By NNN-Antara
Jakarta : Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that news agencies and other media organizations needed to build a solid cooperation in order to help create positive perceptions on countries in Asia.
“(The Asian news agencies and media) need to build a solid cooperation to explain a (positive) perception on a country in Asia, like Indonesia, India or Iran,” the vice president said in his speech at the opening of the General Assembly of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) at the vice presidential office here on Tuesday.
Kalla said that increasingly advanced information technology enable members of the international community to access various kinds of information easily and speedily, including information on Asia-Pacific countries.
However, he said, to provide information on the perception of a country, the media organizations need to present stories with indebt analysis.
“And this can only be achieved through cooperation among the media organizations, particularly Asia-Pacific news agencies, by laying down a joint network to explain emerging perceptions on countries in Asia and the Pacific,” the vice president said.
After all, an objective perception on a matter or on a country like Indonesia, India and Iran could be obtained only through a cooperation, Kalla said.
“So far, there have been many wrong perceptions on Indonesia with regard to its security system and democracy. While in fact, the same things also happen in other countries in the Asia-Pacific region,” the vice president said.
Therefore, OANA as an organization for news agencies in Asia and the Pacific must be more solid and progressive in establishing cooperation and in creating positive perceptions on the Asia-Pacific countries, Kalla said.
On the occasion, the vice president also congratulated ANTARA National News Agency which celebrated its 70th anniversary on Dec 13.
OANA is composed of 39 news agencies from 33 countries in Asia and the Pacific region.
Meanwhile, a media executive said OANA members should respond to the new trend in media convergence with wisdom.
The new trend in media convergence is the latest challenge facing the mass media, news agencies in particular, chief of the Alliance of Mediteranian News Agencies (AMAN) Nacer Mehal said on the sidelines of the 13th OANA General Assembly here.
“The mass media elsewhere in the world including Arab countries are facing the new challenge and whatever the reason they must respond it positively,” said Nacer, who is also president director of Algeriam Press Service (APS).
Asked how AMAN and APS have been responding to media convergence, he said though media convergence is still a discourse it has gradually been introduced.
“We still need profound study to apply the new trend. Therefore, the 13th OANA General Assembly is an important means to share views to get fresh inputs from all parties,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief of Turkey`s Anadolu News Agency Dr Suleyman Hilmi Bengi said media convergence is an effort to combine start-of-the-art communication technology with traditional one.
Asked about news agencies` prospects in the face of media convergence, he said the prospects depend on the way in which they respond to communication technology and rapid developments.
“News agencies will continue to exist if they properly adapt to the latest developments, or we will become stagnant or die,” he said.
He expressed hope that ANTARA news agency which will chair OANA from 2007 to 2010 to come up with fresh ideas to change the organization for the better.
The 13th OANA General Assembly is being held on the occasion of ANTARA`s 70th anniversary which falls on Dec 13.
Established by UNESCO in December 1961, OANA is currently made up of 41 news agencies from 33 countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Japan, China, Turkey, Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Vietnam, Yemen, Azarbaijan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Oman.
ANTARA will take over OANA chairmanship from Bernama news agency at the meeting.