Activities of Free Media Union's 5th conference launched

The activities of the fifth conference of the Free Media Union in North and East Syria were launched in the presence of hundreds of members of the Union and civil society institutions.

The conference hall was decorated with flags of the Free Media Union, and pictures of media martyrs.

Nearly 200 journalists from the regions of north and east Syria participated in the conference, in addition to the presence of members and administrators of media institutions in the region, military media centers, the Media Office in North and East Syria and the Kurdish Writers Union.

The conference program includes speeches for the Free Media Union and the Media Office in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, reading and discussing the report of the Union's work, then voting on the election of the Union's Council and the co-presidency.

At the beginning of the activities, the Co-Chair of the Free Media Union, Bangin Sido, welcomed the attendees, and explained: "Nine years have passed since North and East Syria Revolution, and during this revolution, the media had an important role in transmitting its reality to the whole world, and it made great sacrifices." He continued: "So far, more than 24 journalists have been martyred in north and east Syria."

Sido pointed out that the regions of northern and eastern Syria have been subjected to violent attacks, and the troops that attacked them have committed major violations, adding: "This stage was a test for the free media that contributed to conveying the reality of the region and the attacks on its people professionally."

Sido explained that the work of the media has two sides, "the first can properly direct society through it, and the other is a tool at the hands of the authority and the dominant forces only."

Sido hoped that journalists and media institutions will contribute to conveying the reality of the region to the whole world, and that the media will support the struggle of the peoples of north and east Syria.

The Co-Chair of the Media Office in the Autonomous Administration, Amer Morad, explained that the establishment of the Union came at a difficult time, but despite this, it managed to organize the work of the media and contributed to protecting the journalists' rights and supplementing the media reality with decisions and proposals that contributed to the development of the media reality in north and east Syria.

Morad made clear: "We are witnessing a phase in which we must focus on several issues, the first of which is fighting terrorism via media, working against the global war waged by states against northern and eastern Syria, not being dragged behind those countries' policy, in addition to combating hate speech."

Morad stressed the need to focus on the development media that is able to plan for the advancement of the region's reality, and to cover all service aspects that are part of the development media.

After that, a short film was shown about the journalists who martyred while covering the attacks on north and east Syria, and the Turkish violations.

The annual report on the activities of the Free Media Union was read by the Union's Co-Chair Avin Yusuf.

D.H

ANHA