Arab Media Forum 2009 tackles Western media's thirst for news on Arab world

She added the demand for news in the Arab world has resulted in the proliferation of representatives from international media organizations to visit the region and cover events as they happen on the ground.

Issues ranging from the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian issue are explored in detail, while raising the question on the gap between a foreign correspondent and his/her access to the local Arab community.

Ayyad's comments came on the second and concluding day of the Arab Media Forum 2009, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at the Atlantis Palm hotel.

Moderated by Eman Ayyad, the panel included other renowned journalists such as Robert Worth, Beirut Bureau Chief, The New York Times; Alain Gresh, Deputy Director, Le Monde Diplomatique; Seymore Hersh, eminent journalist and author from the US; Lorenzo Trombetta, head of Middle East regional office, Ansa Italian news agency; Jihad Al Khazen, Columnist, Al Hayat newspaper, and Donna Abu Nasr, Riyadh Bureau Chief, Associated Press.

The session explored the motivations behind a journalist's drive to report news as it happened while bringing to light the frustrations they face in getting access to primary sources such as top level executives in the Arab world.

Robert Worth, Beirut Bureau Chief, The New York Times said, "In both the US and in the Arab region, dedicating a number of years cultivating your contacts with government officials is often the key to success. This will enable you access to information and comments for a credible story."

Panelist Jihad Al Khazen concurred and added, "You should be smart and learn how to go about accessing your sources. It is about getting to the origin of the source. Building trust is also vital although drawing an invisible line between friendship and the professional will be crucial or else you face the danger of destroying any kind of objective perspective in the story."

Alain Gresh, Deputy Director, Le Monde diplomatique, France, however, raised the issue that while most foreign correspondents who report on news in the Arab world are not Arabic speakers, they have difficulty understanding the culture of the Arab countires.

He also said the journalists are unable to integrate themselves into the local community, often raising the question of accuracy and reliability of coverage.

Donna Abu Nasr, Riyadh Bureau Chief, Associated Press, took a similar stance and said, "While it is our priority as responsible journalists to verify every piece of news received, there is still the challenge of getting access to the person in charge. Needless to say, it will prevent a full account of the story from being communicated to the rest of the world."

Lorenzo Trombetta, Head of Middle East Regional Office, Ansa, Italian News Agency, shared his views and experience as a foreign correspondent in Lebanon, Italy and Britain, highlighting that a bilingual stood a better chance of gaining acceptance from the local community.

He said, "While it was presumed that speaking Arabic to a representative in the local community would bring me closer to my source, you will find that in some cases, speaking English to senior local officials will open more doors as you are granted access to privileged information."

The need to remove the personal from the professional was also addressed during the discussion with Seymour Hersh. In sharing a shocking anecdote encountered as a war correspondent during the Vietnam war, he recalled that as all journalists may have their biases, it was important to remain detached from the story by putting aside personal views. This was the key to good reporting, he added.

Arab Media Forum 2009, held under the theme 'Arab Media: Weathering a Period of Change and Crisis' included a number of workshops and sessions, featuring eminent experts who debated on some of the vital issues that concern the media in the region.