Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA- At the center of the capital, Damascus, and at one of the most ancient cultural monuments which is al-Assad National Library, Ministry of Information celebrated the 75th anniversary of establishing Radio Damascus, the second Arab radio station.
Minister of Information, Dr. Boutros al-Hallaq conveyed, in a speech at the ceremony, the congratulations of President Bashar al-Assad on the Diamond Jubilee of Radio Damascus and his pride in the sacrifices and determination of the media martyrs who laid the basis for the success of the next generations of journalists who will complete the process with professionalism, sincerity and love for the homeland.
“Radio Damascus has provided, since its inception, a national media that played a major role in shaping awareness and conscience, and until this moment, all national media is still waging a battle of awareness with professionalism and credibility in the face of a fierce media war targeting the state and society through continuous attempts to change concepts and break national principles, and this is what terrorist armies have been unable to achieve,” Dr. Hallaq said.
Dr. Al-Hallaq referred to the enormous transformations in the field of communication and media with which we must keep pace in our media institutions, along with the belief that professionalism is a necessary condition for that through developing awareness, self-esteem and capabilities, and arming with contemporary media tools, especially in the digital and interactive field.
“Only by this can we, as journalists, be the first line of defense and we will foil the attempts to undermine the security, stability and unity of the social fabric of the homeland,” Dr. Hallaq said.
He added “The media cadres that fought alongside the Syrian Arab Army in its war against terrorism are today fighting fierce battles in the economic war as an active partner in the process of development and stability, and victory is inevitable.”
He pointed out that honoring the martyrs of the media, represented by the martyrs of Radio Damascus, is a great honor, saying “without them and the martyrs of the Syrian army, we would not have gathered today.”
He added that the celebration today comes in an expression of loyalty to the pioneering generation of journalists and in appreciation for the current generations, as the Ministry of Information aspires to hold this celebration annually to be an occasion to honor those who have been distinguished and to be an opportunity given to every innovator and everyone who deserves to be rewarded in the future.
On behalf of media workers, Minister of Information extended to President al-Assad sincere congratulations and deep appreciation on the occasion of the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Radio Damascus, thanking him for his generous and unlimited support for the media and journalists, pledging that our media will be a role model that respects the mind of the public, uplift the values of society and works with responsible freedom of expression.
The radio cadres of the young generation were honored, in addition to honoring the distinguished directors and journalists and a number of families of the radio martyrs.
It is noteworthy that Radio Damascus was launched from a simple building on Baghdad Street, with a small technical team and simple equipment, to be the second radio station established in the Arab world and the first to broadcast live and provide one-minute news briefs.
Radio Damascus, throughout its long history, has provided media materials in Arabic that simulate the aspirations of the Syrians and their daily lives in a dramatic format, presented by a number of pioneering artists, and it was the basis from which the drama was transferred to television.
The radio adopted Arab causes to support the Arabs in their ordeals within the framework of its belief in nationalism and unity and its eternal message.
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
