Yemeni media gathered at the Media Forum in Sanaa, June 2009. Photo: IMS

The recent government decision to close 8 newspapers and other challenges facing media in Yemen featured highly on the agenda when more than 50 Yemeni media representatives met in a Media Forum organised jointly by the Yemen Journalist syndicate and IMS

In close collaboration with IMS, the Yemen Journalist Syndicate (YJS) organised and hosted a Media Forum in Yemen in the premises of Ministry of Planning and international Cooperation in Sanaa. The purpose of the event was to assess the current media situation in the country as well as prepare recommendations for future developments in the media sector. The event gathered more than 50 media stakeholders from Yemen as well as outside the country.

Media painting a bleak picture

The first session of the meeting concentrated on the current situation and one of the main topics was, not surprisingly, the administrative decision issued by the  Minister of Information to close down eight Yemeni newspapers. Based on existing law  and practice, the YJS legal adviser, Mr. Nabeel Al- Muhammadi, demonstrated that the Minister's decision was illegal and argued that closing down newspaper operations on the basis of content could only be done by court of law.

The participants also aired strong dissatisfaction with the current media scene, in which government directly controls and owns  the majority of print media and holds a monopoly on all broadcast media. Adding to this, some government practices, it was said, prevent private newspapers from getting advertisements issued by various government institutions thus blocking a major source of income. Furthermore, participants raised concern over the government iclosure of Internet-based media outlets thus preventing the further development of what in recent years is seen globally to be the most prosperous and potent sector of the media scene. during the discussions, participants not only criticized the government but also accused the syndicate of  being inactive.

The picture painted of the media management in Yemeni media as well as in the media education sector was also bleak, and the participants came down hard on both parties:

- Media managers do not know their jobs and they are treating journalists like rubbish and employing only the ones that have no self initiative or investigative and independent minds. Media education system is based on past socialist thinking and they educate journalists who don't know anything about practical journalism and can only be trumpets for their editors, as one journalist expressed it.

Strong will and innovative thinking to overcome challenges

During the second session of the Forum, participants were asked to dedicate time and effort to  come up with practical recommendations on how to improve the situation. The call for proposals was met with numerous proposals concentrating mostly on following themes: The need for improved media legislation; creation of private broadcast media; investment in media both from abroad and from Yemen; practical media education and mid-carreer training including media management training; freedom of the Internet; and finally the need for improved salaries and social security for  journalists.

Having offered a space to air and debate all the frustrations shared by the media sector, the meeting ended on a positive note, as the Forum generated new, innovative initiatives and demonstrated the will among media practitioners themselves to continue efforts to further develop the media sector in Yemen.

IMS actively engages in Yemeni media developments

IMS has been active in Yemen for several years assisting the YJS development together with IFJ, and the Danish union of Journalists. Areas of collaboration include media law reform and access to information law development in close collaboration with other internationl partners. IMS is also trying to coordinate media assistance from other international organizations although tense security and political situation has on many occasions made it difficult to implement actions on the ground.