The president of the International Center for Journalists, on her first visit to Egypt, tells Fatemah Farag that a free and professional press can make a difference in today's world According to its own brochures, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is "committed to taking the power of the press to every corner of the world". To do so, this non-profit, non-governmental, US-based NGO has -- since its inception in 1984 -- "conducted hundreds of training and educational programs for some 16,000 journalists and managers in more than 170 countries." And yet last week, when ICFJ president Eileen O'Connor came to Egypt, it was the group's first time here. Other than one fellowship recipient from Algeria, the group hasn't "really had much activity based in this area," O'Connor said. "There is a feeling today, however, that there is a readiness to open up to more reform, which is a good time to discuss what journalists can do." In Cairo, O'Connor discussed the possibility of working with Al- Ahram's Training Institute to set up ICFJ programmes in the country. A seasoned reporter who has been head of CNN's Russia office and covered wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya, O'Connor admitted that there were no easy, pre-fab solutions for journalists anywhere (whether in this region, or outside of it) when it comes to dealing with coverage of today's complex events. "We see our programmes as an exchange. Professional journalists are coming to these workshops and we want to find out from them what works, and what doesn't, and why," she said. But with much of the rhetoric surrounding global press training programmes focussing on fostering freedom and objectivity, the post-9/11 media dynamic in the US has put into question the credibility of the American media itself, in so far as fair and objective reporting is concerned. The New York Times, one of the most respected US newspapers, has, in past months, self-critically examined its coverage of Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction. Some have suggested that the Americans would be better off focussing on reforming their own media. O'Connor said she wouldn't necessarily say the US media provided the best possible example, "but there are basic principles we should strive towards. Journalists in the US undergo training all the time. When you stray, it is this kind of discussion that helps people get back on track." By way of example, she said, "in the US stories are sometimes sensationalised. There is a strong commercial aspect to programming and some times too much opinion. But all of these are issues that need to be addressed by journalists talking to journalists." In less developed countries, building and maintaining a free and strong press becomes all the more challenging. According to the ICFJ, "journalists often lack training. Many report under difficult and dangerous circumstances. Many more are so underpaid they have to moonlight in jobs that conflict with their reporting. Often, even the idea of well-managed and financially independent media is a novelty." While in Egypt and elsewhere, that list of woes is all too familiar, what use are professional tools when public space is held hostage to repressive political regimes? "I believe that the higher the professional standards, the more journalists can push for more freedom," O'Connor said. "Even if you have liberal media laws -- and I have been told by people I have been meeting that this is the case in many Arab countries -- you can't make the best of them if the media is not of a high professional standard." And even if a greater margin of freedom does open up, the price of being unprepared professionally can also be dire. "We saw this happen as the Soviet Union came down. There were some great journalists doing great work, but for the most part reporting was biased and not based on fact, and these practices painted the whole profession. It was to the point that the government was able to turn the people against the press." One of the keys, she said, to ensuring that the media keeps the public informed and works as a cornerstone in the building of a democratic society, is for the press to "not be a part of the elite or a function of government". O'Connor said that while a free press in the Middle East may say things the American government has -- at some points -- been angered to hear, "the more open and informative the better. If negative things are being said about the US, then maybe the government needs to look into why this is the case, and what is behind these sentiments." She described herself as a media person who believes that "speaking unpopular truths is not a bad thing." And while she has not seen the latest in US propaganda targeted towards the Middle East, namely Hi Magazine and Al- Hurra TV, she said there "is never any advantage in censored or biased information. Everyone can see through it. You counter biased coverage with objective coverage. People are smart enough to know the difference." O'Connor is also clear on the fact that she does not represent the US government. "I am not here to brainwash people. I am a person who believes in the power of people to express themselves, and it is our mission to enable people [working in the media] to be free and professional." ICFJ Training courses specialising in business reporting are starting up in Beirut, Lebanon next week, to be followed by courses in Amman, Jordan.
