Damascus, SANA-During his meeting with a delegation from the Syrian Forum headed by Professor Ghassan Hitto, Minister of Information, Dr. Hamza al-Mustafa, emphasized the importance of transitioning to a comprehensive national media discourse based on the values of citizenship and equality, characterized by rationality and balance, while focusing on strengthening civil peace in the face of hate speech and division.
Dr. al-Mustafa pointed out that hate speech, despite being a global phenomenon, is exacerbated in the Syrian situation due to the exceptional circumstances. He clarified that the imposed sanctions impede efforts to counter misleading news and limit the verification of government accounts on digital platforms.
The Minister addressed the reality of the Ministry of Information before its restructuring, explaining that it suffered from operational and technical weaknesses. He noted that it is currently witnessing an improvement in its role and institutional presence, pointing to the launch of the “al-Ikhbariya al-Souriya” TV channel and the enhanced activity of the Syrian Arab News Agency “SANA”.
He also revealed strategic plans to establish national media groups that include both government and private media, in addition to working on addressing bureaucratic obstacles and improving media performance.
For his part, Professor Ghassan Hitto presented the Forum’s vision for cooperation with the Ministry of Information, after providing an explanation of the five tracks on which the Forum works: education, economic empowerment, public policies and international advocacy, and service and development projects.
He also proposed organizing training and awareness activities and events under the slogan: “A State and a Society – Building and Stability,” in a way that enhances societal awareness and supports development and reform efforts.
Reem Abdulhameed / Ruaa al-Jazaeri
