His Excellency, President of Islamic Republic of Iran
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Distinguished delegates and observers
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Mr. President,
Please, a llow me to introduce my self. I am Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf, the OANA President and the CEO of Antara, the Indonesian National News Agency. On behalf of the OANA delegates, I would like to say how pleased we are for being able to meet you and have a discussion with the most outspoken president.
The OANA stands for the Organization of Asia Pacific News Agencies. The OANA members total 40 news agencies from 33 countries in the Asia Pacific region, including Anadolu (Turkey), KYODO (Japan), XINHUA (China), YONHAP (Korea), IRNA (Iran), BERNAMA (Malaysia), PTI (India), Itar-Tass (Rusia), Azertac (Ajerbaijan) and ANTARA (Indonesia). We are gather here in historical city of Tehran for 31st Executive Board Meeting (EBM) hosted by Mehr News Agency.
The OANA was established in 1961 to offset the flow of information. Developing countries, including those in Asia and the Pacific, have called for establishing a new order of disseminating information since the 1960s when they were fighting against an unfair information control led by the Western developed countries. And yet, the imbalance and difference of information flow between the developing and developed countries have not been narrowed by disputes for decades. Until now, there is a gap within the world information flow.
Developed countries, which have one seventh of the world population, have dominated two thirds of the total information flows. About 80 percent of the international news stories broadcast everyday come from Western news agencies. It is not always right for Western news agencies to control information in Asia and the Pacific. It is not always fair for Western media to dictate what they wish to cover and how they should cover the news in the region, our very own backyard. It is not always fair that they call the shot and set the agenda on what story should or should not appear in the headlines of the Asia Pacific media.
Media in developing countries, especially in the Asia Pacific region, must convey their own opinions and strive to end disequilibrium in the global media. We want to be heard louder. We need to strengthen media cooperation and together deliver our voice to the international arena. The image of Asia Pacific countries depends on how the world media describe it. Asia Pacific issues should be reported by Asia Pacific reporters.
Issues in Iran, for example, should more properly be reported by IRNA or Mehr News Agency, and issues in Indonesia should be reported by Antara News Agency.
Mr, President,
In the OANA EBM today, we are discussing some programs and initiatives on how to pursue a global media balance. Our theme of discussion is “A Quest for Global Media Balancing”. The bottom line is that we should enhance cooperation so that the Asia Pacific region has a stronger voice in the international arena.
As the OANA President, I intend to improve the quality and professionalism of journalists, increase partnership with other members of the organization and exchange news between them in order to balance the flow of information between the West and the East.
The OANA member countries can work together hand in hand to strengthen cooperation for making the news agencies of the OANA member countries more credible and become primary sources of news and information. We also need to enhance professionalism by sharing of best practices, expertise, experience and knowledge, including training, capacity building, and safety protection measures.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Managing Director of Mehr News Agency Mr. Parviz Esmaeili for hosting the EBM. Mehr News Agency is a new member of the OANA. Mehr is not yet 2 years joining the club but it has given a great contribution to the OANA.
And, finally, with a humble heart and a deep gratitude, I would ask Mr. President to say a few words to us. Delegations from the OANA would like to hear first hand information from you on anything about Iran, on development, on foreign policies, on nuclear issues or media issues. There is some misunderstanding about Iran and about you Mr. President on the media, especially on Western media. We would like to listen to your version and clarification.
Thank you.
Tehran, 15 November 2009
President of OANA/CEO of Antara News Agency
(Dr. Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf)
The Organization of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA) condemned the killing of Fadal Shana, 23, a Palestinian cameraman who worked for the Reuters news agency, as a result of an indiscriminate attack carried out by Israeli forces in Gaza.
“Israeli forces have targeted vehicles and journalists who were clearly identified as such, with "Press" or "TV" markings. Fadal Shana was killed while filming Israeli tanks in central Gaza,” said OANA President Dr. Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf in a statement posted in OANA website (www.oananews.org), Sunday.
The OANA represents 44 news agencies from 33 news agencies in the Asia Pacific region. Protection of journalists and safety of press crews are the highest priority OANA Presidency under Dr. Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf, who is also CEO of Antara, the Indonesian News Agency.
“The media have become part of the battleground and journalists are ever more at risk. But, please, don’t kill the messenger. The targeting of journalists is a scandalous violation of human rights and must be stopped,” he added. According to Reuters Deputy Bureau Chief Julian Rake, Shana had been operating according to standard press procedure.
When he was killed, he had been wearing a flak jacket clearly marked with press symbols and his car was marked with press stickers. The killing of Fadal Shana confirms the fear that media inside Gaza are becoming the targets of Israeli forces. All governments and organizations, he said, have a responsibility to take the utmost care to protect professionals trying to do their jobs.
“It is time for the international community to ensure that any agreement to end hostilities will also take media and journalists out of the firing line.” he urged. The OANA has called for the protection of media and journalists to be guaranteed by Israeli forces in Gaza. Mukhlis Yusuf also called on the world of journalism to raise its voice in protest over Israeli forces pressure on media trying to cover the Gaza conflict. Israeli forces have imposed a blockade on the world's media trying to report on the crisis inside Gaza.
"The truth cannot be told unless journalists are free to move, to talk with everyone involved and to see with their own eyes what is happening on the ground." he added.
WELCOME ADDRESS
By Dr. Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf
CEO ANTARA
Your Excellency Indonesian Vice President, Mr. M. Jusuf Kalla,
Honorable OANA President, Datuk Azman Ujang,
Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
It is my proud privilege and honor to welcome you all to the 13th General Assembly of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies. I would also express my deep gratitude to His Excellency Indonesian Vice President Mr. M. Jusuf Kalla for his commitment to receive us amidst his busy schedule.
ANTARA now has the honor of hosting an OANA General Assembly for the third time in Jakarta, following the fourth OANA General Assembly in 1979 and the seventh OANA General Assembly in 1988.
We deliberately organize the 13th OANA General Assembly in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of ANTARA News Agency, which was established on December 13, 1937 by our freedom fighters including the late Mr. Adam Malik, former Indonesian Vice President.
Our Assembly this time is of great significance because it also coincides with the 13th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is being held in Bali, from December 3 to 14, 2007. Around 10,000 participants from almost 200 countries, including a number of world leaders and the United Nations Secretary General, are attending the Climate Change conference, trying to address climate change problems which pose threats to human survival.
OANA, which was established in Bangkok on December 22, 1961, now groups 39 news agencies from 33 countries in Asia and the Pacific, home to almost 60 percent of the world’s population. OANA is committed to strengthening cooperation among member countries to help create peace and improve the welfare of the peoples in the region.
Communication and information are playing an important role in influencing people’s minds and human behavior. We as media practitioners have an important task in helping improve public awareness on various issues facing humanity, including environmental problems.
We hope that the UNFCCC gathering will be able to come up with decisions and results which can help deal with environmental problems, which have threatened the poor especially. The impact of climate change is real and here now. The media should help ensure that the voices of the victims of climate change are be heard.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In this 13th General Assembly, we will discuss how information, communication, and technology (ICT) affect the media industry, including news agencies. Some people may say that news agencies are a dying species. It is a dead industry, a victim of the Internet. When people, when newspapers, can get access to information from the Internet for free, why should pay subscription fee to the news agencies?
World Congress of News Agencies at Estepona, Spain, last October this year, has already answered these critical questions. We do not see the Internet as a dagger pointed at news agencies. On the contrary, we are full of optimism about the role of news agencies in the new information age by strategizing the Internet as an enabler to leverage our roles in media Industry. We will continue to speak a value creation for our stakeholders where news agencies would remain relevant in the media’s roles by delivering more credible and valuable news in building a new knowledge society. When people today say they get their news from the Internet, they do not think got there in the first place. Most likely it was through a news agency. Clause Erbsen, a veteran news agency journalist always says: “We are still the back bone of the world’s information structure, and will continue to be”.
We have chosen theme “News Agencies in the Multimedia Convergence Era”, because it so relevant with the current situation. Convergence is a new mantra in media industry today. Multimedia is a necessity in the future of news agencies. And, some of OANA Members, including ANTARA, are on the right track because we have been using multimedia and adopting convergence. ANTARA, with a new legal status as State-Owned Enterprises since 18 July 2007, are going to be the world class multimedia news agency, together with other transnational news agencies.
For ANTARA, to be the multimedia news agency is a long way process. It takes almost 7 decades until now we are celebrating ANTARA 70th Anniversary this month. Everyday, more than 500 news reported by our journalists and 3,000 news received from our foreign partners distribute to our clients through satellite, internet and so on. Our products are currently subscribed by more than 250 newspapers and other print multimedia, 11 national and 40 local TV stations, 65 radio stations, dozen of news portals, government institutions and private enterprises.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Following the long-held tradition, the host of General Assembly meeting will be taking the presidency of OANA. Under ANTARA chairmanship, we will continue to implement the programs of current OANA President while we are preparing new programs and initiatives. The bottom line is we should enhance cooperation among OANA members to strengthen the Asia-Pacific news agencies roles in the international arena settings.
Last bust not least, I would like to thank to BERNAMA, to Datuk Azman Ujang, the incumbent President of OANA, for his leadership and for bringing OANA to the greater achievement so far.
Finally, I would like to once again thank His Excellency Vice President Jusuf Kalla for receiving us in his Palace here and also all delegates who are present here.
Thank you
