Regional Network for Media Accountability in the MENA Region

During the launch of the pilot-study "Media Accountability in the MENA Region" (download here in English or Arabic)  and the five separate online Webinars from 23-25 February, 2021 (watch the recording here in English or Arabic) related to media accountability, the representatives from 9 countries (Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia) such as journalists, journalists associations as well as media publishers, media NGOs and journalism educators in joint discussions emphasized the existing challenges in the MENA region related to Media Accountability, such as shortcomings in the media content, missing public engagement in correcting media content, lack of media accountability trainings at universities, and the necessity to promote media literacy among marginalized groups and decriminalize defamation.

In the online conferences, participants stressed that universities could play a more independent role, and could become a more active partner in carrying out media monitoring as a mechanism for accountability.

They expressed the necessity to create an independent network of researchers from the MENA region and highlight the need to promote media literacy among the media audiences.

The representatives of NGOs, Media, journalism educators, journalists’ associations as well as journalists themselves agreed to establish a regional network, with regular meetings and information-exchange and to use the network for future training opportunities.