Berlin / Information Office / May 05
The Arab Cultural House "Al Diwan", sponsored by the Embassy of the State of Qatar to the Federal Republic of Germany, held a panel discussion through video conference technology to celebrate World Press Freedom Day, under the slogan: "Independent Professional Journalism from Political and Economic Influences in Germany and the Arab World."
The discussion - in which more than 50 participants took part - hosted prominent journalist figures to talk about the topics of the discussion, namely, TV journalist Ali Aslan, broadcaster at CNN TV, ABC News, Deutsche Welle, in addition to Professor Dr. Michael Luders, author, journalist and Middle East expert for Die Zeit, who spoke about war of storytelling between media and geopolitics.
In the panel discussion, Luders expressed his regret at the lack of alternatives to the prevailing storytelling in the German media, as Russia, Iran and China are criticized, while the actions of the Israeli government and Julian Assange's imprisonment are noticeably absent from public discourse.
The panel discussion also hosted by Julia Leib, a professor at Northwestern University in Qatar, and a TV documentary director, who documented with her camera daily life in war and crisis areas from Libya, through Sudan and Congo, to Gaza, Syria and Afghanistan.
Leib noted that the majority of German and European journalists live in a closed intellectual bubble. This leads, in her point of view, to describing the divergent opinions as promotional or paid advertising. She added that in light of the Coronavirus pandemic journalists today need support more than ever.
Journalist and director Bashir Omron participated in the discussion to talk about the topic "Press freedom in Germany between lack of objectivity and pressure for compliance." Omron criticized the inequality of opportunities within German media institutions between German and foreign journalists, which, in his opinion, leads to unfair media coverage.
After the end of the guest speakers' interventions, the session witnessed a discussion between guests and participants about the challenges that the traditional press faces in light of fake news and social media.