Media and the Public in Yemen [Archives:2001/41/Reportage]
Communications are indispensable in social and psychological processes that are performed by man in everyday life. It is the way of transmitting what is felt or perceived to others. Since time immemorial, man has done his best to improve means of communication and put them to use. He developed means of communication to address the public, taking a meaningful message which must be carefully studied and revised before given to the public. There are two kinds of communications: direct and indirect. Direct communication is between two persons and face to face. Indirect communication is through the media, such as TV and internet. In this respect, we have to concentrate on the population’s communication which is one of the important aspects in our life. In 1992, the General Secretariat of the National Council for Population established means to assess and execute population policies in order to make efforts to conduct strategies for the population. The National Program for Mother and Child Health & Family Planning was established with the aim of reducing the fertility rate, infant and early childhood mortality, and motherhood mortality due to pregnancy and delivery.
Media and Population Communication in Yemen
In the early 1990s with the establishment of the National Council for Population, special attention was given to population problems and their consequences on the national economy. An independent general department for media and education was established. This matter of great importance entails a cooperative effort. The plan is one of the constituents of the population policies in Yemen and one of its executive mechanisms, because it deals with the lack of knowledge among the people in comparison with other Arab communities.
Thus, the National Program for Media and Population Policy has developed the the goal of disseminating information to the people in order to tackle problems in reproductive health and family planning in accordance with Islam. This awareness policy takes several forms to educate the public about population policy:
– Direct communication can be achieved through lectures, discussions in mosques, camps, youth clubs, health centers and agricultural guidance centers.
– Written materials must illustrate the problem within the framework of the special programs in order to explain its dimensions.
– Radio is an important means to disseminate short instructive items, such as in short performances and special programs.
– TV is also another effective means for hosting specialists and experts who have experience in population policies and have the capacity to implement these plans.
– Educational curriculum is of great importance. It develops the level of progress among the people.
It is clear that all the above-mentioned factors do not perform their roles effectively. They concentrate on specific occasions and specialized symposiums.
It is evident that the majority of the people in Yemen are illiterate; awareness of this should be simple and easily grasped. Woman’s role is also important in this respect. She can participate in creating awareness among people in villages and remote places.
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