“Al -Watani” 8 challenges facing government media and 11 parliamentary recommendations to develop content and consolidate the national identity

The report of the Education, Culture, Youth, Sports and Media Committee, regarding the government’s policy in enhancing the role of government media to establish content and consolidate the national identity “, has identified 8 challenges, and the committee also reached 11 recommendations to develop and enhance the role of government media, noting that it had held a number of meetings with the authorities, including the Emirates News Agency, the National Media Office, the Emirates Media Council, and a group of national media competencies, to learn about the challenges related to In the government media regarding coordination between the relevant media authorities and its means to unify the media vision and media discourse of the state internally and externally.

In detail, the challenges included the overlap and duplication of specializations between the authorities concerned with the government media sector in the state, and the lack of clarity of the roles and responsibilities entrusted to these parties; This affects the efficiency of the performance of the media sector in the country, and the delay in implementing some of the specializations assigned to the National Media Office, which was established more than two years ago under the decision of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Court No. (20) of 2022 to establish the National Media Office, then by decree by Federal Law No. (55) for the year 2022 to establish the National Media Office, the government media has declined during the past two decades that led to a weak activation of its competencies in promoting The national identity, after the media turned from a lofty message to a profitable media aimed at promoting, spreading and gaining material gain.

The challenges included the limited role of the government media in dealing with the important and emergency events of the state, the weak role of the government media in the external media coverage of the initiatives and events that represent the soft power of the state, the weak oversight and inspection of people, establishments and institutions that practice media activities in the state, and the weak localization of leadership and supervisory jobs in some media institutions in the public and private sectors, in addition to the small number of cadres National media specializing in media content industry, press writing, preparation, presentation, production and directing, and other media specializations.

While the recommendations included the necessity of reorganizing the specializations entrusted to the media authorities; This is to separate the competencies of each of the authorities during the practice, with the importance of identifying one media authority with a reference for all media parties in the country, activating the role of the National Media Office to practice the specializations entrusted to it, especially after increasing the number of its employees and supporting it with job cadres and logistical capabilities, and activating the jurisdiction assigned to the Emirates Media Council regarding coordination with government media in the country; To align national and local media policies, in a manner that guarantees the support of the Union and highlights the concept of identity and national unity.

The recommendations included the formation of an advisory committee from various parties concerned with the national identity and national media competencies, aimed at establishing media content and consolidating the national identity, setting clear foundations and controls for it, activating the role of the media office of the UAE government in supporting the ministries and federal bodies to regulate media surroundings, especially during crises and disasters, activating the role of official speakers, and the importance of activating the media strategy of the state to ensure achievement Its goals, by preparing policies to rehabilitate the national media cadres working in the official media, and the qualification of influential and social media activists with purposeful content, in addition to building partnerships with international media institutions to promote the state’s achievements abroad.

The committee also recommended that the official media give a space of freedom and protection and facilitate the task of obtaining the important news from the official source for its speed, and work to launch a media platform or a television channel at the federal level, it is a source of news, and represents the official orientation of the state, and to activate control over people, facilities and institutions that practice media activities in the country, including operating in the free zones, in implementation of Articles (6) and (22) From Decree Law No. (55) of 2023 regarding media organization.

The recommendations called for the localization of leadership and supervisory positions and the preparation of the leaders of the second and third -grade in all media institutions in the public and private sectors, and to benefit from the experiences of the generation of national professional and cumulative media competencies as consultants and trainers in government media, and their involvement in discussion episodes, workshops and media forums held inside and outside the state, in addition to holding partnerships with educational and media institutions And the use of national media competencies to train and qualify students with capabilities and skills on best professional practices in the field of modern media, align modern academic and applied programs with professional requirements for the media sector to meet the needs of the labor market.