Khalid Saleh, Head of the Media Office, praises the steps taken by the Association of Syrian Journalists aimed at establishing national and independent media free from political and intellectual constraints. “What distinguishes this association is its quest for reaching professionalism in the media field and for staying away from improvisation in conveying what is happening on the ground in Syria to the outside world. The failure to create professional media channels would be detrimental to the goals of the revolution and would deprive it of self-criticism needed to put it on the right track. Providing advice and counseling to the media discourse has become a pressing need to win over international and Arab public opinion and also to raise awareness of the goals of the Syrian Revolution and its legitimate demands.” Saleh’s remarks followed the Association of Syrian Journalists’ conclusion of its two-day conference held in Turkish city of Gaziantep with the participation of Arab and international media figures and journalists today. The meeting began on Saturday and was introduced by Riyad Ma’sa’s, chief of the association, Jeremy Nagoda, representative of the European Union in Gaziantep, and by Rana Sabbagh, executive director of ARIJ organization. The meeting revolved around the importance of the media and reporting in Syria, the importance of free speech in the face of Assad’s killing machine, and the challenges facing Syrian journalists and their struggle to convey the tragedy taking place in Syria. The main focus is the outside world as very few Western journalists can enter the war-torn country. Nagoda praised the work and achievements of the Association and its quest for professionalism and credibility. During the meeting, the Association gave an overview about the issues facing journalists and media activists in Syria and their work conditions and discussed ways to protect them and documenting the violations committed against them. The Syrian Center for Press Freedoms, one of the Association’s components, gave an overview of its efforts to document violations against Syrian journalists committed by all sides to the conflict since the beginning of the Syrian revolution, including the creation of a database of these violations. The Association said it is seeking to register a branch in Turkey and to open an office in the city of Gaziantep. Moreover, the Association stresses that it is an independent non-partisan body composed of professional journalists and media activists to reaffirm its full commitment to defend freedom of expression and the press, the defense of the Syrian Journalists, and the effective contribution to building a state of law and institutions that protect the rights of journalists.” (Source: Syrian Coalition + Association of Syrian Journalists)
