Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA – Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi called on national media outlets and journalists to measure up to the expectations of the Syrian people, especially under the extraordinary current circumstances in the country.
He was speaking at the opening of a national workshop on investigative journalism co-organized with the Syrian National Committee for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Held in cooperation with the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States, the three-day workshop aims at promoting investigative journalism and activating media as a fourth authority in handling societal issues.
The issue of guaranteeing access to information for investigative journalists and reporters is a major focus of the workshop.
“The extraordinary circumstances in Syria stress that investigative journalism is a need now more than any time before,” said al-Zoubi, referring to the ongoing crisis in Syria, now in its fifth year.
The internationally-led war waged on Syria since 2011 has unfolded in many ways besides the bloody one of terrorism. Chief among those has been media and the various forms of misinformation and falsification that have targeted the Syrians since day one of the crisis.
These media practices have confused public opinion in many countries regarding the events in Syria and misled thousands of youths from all over the world into carrying up arms and fighting alongside the terrorist groups.
“The Syrian people deserve that journalists and reporters be up to the level of their expectations,” the Minister said.
Al-Zoubi also heavily encouraged Syrian journalists and media outlets to activate reporting on corruption, vowing that the Ministry “supports any journalist who probes a corruption case against anyone.”
He also called on the Syrian journalists to dive deep into social issues and touch on the daily needs and suffering of the Syrian people to better contribute to the efforts of protect the citizens against the “crisis opportunists”.
This workshop is part of a series of many other activities held now and then in the framework of increased interest in Syria in promoting and supporting investigative journalism.
Last February, al-Zoubi called for establishing an investigative journalism unit at every information and media institution to increase focus on social and daily life issues of concern to the citizens.
Haifa Said
