Hezbollah media ‘sorry for Bahrain coverage’

The Lebanese Communication Group, parent of the Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah’s Al Manar Channel and Al Nour Radio, has officially apologised to Bahrain’s Information Affairs Authority (IAA) for its past coverage of the country, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) has reported.

The apology was published and announced at the 90th meeting of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) General Assembly executive board in the presence of member states.

In its statement, the Lebanese Communication Group pledged to commit, in the future, to objectivity in covering Arab news and events and abide by professional standards.

The Group affirmed its keenness to subject its editorial line to periodic review to ensure its compliance with international professional covenants, treaties and accredited professional standards, BNA reported.

It also vowed to rectify anything deviating from this professional framework and to work towards preserving good relations with all Arabs, particularly the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Hezbollah’s media office has denied the issuing of such a statement, reported Al Arabiya.

Manama had submitted a demand asking the Arab League General-Secretariat to abrogate the membership of the Lebanese Communication Group (Al Manar Channel and Al Nour Radio) at the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU).

The Arab information ministers’ council had also approved the recommendation of the executive board and referred it to the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), being the concerned highest authority to scrutinise the issue and take the necessary decision, the official news agency said.

The heads of Arab delegations commended the decision by the Group to offer an apology and lauded Bahrain for accepting it, BNA said.

ASBU director-general read the apology statement along with the decision of ASBU General Assembly assigning him to follow-up the implementation of the commitment expressed by the Lebanese Communication Group.

ASBU director-general has also been mandated to take action against the Lebanese Communication Group in case it reneges on its commitment to professional media standards and the code of ethics, as well as the international covenants and treaties in the media sector.

The director-general does not have to wait for the general assembly to make the decision, the statement said.

Bahrain has long complained about bias and prejudice in the coverage of the events that occurred in the country in February and March 2011 and their consequences.

The kingdom called in an international commission of experts who carried field visits and interviewed thousands of people as part of a comprehensive investigation into what happened.

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry published a report in November 2011 after four months of probe and included a set of recommendations to ensure there would be no repeat of the dramatic events.

The government accepted the report and started implementing the recommendations. (Source: Gulf News)