(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Qatar needs to be proactive rather than reactive to build its brand image at the international arena, experts said yesterday.
This came during Qatar Media Industries Forum's discussion on 'Brand Qatar: Impact of the Media', organised yesterday by Northwestern University in Qatar at the Four Seasons Hotel yesterday.
Thembisa Fakude, Researcher, Directorate Studies Centre, Aljajzeera Network, said Qatar's aggressive foreign policy has invited the backlash and negative coverage.
He stressed that such biased news coverage should be countered with a coordinated response from all government institutions in Qatar.
"The attack is political and the response should be from all government institutions. I know that there have been a lot of responses but they were not good enough," said Fakude.
He added that journalists should be provided with an easy access to information because many have to rely on their sources due to a lack of it.
"Qatar has said that it wants to improve labour issues and has been working on them well before it won the bid to host FIFA World Cup 2022. What the World Cup has done that it has brought very bright light on the (labour) issues," said Lauren McCollough, Senior Manager PR & Media, Vice-Chair, Workers' Welfare Committee, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.
She said their communication team has been converted into journalists which are generating stories and pitching to their counterparts around the globe.
Darwish S Ahmed, Editor-in- Chief, Gulf Times, said Qatar's rapid, all-round development has surprised the international community. Large-scale infrastructure development, capacity- building and winning the bid for the World Cup have forced people around the world to look to Qatar. There is need to approach the international media by being proactive.
"Somebody tells us something then we respond to it. It is reaction, there is no action. We are not approaching, we are not going. We need to be active, we need to pass the message to the world that something (capacity-building in different sectors) is happening (in Qatar)," he said.
He stressed the need for taking concrete steps to make the world aware about ongoing positive developments in Qatar.
"It is good that people are writing about Qatar. Now we have to think how to take advantage of this situation. The news has reached somewhere, the message has passed to different parts of the world. Now we have to think how we change this into a positive situation. To sit back and accept criticism is bad," he said.
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