Al-Hassan: Arab News Agencies Must Improve Performance as Competition Became Strong

Doha, November 22 (QNA) - Director General of Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) Riyad al-Hassan has underlined that the Arab news agencies need to improve their performance in order to keep up with the world news agencies as the level of the global media competition has become very strong. For the first time, FANA meeting tackles strategic issues that aim at making quality development in the work of the Arab news agencies and make them cope with the international standards, such as changing and updating working methods, tools and means, al-Hassan to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the 39th session of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) General Assembly, which kicked off here yesterday. Al-Hassan added that the conference also discusses issues relating to re-organize the work of FANA for more coordination and cooperation through a variety of specialized and training programs. WAFA Director General highlighted that Arab news agencies need a better climate of freedom as most of them are still governed by a set of stifling laws in the Arab region. Al-Hassan believed that the State of Qatar, through the opening of Al-Jazeera Channel, was able to make a shift in the Arab awareness and Arab media. Al-Jazeera managed to be influential in the entire Arab public opinion, noting that 65% of the Palestinian viewers watch Al-Jazeera mainly before any other channel. (QNA)