The Internet Has Created New Journalists

Ramonet, who was supposed to deliver the Forum's opening speech alongside Inter Press Service (IPS) General Director Mario Lubetkin, spoke to the gathering on the effects of modern communication means that challenge the stance of the traditional media in Europe and his experiences in LMD through a video recording made by Selami Sakiroglu.

"Effect of the internet" and "future of journalism"

In his speech screened at the Forum on Saturday, Ramonet reflected on the increase of internet users throughout Europe and a parallel increase of internet news, blogs as well as free newspapers, saying that these actually effected the newspapers which once appeared as if they could not be effected as well as effecting the stance of the readership.

Ramonet noted that the surge of the role of the internet on daily life had led to an extraordinary increase in information and news items. He said those who follow the classic media faced serious difficulties now in classifying and categorizing such a vast number of news items according to their importance and that this situation was leading to a lack of confidence in reporting.

Ramonet said the only effect of these factors was not felt by the public opinion but that the developments actually jolted the very definition of journalism.

"We are living through an era that is transforming professions such as journalism" Ramonet said. "Thing of it, everyone can provide photographs using mobile telephones. People with blogs can prepare news reports of the same quality as journalists. In an environment where everyone can conduct journalism, the very concept of journalism is in need of a description".

LMD published in 62 countries with 1.5 million circulation

Ramonet said that although the monthly LMD newspaper appeared to be a part of the high capital Le Monde establishment, it was in fact a publication that created its own strength that had a circulation of 300 thousand in France.

He explained that the magazine was published in the native tongue of 62 countries in those countries including Korea and Iran, which brought it a total world-wide circulation of 1.5 million.

"This success did not come out as the result of an expansionist and imperialist policy" Ramonet explained. "It was result of the newspaper's mission being accepted in other countries".

Ramonet said that with the influence of globalization a mad circulation was taking place in news and advertisements and added, "those following the mainstream media are getting the idea that news reporting is not reliable. Democracies have problems because the situation of the media is not good".

Lubetkin: Need for the alternative journalism should be stressed

After the screening of Romonet's message to the forum, IPS General Director Mario Lubetkin addressed the meting saying that solutions had to be found to very basic problems for the future of alternative media. Lubetkin stressed that the need for an alternative media had to be debated and explained in the widest of circles, from universities to artisans and civil society organizations.

Noting that the IPS News Agency was created in 1964 as part of a rebellion of the third world, Lubetkin said its activities now were conducted in the mission of a world rebellion.

Lubetkin said the IPS Agency owed its existence to objective conditions alongside the capacity of its founder Savio and explained that it now served over a thousand media establishments world-wide, out of which 500 were radio stations.

"We are trying to deliver a better service over the internet" the IPS executive said. "Because millions of people want to be informed in different ways. But what must not be forgotten is that of those who want different information is 90 percent of the world that does not have internet access".

Lubetkin explained that under the current conditions the mainstream media was continuing its own search and stressed that the alternative media had to find its own difference in this era.

Noting the possibility of a dialogue between different games, Lubetkin said "if we do not find synergy in our mission and create alliances, we cannot reach our goals".

Pointing out the rapid transformations in the process of communications, Lubetkin ended his speech saying "in the new international communications era why do we play the 1970s better? Because we are now the new players". (EO/II/TK)