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M100 Sanssouci Colloquium 2007

7 September 2007
Potsdam

The 2007 Colloquium was transformed into an East-West Media Bridge aimed at facilitating contact and dialogue between leading members of the Western media and counterparts from the Middle East. The discussions addressed the question of self-censorship and the impact of transnational media on international relations as well as domestic integration within Europe and the Middle East. The annual M100 Sanssouci Media Prize was awarded to Bob Geldof at a ceremony attended by leading public figures from both Europe and the Middle East. The meeting attracted renowned journalists and media executives from across Europe and the Middle East. The European contingent at the Colloquium included senior figures from the BBC, Economist, FT and France 24 as well as chief executives from Europe's leading print media and Germany's TV networks. Participants from the Middle East included senior staff from Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, as well as editors from Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Oman, Bahrain and other Gulf countries.

The conference analysed how European and Middle Eastern media portray each other's societies and current affairs. Differences not only between but within each region's media were addressed and the exchanges touched on how both dealt with issues such as self-censorship and the question of media ownership and independence. A key question was the extent to which the media could wield power in terms of influencing the Middle East's ruling elites. Another was the impact of media globalisation and the proliferation of transnational TV networks (both English and Arab language channels). The effect of the latter on international and inter-communal perceptions was explored as well as the question of how Muslim communities in Europe and abroad have been reported and whether the media was aggravating tensions through sensationalistic reporting. Participants compared the tendencies of populist or ‘tabloid' media across geographies and emphasised the role of professional standards of journalism.

Conference Report