Morcos at ‘Arab Media Forum’ in Kuwait: Do We Wish to Be an Echo of Others in the Digital Age or an Independent Voice that Represents our Societies?

Information Minister Paul Morcos delivered Lebanon’s address at the seventh session of the 20th Arab Media Forum conference held in Kuwait, under the headline: “Media Challenges in Light of Technological Advancement and Digital Transformation.”

In his word, Morcos said that the Arab world is experiencing a pivotal media moment, characterized by radical changes in the communications structure, the rapid spread of information, and the transformation of the public from a “passive recipient” to an “active partner” in producing content and shaping public opinion.

Despite media disparities from one country to another in our region, Morcos considered that the challenges have become mutual and “require a unified Arab vision that leads to comprehensive media reform, enhances independence and transparency, and protects the Arab digital space from dependency and fragmentation.”

Morcos called for establishing a joint Arab fund to support the development of digital media, encourage independent initiatives, and finance the production of high-quality Arabic content. Additionally, he highlighted the need for launching a regional center for media training and professional exchange, dedicated to training Arab journalists in various fields of digital media, data, production, and investigative reporting. He also suggested the creation of an Arab observatory for digital media ethics, which will keep pace with transformations, monitor violations, and propose flexible frameworks for regulating new media work, free from traditional censorship, while protecting freedoms and rights.

“It is our collective responsibility, as media professionals and media policymakers, to move from a position of reaction to a position of action, and to be an active part of content creation, not just consumers of tools,” Morcos underlined.

He added: “In Lebanon, despite all the political and economic challenges, there are still free spaces and independent professional voices seeking to build advanced digital media. The Ministry of Information is currently working to modernize its role, moving away from the traditional concept of censorship toward a modern regulatory role that keeps pace with, encourages, and secures the appropriate legislative and technological environment.”

Thanking the organizers of the “Arab Media Forum” and appreciating “the pioneering role of the State of Kuwait in fostering responsible and inclusive Arab media,” Morcos concluded by questioning whether, in the digital age, we wish to be an echo for others or “an independent voice that creates its own content and represents our communities, their values, history, and aspirations?”