Under the auspices of Abdul Aziz bin Mohammad al Rawas

Oman Journalism Week addresses key challenges

20 May 2013

MUSCAT — Media plays an important role in development, peace-building and in expanding opportunities to all. This is the essence of Oman Journalism Week (May 19-21), which got under way here yesterday under the auspices of Abdul Aziz bin Mohammad al Rawas, Adviser to His Majesty the Sultan for Cultural Affairs. The event, organised by the Omani Journalists Association (OJA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, is enriched by the participation of more than 400 Omani and foreign figures with the aim of exploring "new outlooks" for the Omani media in view of developments in the sector.

Awadh bin Said Ba Qawair, Chairman, Omani Journalists Association, said the participants at the event would discuss various challenges facing "Omani journalism in general and media outlets in particular." Oman Journalism Week is a major media event and the first of its kind in the Sultanate, he added. The week is aimed reaching a new outlook for the Omani media amid local and external developments so they may stay “abreast of the society's aspirations and needs and preserve its particular identity, genuine values, traditions, and customs, without infringing on the privacy of others."

The events yesterday included an exhibition, a ceremony for honouring Omani pioneers in journalism, opening a training course, a photo exhibition, and inaugurating the website of the Association. Seminars will be held about the Omani media in general and the press in particular, in addition to the "challenges they faced over the past four decades." The attendees include representatives of the Ministry of Information, news organisations, media, top-ranking diplomats, and many companies operating in the Sultanate. A large number of publications, including newspapers, tabloids, and magazines are on display at the Oman International Exhibitions Centre.

Earlier, Dr Abdulmunim bin Mansour al Hasani, Minister of Information, lauded the role Omani media has played during the blessed Omani Renaissance under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. He affirmed that the Sultanate’s government extends all possible support to media organisations to perform their noble role in promoting development. The government, under the Royal directives of His Majesty the Sultan, provides training to Omani journalists.

Awadh said Omani Journalism Week comprises a number of activities, for example, an exhibition of journalistic and media institutions, honouring pioneers of Omani media of the first decade from the 1970 to 1980, launching the programme of journalists training, an exhibition of Oman features, launching the website of Omani Journalists Association, an exhibition of journalistic photographs in addition to some other activities.

These activities play a prominent role in displaying the history of the Omani journalism before the 1970s of the last century and its beginning in the blessed renaissance. The event will also shed light on the current situation of the Omani media. The week aims to find a strong base of young journalists and to search for the incentives that encourage them to work in this sector. Speakers at the event said media is the greatest tool of communication, not only does it enlighten us, but has an important role of uniting and integrating people around the globe.

It has a strong social and cultural impact and provides a doorway for the outside world to find out more about this beautiful country Oman. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has shown great interest in developing the media sector in Oman. This has been apparent since the early 1970's with the establishment of a radio station, television channel and newspapers both by public and private publications.

More importantly, the establishment of the Ministry of Information in 1973 marked a real milestone in the development of media organsations. The ministry promoted the impressive growth of the media both nationally and internationally. In 2008, His Majesty the Sultan issued directives to provide special training to local journalists in order to improve their skills.