“Syrian Media Counters Yellow Journalism” ended on Monday (October 30th) with the participation of editors-in-chief and directors of 21 Syrian media outlets.
The forum, which lasted for two days, discussed the issue of yellow journalism in media, and the ways to address it, in the light of the spread of social media and its transformation into an open source for information and a free platform away from the regulations of journalism.
During the forum, the Egyptian journalist Imad Omar presented a series of definitional lectures on yellow journalism. In this regard, he formed workshops to identify some of the problems the Syrian media is facing and the best solutions to address the weaknesses of journalism.
Omar defined yellow journalism as “the media that avoids the truth by using inaccurate headlines and focusing on the excessive use of provocative drawings and photos so as to attract the public or directly influence the public opinion.”
Dr. Khatoun Haidar, a doctor of development and a specialist in women’s affairs, has also participated in the forum through a lecture on the ‘stereotypical image of women’ which the yellow journalism uses in the media, and the role of the media outlets in promoting racial discrimination based on type, gender, religion, race, and social class.
The presented examples of the Arab and international media and their projections on Syrian journalism contributed to shedding the light on the media gaps that lead to ‘yellow journalism’.
At the end of the workshop, the participants in the forum, including heads and editors of local media outlets (newspapers, websites, radio stations and television stations), reached a number of recommendations on the ways to confront yellow journalism in Syrian media.
The recommendations were directed to media outlets and organizations’ employees, editors, and media and press committees, which form the regulatory frameworks of Syrian journalism.
The forum is part of a series of seminars and workshops held by Enab Baladi Media Organization, which aims to develop Syrian journalism.
In May, Enab Baladi had organized a forum entitled “Syrian Media: Together to Renounce Hate Speech”, which discussed ways to overcome media messages that include ‘insulting and racist’ content that would increase hatred and prejudice in the Syrian society.