NU-Q Reports on Libya Media

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University in Qatar, the premier media, communication and journalism school in the Arabian Gulf, has announced the publication of a report documenting Libya’s first steps toward establishing an independent national media system.

The report and website, Media Vision Libya, is published in English and Arabic, and offers an overview, as well as videos, of NU-Q’s historic December 2011 “Good Offices” conference in Doha. 

At that conference, convened by Northwestern University in Qatar, a 17-person delegation comprised of the Libyan National Transitional Council and leading members of Libyan civil society gathered with the Secretary General of the Arab League, Nabil El Araby, and international media experts to deliberate according to four agreed-upon pillars for progress: media governance, the media economy, technology, and training. 

The results were a set of principles and an action plan that the delegation authored by consensus, designed to help guide Libya’s government and society as they seek to define and build an independent national media system.

“Re-imagining a media system after decades of autocratic rule is a daunting task,” said Everette E. Dennis, dean and CEO, Northwestern University in Qatar. “The ‘good offices’ conference was designed to define the main issues at hand and to find agreement on the basic principles that will guide future policy. This report captures the hard work and outcomes of the conference, and we hope it can be used by the Libyans to further discussion on the crucial issue of media freedom as they face the myriad challenges ahead.”

In addition to written summaries, Media Vision Libya also provides video highlights from the conference, including addresses by:

• Secretary General of the Arab League, Nabil Al-Arabi, who was the keynote speaker (video)
• Vice Chairman of the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC), Abdulhafeedh Ghoga, who was  co-chair of the conference and led the Libyan delegation (video)
• Everette E. Dennis, NU-Q’s dean and CEO, who served as Conference Chair (video)

For more information on the conference and the results, go to the published report at Media Vision Libya.

As part of its active role in the development of a 21st century knowledge-based economy in Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar engages in research, thought leadership, and service relevant to Qatar, the Middle East, and the global community.

The first cohort of students to graduate, consisting of 36 students from 29 nations, will receive diplomas at commencement ceremonies this May in Doha.

This article was written by Robb Wood of Northwestern University in Qatar.