Information Ministry often takes blame on two extremes. For being involved in some state of affairs or for not being involved in them at all. The fate of the Maldives Media Association is one such case on point.
Yes, Information Ministry did push for creation of the Maldives Media Association. It was Information Ministry that created a concept paper on the formation of a Maldives Media Association and submitted that paper to the media outlets of the country in one of the dialogue sessions the Ministry holds with the media outlets on the third of each month. The concept paper was based upon a combined format of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Canadian Journalists Association.
Information Ministry pushed the idea of an association for several reasons: Maldives media needed a common platform for the local journalists; they needed a lobbyist organization to enhance and defend media freedom; there had to be a common focal point in the local media landscape for international interactions; the journalists of Maldives needed a mechanism to bind them together facilitating common understanding and mutual respect and shared respect amongst them; at the stage things were in the Maldives a united group of journalists was a fundamental requirement if they were to be a force to reckon with.
The paper on forming a media association was debated by the media outlets represented in those monthly dialogue sessions and it was adopted in principle. The Association was registered on 2 October 2006 with nine founder members representing various shades of the media climate: government, independent, and opposition media outlets.
The nine founder members authorized a committee of 7 journalists from across the media spectrum to finalize membership issues; get the association set up; take the association to holding its first general meeting; and electing its first office bearers.[Read More]
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