(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a 6 September 1999 WAN press release: Paris, 6 September For immediate release Jordan’s Queen Noor Warns Against Declining International Reporting Queen Noor of Jordan on Monday decried the declining standards of international reporting and said the trend could have “worrying social and political ramifications for all.” “The fundamental issue […]
(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a 6 September 1999 WAN press release:
Paris, 6 September
For immediate release
Jordan’s Queen Noor Warns Against Declining International Reporting
Queen Noor of Jordan on Monday decried the declining standards of
international reporting and said the trend could have “worrying social and
political ramifications for all.”
“The fundamental issue is the heightened commercialism of the new
journalism, especially in the electronic media,” the Queen said in a keynote
address to the 3rd International Newspapers in Education Conference in
Paris, organized by the World Association of Newspapers.
“In comparison to 20 years ago, international news is featured less and less
on the pages of major western newspapers, and on television’s evening news,”
she said. “The dividing line between information and entertainment is
becoming ever more blurred with worrying social and political ramifications
for all.”
“Today, news programs and papers compete to run the most ‘sexy’ story – an
ironically revealing buzzword for anything that will grab the audience’s
attention,” she said. “Where the Third World is concerned, compelling copy
covers war, natural disasters, and political instability. Quieter, more
complex stories, about new ways to prevent diseases that
threaten millions of children a year, or small steps on the road to peace,
are buried on the inside pages, and never see air time at all.”
In her address to the newspaper publishers, editors, marketing managers, NIE
coordinators and educators attending the conference, the Queen called on the
Western press to avoid stereotypes and promote understanding.
“As Arabs and Israelis move toward co-existence rather than strife, one of
the main challenges facing us is to tear down barriers between us, erected
by decades of stereotypes and hatred,” she said.
“Newspapers can be a vehicle to promote values of tolerance and
understanding. But young readers, like older ones, must believe in their
newspapers. So the challenge before us is not only to encourage a new
generation of readers, but to make sure, when they pick up their favorite
newspapers, that they read an accurate and insightful portrayal of events.
They have to be provoked to think and analyze and not read only what
interests them. For a good journalist makes what is important interesting.”
The Conference continues through Wednesday.
The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry,
defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 15,000
newspapers; its membership includes 61 national newspaper associations,
individual newspaper executives in 93 countries, 17 news agencies and seven
regional and world-wide press groups.
