SALONICA - Association of Balkan News Agencies (ABNA) condemned on Saturday terrorist attacks staged in Turkey.
Terrorist attacks in Istanbul was condemned unanimously upon the proposal of Anadolu Agency (A.A) Executive Board Chairman and General Director Hilmi Bengi in the Conference of Journalists of Balkan countries held by ABNA in Salonica, Greece.
In the final statement, ABNA condemned all attacks which hampered friendship and cooperation between nations like the terrorist attacks in Istanbul and said that they called on all press organs to fight against such terrorist attacks.
ABNA announced in the final statement that they were in solidarity with Turkish press and nation.
Besides A.A, Macedonian Press Agency (MPA), Athens News Agency (ANA), Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA), Albanian News Agency (ATA), Macedonian Information Agency (MIA), Romanian News Agency (ROMPRESS), Serbian News Agency (TANJUG), and News Agency of Serbian part of Bosnia-Herzegovina SIRNA attended the meeting. Central News Agency General Director Mehmet Guler participated in the meeting as observer.
In the meeting, participants took up enlargement of ABNA, creation of web-site, and awards to be given by ABNA to journalists who served ethics and ideals of journalism.
BENGI: RAPID CHANGE IN GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY INCREASED IMPORTANCE OF NEWS AGENCIES
Anadolu Agency (A.A) Director General and Executive Board Chairman Hilmi Bengi said on Saturday that globalization and rapid changes in technology increased the importance of news agencies.
Bengi who participated in Conference of Journalists of Balkan countries on ''digital broadcasting in the Balkans'', stated that digital technology brought a new breath to journalism.
Bengi said, ''this importance stems from the utmost attention paid by the news agencies to fulfil principles and ethics of ''objective, accurate and rapid journalism'' and their efforts to protect these values as a necessity of continuation of their existence.
He said ''this function of news agencies stands out as an issue requiring utmost attention with regard to their responsibilities against their subscribers and public opinion in order not to damage their credibility.
With these characteristics, news agencies, which take into consideration the principles of ''accurate, impartial and rapid journalism'' and pay careful attention to the ethical rules, have the power to affect positively their subscribers carrying out their journalism mission with today's developed technologies.''
Bengi said, ''therefore, news agencies' being in the position of a ''source'' in their reciprocal interaction with the media environment in which they take place, entails us to scrutinize their service to the subscribers.
There is a subtle point here that requires attention in regard to ethics; that is, the dimension of mutual interaction. This situation stems from restructuring in news agencies' portfolio of subscribers.
Anadolu Agency has also been pursuing this new technology since it was brought onto agenda of the world. It has been trying to provide opportunities for benefiting from it in its own structure.''
A.A Director General said, ''Anadolu Agency, which has been paying careful attention to use the latest developments in the computer technology, transmits its news stories to its subscribers with the opportunities of the new technology. It has gained a considerable speed in transmitting photographs to its subscribers in digital atmosphere.
Anadolu Agency took its first step toward computer era in 1986. Today, the computer network comprising all domestic and abroad representations of Anadolu Agency has been serving its subscribers with the newest technology.
Anadolu Agency started using the Vertical Blanking Interline (VBI) system, also called as ''data transmission'', in 1997. It has reached all around Turkey with this system, and to a vast geography extending from Europe to Turkish Republics in Central Asia, from the Middle East to Northern Africa.''
He said, ''It is a well-know fact that rapidly developing technology has provided some facilities in field of communication; however, it has also caused a high cost to news agencies. Those who could not afford it, have remained behind. Therefore, news agencies should take into consideration that they can decrease the cost of technologic developments by co-operating with each other.
Finally, it should be taken into consideration that the rights of news agencies, the biggest source of news for internet portals, and internet portals themselves should be protected against internet companies using news stories illegally. To this end, articles of international law should be scrutinized mutually and these rules should be implemented with regard to news agencies of countries and internet companies.''
(BRC-AY) 06.12.2003