BNA to participate in World Journalists Conference

Manama, Apr. 1 (BNA): Bahrain News Agency (BNA) will participate in the World Journalists Conference (WJC), set to be held in Seoul, South Korea, from April 2 to 8, at the invitation of the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK). The conference is organised by JAK, in association with the South Korean Foreign Ministry. Hind Karam, BNA’s local news editor-in-chief, will take part in the conference, alongside about 100 journalists and media figures representing Arab and international media outlets, newspapers and news agencies, in addition to academicians and researchers in the political and media fields from more than 60 countries. In a statement ahead of the conference, JAK President said that this year’s WJC will focus on the role of mass media and the Press in consolidating global peace, especially during wars and crises, adding that the previous year witnessed regretful bloody terrorist attacks inn about 45 countries in the Middle East and Europe and posed a serious threat to the lives of the innocent. He affirmed that terrorism has become a trans-boundary phenomenon, and that journalists and the Journalism profession itself have become a target for the those terrorist acts, which, he said, made JAK devote this year’s conference to discussing factors that threat global peace and exploring the role of mass media in combating terrorism and fostering peace. The conference will also continue discussing North Korea’s nuclear programmes, as well as ways to reach peace in the Korean Peninsula. Hind said that her work paper will highlight Bahrain’s experience in ways to use the press and media outlets as tools for peace, enlightenment and uncovering facts, instead of harnessing them to consolidating division, bickering, defamation, exporting crises or causing wars. The paper, she added, will shed light on the media campaigns targeting the Kingdom since 2011, noting that the systematic smear campaign was backed and funded by countries and organisations seeking to undermine Bahrain’s security and stability, as well as the peaceful co-existence spirit and tolerance values which have always distinguished the Bahraini society. The campaign also aimed to ignite sedition and undermine national achievements to serve abhorrent ideological, sectarian and political schemes and agendas, she said.