NCC financial and administrative autonomy stressed

Manama, Mar. 7 (BNA): The role of the National Communication Centre (NCC) in unifying the Government’s media discourse and revealing achievements on the local and international levels has been stressed. Information Affairs Minister Ali bin Mohammed Al-Romaihi highlighted the need to deepen partnership between official agencies and national institutions, opening up on local, regional and international media to highlight the reform achievements, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa. He was addressing a NCC induction meeting which highlighted the activities and objectives of the communication centre, in the presence of MPs, Shura Council members, journalists and media personalities. Al-Romaihi commended young national media figures, stressing the NCC role as a strategic channel to ensure the liaison between Government entities in monitoring and analyzing news and data and serving as a link between local and international media in publishing facts and information. He stressed the need to provide all resources and facilities to enable the centre to perform its duties competently and professionally, as an autonomous entity financially and administratively, so as promote a modern media strategy, monitor, scrutinise and analyse news and build viable relations with conventional and non-conventional media with the aim of confronting local and international information challenges. The induction meeting stressed the importance of mustering all national executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, in addition to press enterprises, non-governmental civil institutions as indispensable partners to enhance all national media channels, the minister said. He stressed the need to increase the influential role of the national media, being the cornerstone of the homeland’s security and stability, and update the local and international public opinion on landmark development achievements in the prosperous era of His Majesty King Hamad. He paid tribute to His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier. NCC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mohammed Ali Behzad gave a presentation, highlighting the centre's objectives, duties and prerogatives, in compliance with the royal decree issued on December 1, 2016, to draw up government media strategies, especially during crises. He underlined the NCC commitment to providing consultative services to ministries and government departments, in addition to enhancing the professional standards of national media and personnel and increasing the efficient governmental presence on social media. The centre is made up of five directorates in charge of media and analysis, communication and media relations, media office, strategic planning and digital media. Dr. Behzad said that the centre studied public opinion priorities in order to draw up adequate initiatives towards enhancing the quality of public services, supporting government’s entities in setting up media plans and activating the government’s media network through a modern media methodology which incorporates world standards. He underlined the basic foundations for promoting communication and building partnerships with news agencies, press companies, regional and international media institutions, on the basis of confidence and objectivity, to supply them with accurate information, reply to wrong facts and offensive reports to ensure inaccuracies are corrected – taking into account the principles of balanced views, impartiality and credibility in dealing with Bahrain’s internal affairs. . Dr. Behzad described media and communication excellence as a participatory process which engages the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, hailing the role of the press and mass media which, he said, represent an indispensable partner in achieving the NCC objectives. He underlined the NCC determination to build fruitful and sustained relations to turn Bahrain into a viable and influential hub in the sector of public communication and information on the world arena. In their discussions, MPs, Shura Council members, journalists, columnists and representatives of local and foreign media outlets focused on the NCC goals, prerogatives and media and communication knowhow. They stressed the importance of building partnership between all national institutions to consolidate the NCC national mission in building bridges of cooperation with local, regional and international media towards highlighting Bahrain’s achievement and countering malign media campaigns.