Beirut – The 24th Conference of COPEAM (Permanent Conference of Mediterranean Audiovisual) was closed in Beirut on May 13, dedicated to the narrative of the many complexities of the Mediterranean region and the impact of the media on public opinion in Countries of the area. The call for journalistic transparency and the verification of sources, and pressure, including politics, on the media – in Europe as well as in the rest of the world – have been the key issues of Helen Boaden’s (former Director of BBC Radio) speech introducing the plenary session of the conference, animated by representatives of the culture and communication industry of the two shores of the Mediterranean. Moderated by RAI’s President, Monica Maggioni, the first part of the work focused on the need for the creation of an independent Observatory on Media in the Mediterranean, a recent initiative by the Anna Lindh Foundation, and the emotional engagement of the professional journalist facing “horrors” and human stories linked to the tragedy of mass migration and refugees. (9colonne)
