How to be a Pioneer in Press [Archives:1999/45/Law & Diplomacy]

Mohammed Saleh Al-Rumim 
Taiz 
I believe that there are many sacred missions which are widespread among people to serve them and to offer help when it is needed with full efforts and sincerity so as to come to the high standard of success in those missions. Some of these are education, health, security, fair judges and the press. Here the press is our focus as it is the most important means by which political, social, educational and economical events can be communicated to all. Besides, the accurate analysis for such affairs is to make it comprehensible, as well as the freshness of news to bring about the interesting impression and credibility. 
Admittedly, press could not stand tall with giving attention to the ingredients of success which make use of press as a mirror reflecting the reality as it is. Exactly as we see the shadow in the mirror. Those ingredients are as follows: 
1- Initiative: It is admitable that the reason behind the success of some papers is their taking the initiative in publishing the news. To make it easy, the paper that mentions news freely, could attract more readers, who make use of the press in general and local press in particular. 
2- Independence: In this regard, we witness more than one hundred papers on libraries’ stands. However, the rate of selling differs from one to another. That is up to the independence extent as some papers are zealously partisan. So, trust is no longer there in some papers to the extent that such papers are used in wrapping food and other things, instead of reading them. In other words, the more independent, the more trusted and best sold it is. A way of biding higher or cunning which we feel up. 
3- Credibility: Frankly, the readers of such papers are looking for reality whenever it exists as well as to get the news from well-informed sources to depend on in political, social and economic affairs. It is regretable today to see that most of our local papers do not pay attention to such an element, i.e credibility as it is a very important factor in making the paper’s future bright as well as its publishing stuff. 
4- Accuracy and objectivity: Press should be accurate and objective in communicating an idea or a question to its readers. In other words, the number of publication should be put in mind but not to be the major concern of the publisher. Hence, paying more attention to this side or not, is what separates one paper from another. 
5- Patriotism: It is considered to be the most important aspect since dealing with the country’s reputation and the relation with brotherly and friendly countries. So, press should not intentionally do evil to the country and disfigure its picture for this effect negatively on the tourist industry. 
Every one has to be proud and honored to belong to Yemen and should work together to explain clearly its beautiful phenomena. Thus press can play an important role in developing tourism and attracting visitors to the happy Yemen. 
There are many newspapers that prove to be playing a good of our country. A vivid example is the newspaper YT, founded by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf. However, after his death many have heard to bet that the paper would lose its good reputation forgetting that the success of such paper is not related to particular persons, rather to the best press standards. YT has proved to all it is still the pioneer of press led by a highly qualified staff under the brother Waleed Al-Saqqf and my friend, Mr. Mohammed A-Qhadi, who could disprove others ill betting and continue in following the steps of the late Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf. Besides, the last important appeared on its size and layout adding some interesting topics to the paper which make it the best seller and run in readers’ hands. Many people wish it could be possible to have it translated into Arabic to be in the hands of the majority of people for what it contains of all dimensions of life. Finally, review should be taken into of our local press account. 

——
[archive-e:45-v:1999-y:1999-d:1999-11-08-p:./1999/iss45/l&d.htm]