Sunday 05 / May / 2024
Muscat: Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser Al Harrasi, Minister of Information, emphasised the importance of Omani media in nation building while addressing the Shura Council on Monday.
He said that the Oman News Agency is the official source of news in the Sultanate of Oman and it provides news service in accordance with the Omani media policy, which is characterised by transparency, clarity and impartiality, providing citizens and residents with reliable news, covering activities and events, and highlighting Omani positions and policies regarding various regional and international issues.
The minister said: “The Ministry created a group of electronic accounts with the aim of interacting with the public, and the number of its followers reached more than 6 million from various countries of the world by the end of 2023. The number of views of the content of the Sultanate’s TV channels on the global YouTube platform increased to more than 300 million by the end of 2023.
The Oman News Agency is focused in its coverage and follow-up of the programmes and priorities related to the Oman Vision 2040, and in 2022 it launched a new broadcasting system and an electronic website. It also launched in 2023 its electronic application for smartphone users, a channel via the WhatsApp application, and enhanced the service in terms of news diversity, he said.
The total number of radio and television channels and private newspapers licensed by the Ministry of Information reached more than 80, including 30 print newspapers, 28 electronic newspapers, 10 “traditional” radio and television audio and video channels, and 15 electronic radio and television channels, he said, adding that this number is a good indicator for presenting an image of objectivity about the size of private media investment in Oman.
