State Minister for Information Affairs stresses success of IAA reform strategy

Manama, May 12 (BNA)-- Bahrain's image in international mass media has improved remarkably, State Minister for Information Affairs Samira Ibrahim bin Rajab, the government's official Spokesperson, stressed in a speech marking the diamond jubilee of the national press. This change in attitude testifies to the successful plan mapped out by the ministry and which yielded positive results over a span of one year, from March 2013 to March 2014, she explained, pointing out that the new organisation chart of the media sector has led to an increase in job opportunities from 970 to 2043. The executive jobs rose from 65 to 502 while specialised ones went up from 46 to 208, the minister revealed. The new organigram has also contributed to the creation of special departments for ten TV channels and ten radio stations as well as a production directorate and a general directorate for foreign communication to convey the real image of Bahrain to the whole world. A special directorate to keep abreast of technological media developments and place Bahrain on the international electronic media map has also been set up, the minister explained, stressing that ever since she took charge of the media sector in Bahrain she has been aware of all the challenges lying ahead. However, she said, there has been a race against time to reform the sector according to a scientific approach by working out for the first time a detailed five-year strategy (2013-2018) which was discussed with officials from the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) and endorsed by the cabinet. The new strategy was outlined at a press conference, she added, pointing out that it contains 46 initiatives aimed at upgrading the media sector and projecting Bahrain's real image worldwide. As part of the reform process, the minister said a new media draft law was completed in a record time out of awareness of its inevitability as a legislative pillar to bolster freedom of expression and cope with technological developments. Citing other steps taken to modernise the sector, the minister also pointed out the creation of the government official Spokesperson's office to boost communication with local and international mass media, the establishment of the High Authority for Information and Communication, the setting up of the IAA Media Training Centre and the establishment of a Media and Communication Academy in cooperation with the private sector. The State Minister for Information Affairs underlined the importance of coping with the fast-paced developments in Information Technology, pointing out the sophisticated stage reached after the democratisation of electronic communication means, including mainly social communication websites which have become a double-edged weapon serving dialogue on common issues, on one hand, and creating a new form of anarchy, on the other hand, in the absence of the needed legislations to regulate that. A O Q