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From, Jai
Chandiram, President IAWRT, reporting on the
Asia Media Summit (AMS) held in May 2005 in
Kuala Lumpur
Part 1
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The Asia Media Summit is no longer limited
to Asia and has now been established as a
“global media summit” in Asia.
More than four hundred policy and decision
makers, media professionals, scholars,
journalists from Asia Pacific, Europe, North
America, Middle East and Africa attended
this annual conference.
The purpose of the summit is to create
understanding through sharing of different
perspectives on key issues in media through
dialogue and co-operation.
In his inaugural speech, Dato Sri Mohd Najib
Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of
Malyasia, argued that “there are two groups
of civilization – one that perceives
diversity as a threat and the other, which
sees it as an opportunity and an integral
component for growth.” The Asia Media Summit
is redefining diversity and is well set to
improve the dialogues between the two
groups.” He emphasized that “media has a
catalytic role in shaping opinions, leading
the thoughts of the citizens, in
constructing consensual solutions.”
The key sessions were:
“The Cultural Challenge to Globalisation”
Shashi Tharoor, Under Secretary-General,
Department of Public Information, United
Nations said, “too many people in the world
feel that the global media dismisses their
most urgent life threatening concerns as
side issues, sums up their culture as
curious, but peripheral, their religious
beliefs as quaint, or deeply flawed or down
right threatening, and their life and death
issues as remote and irrelevant… I am
calling not for less globalisation but for
more players in the global game.” The new
voices and perspectives will help to address
the needs of the people more directly and
help us to know each other better.
“Ethical Standards in Treating Violence
and Controversial Issues.”
During war and violent conflicts, if horror
and brutality are real problems should we
let media coverage be a free for all ... the
bloodier the better, or act as a deterrent?”
Drew McDaniel, Professor,
Telecommunications, Director, Southeast
Asian Studies Center, Ohio University
suggested during conflict situations, ”peace
journalism should consciously adopt an
agenda for resolution. This type of
journalism humanizes all sides of the
conflict.”
“Media and Religion”.
The use, abuse and exploitation of
religion in media has become an area of
concern. In spite of differences in religion
there are similarities which need to be
highlighted by the media.
“Media needs to report acts of compassion
during conflict. Compassion transcends
boundaries,” advised Chandra Muzaffar,
President of the International Movement for
a Just World (JUST).
Elizabeth Smith, Secretary General of the
Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA)
advised “that in times of disorder the
broadcaster has a duty to report what is
happening, but must take every possible care
not to pour petrol onto the fire. If this
means running reports without pictures for a
few hours, or on radio, switching to
announcer read reports rather than going
live to the reporter on the scene, then this
is an option worth exploring even at the
risk of loosing audiences in this
competitive media world.”
Chandra Muzaffar pointed out that “when
mainstream media tries to comprehend certain
trends within a particular religious
community it tends to use categories of
analysis which may in fact be meaningless in
the context of the community’s own
vocabulary. The term “fundamentalist” to
describe someone who in the media’s opinion
is bigoted, conservative even extremist. To
apply the term to a Muslim makes little
sense since the Muslims are required by
their religion to uphold “fundamentals” of
their faith the most important of which is
the belief in the oneness with God. By
imposing the term, ”fundamentalist” the
media has created confusion but also
unwittingly strengthened the hand of
conservative Muslims.” He concluded,
“contemporary media has to deepen and
broaden its knowledge and understanding of
the different religions and how they impact
upon society.”
The State of Public Service Broadcasting was
examined through the case studies of BBC,
ABC Australia and South African Broadcasting
Corporation (SABC).
Richard Sambrook, Director of World Service
and Global News (BBC), argued that the
creation of wide public interactive forums
is changing the discourse, “where we can
listen to and take part in a debate in which
all voices can be heard.”
There were special sessions on “Africa, Asia
- Pacific Dialogue” chaired by Eddie Funde
Chairman of the South African Broadcasting
Corporation (SABC).
How can broadcasters foster co-operation
amongst media professionals in Africa Asia
and Arab countries?
The President of the International
Association of Women in Radio and Television
(IAWRT) represented Asia. Many ideas
presented in the follow-up interactive
session were summarized as points for
action. These were commitments to identify
program material for exchange, pool
resources in technical and management,
increase news exchange, work towards
exploring satellite based education, explore
telemedicine services for the region,
increase film festivals particularly of
interest to children and women and work on a
series of popular issues.
It was agreed that there is adequate
leadership and skills in the region for
development of children and gender issues.
Part 2
PRE SUMMIT AMS WORKSHOPS
There were five AMS pre summit workshops:
The President of IAWRT, Jai Chandiram,
chaired two workshops on HIV/AIDS and
Gender.
The keynote speaker was Datuk Paduka Marina
Mahathir of the Malaysian AIDS Council. “We
need to know the society and as journalists
we need to work closely with people and
reflect their ways.” How does the story help
the public?” Evaluating the consequences of
negative reporting of People Living with
HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and its impact in
generating fear and strengthening the
stigmatization in the minds of the public,
she recommended the need to bring in the
voices of the PLWHA’s to break the
stereotypes and enlarge the discourse . The
workshop emphasized the need for media to
contexualise the stories on HIV/AIDS with
greater sensitivity to cultural and social
variables.
In the first workshop on HIV/AIDS ,
Chairperson of the Children and Broadcasting
Foundation of Africa, (CBFA) South Africa ,
Firdoze Bulbulia and Faith Isiakpere shared
their experiences in producing a 13 part
series in Africa on HIV/AIDS. This series
presented the stories of members in the
community living with HIV /AIDS. Firdoze
poignantly related that this experience had
transformed her and her co-workers as they
continuously had to deal with issues of life
and death.
The second workshop on Gender highlighted
the achievements, shortcomings and
strategies in media for the development of
women in the last decade.
“There are more women in radio in East
Europe, not because of gender awareness but
because the jobs are poorly paid and the
hours are long.” More women have entered
into the media but have not gained “weight”
to influence real changes. Evaluating the
post Beijing era Barbara Skerath, Media
Trainer/Consultant highlighted the need for
role models, mentoring and counseling,
training, networking, as well as
appointments of institutional “gender
advocate” within the media organizations
would help to create a more equitable
climate as women continue to hit the glass
ceiling.
Jac S.M Kee, Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific
Women’s Networking Support Program
Association of Progressive Communications
encouraged journalists to dialogue with
NGO’s and stated that “provision must be
made for consistent and sustained capacity
building of all members (men and women) on
gender issues, including the development of
appropriate alternative media. “Unblinding
to gender is the heart of this process.”
The workshop deliberations were reported to
the plenary session. A set of
recommendations and guidelines was
distributed at the conference. My complaint
that women issues were not given enough time
was appreciated . The gender representation
this year remained unequal.
The other workshops were on “Public
Broadcasting Best Practices: Evaluation
Monitoring and Standards” and “Community
Radio and Video Narrowcasting, Network, logs
and Streaming Media” and “Production and
Distribution of Citizen’s Media in
Information Society.”
Simultaneously, Kuala Lumpur was also host
to another mega event on gender, the Non-
Aligned Movement (NAM), Ministerial meeting
on advancement of women. The theme was
“Empowering Women in Facing the Challenges
of Globalisation”. The outcome of this
meeting was to propose the establishment of
a Non-Aligned Movement Center on Gender and
Development in Kuala Lumpur for empowerment
of women through capacity building programs,
research and training.
We have connected through our films, music
and education. Our market is our strength as
well as our weakness. Our rural/urban divide
is greater even as community radio remains a
dream. We need to connect through children.
Our commonalities are our opportunities.
Part 3
BROADCASTERS RECOMMENDATIONS WSIS (TUNIS)
The President of the IAWRT was part of the
final drafting committee for the
broadcaster’s recommendations to WSIS to be
held in Tunis November 2005. This
comprehensive document covered Media and
Globalisation, Cultural Diversity, Digital
Opportunities, Free Flow of Information,
Public Service Broadcasting, Human Resource
Development, Children, Gender, HIV/AIDS,
Disasters, Preservation of radio and
television Archives, WIPO treaty and
Copyright and Digital Technology.
The document reiterated that “Broadcasting
is crucial to development. For many it
remains the major source of information and
knowledge and therefore it requires
strengthening and support.”
I am highlighting a few points made in the
gender section:
In this section broadcasters requested aid
agencies to:
Ensure women’s full participation and equal
access to decision making about, and use, of
media and information and communication
technologies (ICTs)
Provide support for gender sensitivity
training in the media that promotes
empowerment, equality and capacity building
Provide support for projects that address
the special training needs of women
broadcasters. |
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