Ministry of Information workshop focuses on reporting events from governorates

Muscat: The Ministry of Information on Sunday organised a workshop titled “Governorates Media”, which focuses on reporting events from the governorates of Oman.

The workshop was aimed at defining challenges, seeking solutions and rallying efforts to promote media activity in these governorates.

The workshop focused on four main themes shaped by a number of government departments—including the Ministry of Information—and private establishments. The themes evolve around the “Role of the Ministry of Information”, the “Role of Institutional Media based in offices of governors and government departments”, the “Role of Private Media Agencies” and the “Role of Community Media and Voluntary Media Initiatives in Governorates”.

HH Sayyid Marwan Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar, who opened the workshop, said that media has to be present at all stages of development in the governorates. He pointed out that media represents a link between the recipients of news (members of the public), the investors, the governors and officials.

Dr. Abdullah Nasser Al Harrasi, Minister of Information, said in a speech during the workshop that Governorates Media constitutes a core component of media system in the Sultanate of Oman, since it feeds the daily media content with information from various governorates through audio and visual channels, print and digital media.

Dr. Abdullah pointed out that the Ministry of Information is committed to empowering the governorates through effective communication and media interaction. He said that the media forms a bridge between the governorates and the broader segments of society.

The workshop included a UK presentation on ‘provincial media’. The presentation dealt with the important role of local media in overall process of communication, notably during emergencies and relief aid in crises and disasters. It elaborated on the role of the radio service, whose significance lies in uniting communities, promoting positive dialogue for change, offering opportunities for diversity in opinion and addressing common challenges.

The workshop also included various discussion sessions: A session titled “Role of Private Digital Media in Covering Governorates”, a session on the “Role of Community Media and Voluntary Media Initiatives in the Governorates” and a third session titled “Institutional Media Based in the Offices of Governors and Government Institutions”.

The opening of the workshop was attended by governors, representatives of institutions tasked with governorates’ affairs and those interested in governorates’ media.