Minister of Information Melhem Riachi on Thursday launched the new electronic site of the Ministry of Information at the third conference of the Directorate of Studies and Publications of the Ministry, titled “The Culture of Dialogue and Social Media” held under his patronage at the American University of Beirut (AUB).
“This conference is one of the doors to dialogue and communication, waiting to reach the ministry of dialogue and communication to which we aspire, and thus the building of a better Lebanese society,” he said, noting that “the era of communication we know today has transformed every citizen into a journalist.”
Riachi said that the culture of dialogue paved the way for the civilization of peace. “This kind of civilization is that of the courageous, while force and violence — as well as incitement to hatred — are the means used by the weak,” he said.
The minister did not fail to criticize, in conclusion, the lack of credibility of certain media, where “everything has now become allowed.”
MP Hassan Fadlallah, Head of the Parliamentary Information Committee, said that social media was the synonym of dialogue platforms (…) and a space for political disputes and even cleavages.
“These media platforms have opened the doors of information to all, far from the hegemony of traditional media,” he said, before turning to the importance of respect for freedom of expression stipulated by the Constitution.
Moving from the media to political issues, Fadlallah reiterated his political group’s commitment to the proportionality law with single constituencies or enlarged constituencies.
“We are open to dialogue and ready to do whatever is necessary to achieve this just law,” he concluded.
Several dignitaries have attended the conference, including Ministers Inaya Ezzeddine and Avedis Guidanian, representatives of ministers Nicolas Tueni, Ali Kanso and Talal Erslan, the ambassadors of Egypt, Indonesia and Argentina, the Embassy of Saudi Arabia’s Charge d’Affaires, representatives of the Embassies of Iran, Morocco, Sultanate of Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Algeria and Iraq, as well as representatives of the former Minister Walid Daouk, the president of the National Audiovisual Council, Abdel Hadi Mahfouz, the director of the National News Agency, Laure Sleiman Saab, the director of Radio Liban, Mohammad Ibrahim, and the minister’s media adviser, André Kassas.
