Bahrani born journalist Zainab Abdul-Nabi urged the Australian government to speak out more forcefully about repression in Bahrain in the same way it has for other countries in the Arab world. “Troops fired into the faces of the citizens, the Australian government should say more about this,” she told a public seminar at the University of Wollongong examining the use of traditional and new media to bring change in the middle east. Radio and Twitter are two media forms being used extensively in the process of change taking place in different middle eastern countries.

“The world’s media has a focus on these countries at the moment, so people feel that it is their opportunity to use world media attention to their advantage. Twitter and Facebook are being used to organize protests,” Zainab said

From the ‘Facebook revolution’ in Egypt to the development of new radio stations in Afghanistan, both social media and conventional news have played a significant part in recent uprisings and reconstruction processes. The seminar examined how old and new media are being used in struggles for democracy from Afghanistan to the Arab world

Steve Ahern, whose company conducts radio, tv and new media training across the region, spoke about Afghanistan, where only 30% of the population is literate, making radio a very important medium for getting out information to help the country’s progress towards democracy. 40 new radio and tv stations have recently been licenced in Afghanistan. “The Australian government should consider giving more funds to help media projects in these countries, it is making a difference in the rebuilding process,” said Ahern

Iranian rado broadcaster Ali Mohammad Hesamfar, told the seminar that social media has played a big part in all the recent revolutions but that repressive regimes are also responding by stepping up their use of media to counter the revolutions.

Speakers at the Seminar were:

ALI MOHAMMAD HESAMFAR, 29, from Shiraz, Iran, is a morning announcer on Iranian state radio, IRIB. He is also an acclaimed actor, playwright and producer of radio drama and documentary in Iran. Ali is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Wollongong under an Australian government Endeavour Executive Award.

ZAINAB ABDUL-NABI, 27, worked as a television and newspaper journalist in her native Bahrain, but was blacklisted after reporting on human rights issues. She is an intern at Dateline, SBS Television, as part of her Master of Journalism at the University of Wollongong, and was interning at SBS Radio News as the ‘Arab Spring’ unfolded.

STEVE AHERN, OAM, is an international broadcast training consultant, broadcaster, author and media commentator. A former director of radio at the Australian Film and Radio Training School and former manager of ABC metropolitan radio, his company trains emerging broadcasters from Asia to Africa. He has recently returned from Afghanistan.

The seminar convenors were Siobhan McHugh,Lecturer, Journalism, Faculty of Creative Arts  and Dr Tanja Dreher Lecturer, Media and Communication, Arts. A link will soon be available (below) to view segments from the seminar.

^{(Disclosure note: Steve Ahern is an editor and part owner of radioinfo)}