Echorouk’s Forum: Algeria did not receive accreditation demand from Al Jazeera, says Communication Minister

Algeria did not receive any official demand from the Qatari channel Al Jazeera to accredit an office for it, according to Algerian communication minister Abderachid Boukerzaza.

“Not authorising an office for Al Jazeera is not a closed decision but it has something to do with a set of causes,” the minister told Echorouk on Wednesday.

He added that the government will not carry out the experiment of opening the field to private sector once again. “This to avoid results achieved in the press where the private sector is taking the lion’s share with positive consequences on the public sector.”

Speaking on the failure of Algerian channels in meeting the needs of the Algerian audience, Boukerzaza said television-viewers would never be satisfied even if there were 100 channels.

The communication minister believes that Algeria is attacked by satellite channels but the presence of Algerian private channels will be in vain due to the liberty of media field.

No written or oral instruction to close information sources

There is no written or oral instruction from authorities to prevent information on journalists, according to Boukerzaza.

“The problem of getting the information sources is no more than a reality imposed by the absence of mechanisms which organize relation between journalists and official institutions.”

He added that the government has no intention to prevent information on journalists but there is a need to ruling standards. “For example, not any journalist can talk to Defense Minister Delegate Abdelmalek Guenaizia in the name of the right to reach the information.”

The communication minister revealed that body acting on behalf of the Supreme Council for Information will be assigned to issue a unique national card for journalists.

Boukerzaza considers that officials who are not open to media are the losers at the end. “Development efforts made by the State can not be strongly shown only via communication.”

“I tell my colleagues at the government do not blame journalist if you don not give him information because he will get it from other sources.”

Journalists must be careful of Al-Qaeda war propaganda

The communication minister pointed out the war propaganda led by the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) which renamed itself to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb after failure in field confrontation.

“We are in a communication war and those terrorists try to impose their presence via communication,” said the minister.

“I urge media staff to be careful in reporting security information due to their sensitivity,” he added.

According to him, terrorists may be able to promote their acts through press stories while they can not carry out terrorist attacks in field.

Asked about the fate of missing and kidnapped journalists’ families, Boukerzaza said the law on the Charter on Peace and National Reconciliation is in charge of all victims of the national tragedy without exception.

He promised to handle the issue within this law as part of showing respect to the missing journalists and preserving their families’ dignity.

Individuals behind 97 percent of judicial prosecutions

The communication minister said official figures show that 97 percent of complaints against journalists are lodged by persons and individuals.

“These figures are positive as judicial prosecutions relating to companies represent 3 percent.”

“Those people who go to justice after they feel offended by a story especially if it is published on the front page.”

The minister mentioned that the State is not involved in those judicial prosecutions and any journalist has been jailed for his stories.

The government is ready to support newspapers in the community

The communication minister said supporting the right of citizens in media is the main point in the government’s communication policy. “This can be done by supporting media in the community.”

He said his ministry is ready to support projects to create local newspapers or in the community handling development projects and report citizens’ concerns.

Advertisement law to face companies abuses

The communication minister said the draft law on advertisement is in the process of preparation to put an end to the mass in the advertisement communication field.

He did not hesitate to say that field witnesses parasite development as legal vacuum is exploited.

The structure of the advertisement communication sector makes it belonging to communication and media field but it remains submitted to commercial law in terms of legal aspect.