Mass media, especially modern social media such as the blogosphere and Facebook, have a decisive impact on intercultural communication and contacts in our globalized world. Not only do the media report the news, but also they create the news by deciding on what to report and most importantly how to frame and present it. So, media in its various forms, traditional and modern, have a powerful influence on how people view the world and establish their perceptions and value judgments towards events and other people. Mass media in all its forms are considered to be an indispensable tool that has to be used to reach out to the public, to start the proposed new beginning and to reinforce the culture of understanding.
Since 9/11, a wide range of initiatives have been launched to bridge the perceived cultural divide between the Muslim and others in our world and to dispel stereotypes and misrepresentations and misunderstandings in the media for different faiths.
Just a few examples:
- The Alliance of Civilization’s media projects, including the Global Expert Finder, media fellowships as well as an extensive array of workshops and conferences on media coverage of Islam. For more information see Alliance of Civilizations Media Programmes.
- International Center for Journalists projects, including Faith in Media: Improving Coverage of Islam and Other Religions.
- The World Economic Forum’s West-Islamic World Dialogue has a media component, as summarised in their Annual Report on the State of Dialogue.
- The Anna Lindh Foundation works on media and religion. For more information, see Anna Lindh Foundation.
There are also a countless number of other national initiatives in North America and Europe. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) and its partners in the New Beginning initiative could use its convening power to bring these groups together to present their experiences and learn from one another’s successes and failures.
Most of these initiatives are focused on coverage of Islam in the Western media. But how is Islam covered in other non-western countries with large Muslim populations for example India, Russia or China? A novel aspect of this project would be to identify groups working in this field in other countries and to bring them to the conference to share their experiences as well.
There are a number of proposed and suggested activities that aim at making use of the power of the mass media such as:
§ Launching a Multi-lingual Media Campaign focusing on three levels: local, regional and international to get the message across. The core message of the proposed media campaign: "Towards Better Understanding" is to encourage the public – particularly youth – to engage in a dialogue about the shared human values and to consolidate the basis for mutual understanding and communication. The campaign aims at promoting a new beginning in the Muslim and non-Muslim relations and to propagate for the principles of tolerance, respect, acceptance and appreciation of different cultures.
The proposed campaign will be divided into two phases:
- Before the Conference:
Establishing a website for the "New Beginning: Muslim and non-Muslim Relations" is the first step to achieve the objectives of the proposed media campaign. The website will promote the objectives of the initiative through the dissemination of the correct and suitable information and knowledge in all faiths, and open a platform for the public to share their experiences (initiatives & projects) and exchange ideas on how to start and sustain this new beginning; and how to replace the dominant feelings of distrust and suspicion with understanding and respect.
- During & After the Conference:
The second phase of the project aims at gathering a number of representatives of mass media experts from different newspapers, magazines, radio, and television channels as well as new media technologies from Egypt, Arab/Muslims countries, the US and European countries to cover the event as well as interviewing some of the prominent figures participating in the New Beginning conference. The coverage of this conference will help reach out a wide spectrum of audience, spread its message and widen its impact.
It is also suggested to reach a large number of writers, journalists, media specialists, editors, bloggers and documentary producers in Arab/Muslims countries, the US and European countries to establish national, regional and international networks. The work of these networks will focus on challenging and correcting the deeply-rooted stereotypes, prejudices, and preconceptions, and to spread the word of common values between people of all faiths around the world.
§ Training program for journalists in Muslim and Arab majority countries on how to cover other religions. While much of the international focus on religious coverage has focused on Islam and the West, there is an equally pressing question of how well journalists in Muslim and Arab majority countries are reporting on other religions, particularly minority faiths in their own societies.