The meeting with Christophe Jean, Charge de Affairs at the French Embassy and Ahmed Al Shaikh, Managing Director of Dubai Media Incorporated came in response to the IAA’s plan for implementing the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) and to achieve a media strategy that emphasizes external media and training.
The French mission reviewed bilateral relations between the IAA and various French media institutions including contracts and training with Radio France International (Monte Carlo International) and the National Institute for Audio-Visual Media (INA), as well as partnerships with leading French media institutions. These include an agreement with France24, known for its outstanding news services and reportage (in written, audio-visual and electronic media); the prestigious French Journalists Vocational Training Academy for training journalists; and the French News Agency (AFP) the oldest news agency in the world which is at the forefront when it comes to certified hands-on training in their training center by recognized, highly-ethical and professional media instructors.
The meeting also included talks about cooperation between the IAA and French channels in order to allocate space for promotional programs for Bahrain, as well as the possibility of hosting a conference combining academic and practical expertise in order to upgrade educational Arab TV works. The IAA has already purchased broadcasting rights for seven hundred hours from Radio France International and started showing these programs on Bahrain English TV.
Also discussed at the meeting was a report from an IAA delegation that recently visited Brussels and Paris with the aim of improving bilateral coordination and cooperation with various media French-speaking media institutions. The IAA delegation reviewed several organizations with a view from benefiting from their experience in establishing and managing a “Press Club” organization.
Dr. Elie Flouty has been appointed as the French Consultant for Training at the IAA. Flouty received a PhD in Media from the Pantheon-Assas Paris II University, after which he established the College of Media and Advertising at Antonine University in Beirut, serving as its Dean for four years. His career in media and communications includes internationally recognized media outlets Canal+ and Radio Monte Carlo International.