber said.

He added, "The National Media Council has the belief that the success of media organisations stems from their cooperation and solidarity in achieving common goals that back the country's policy and bolster national solidarity."

He praised all media personnel and urged them to make further efforts to back the national media industry to achieve further excellence. He additionally underscored the importance of keeping the focus on strategic issues and objective and earnest self-assessment as a basis for better performance.

Dr. Al Jaber urged the executive organs to continue their efforts to utilise the potentials, focus on results and monitor performance objectively. He also urged for promoting the culture of tolerance, building more bridges for cooperation with the international community, and countering fanaticism, extremism and seclusion. He stressed the need for being proactive and innovative in media work and promoting its role in strengthening the country and its achievements.
Source: WAM