Newspapers throughout the Arab region face a number of obstacles, including repressive media laws, a lack of editorial independence and multiple commercial challenges. Journalists live under a constant threat of being physically harassed, attacked or even murdered.

The "Press Under Siege" conference will explore the efforts of Arab media to win their independence and freedom in an environment of continuing repression and harassment.

The opening session will pay particular tribute to Gebran Tueni, publisher of the An-Nahar newspaper who was brutally killed in a bomb attack on 12 December 2005.

Sunday 10 December

10:30 - 12:30
Opening Ceremony at Biel International Exhibition Center

Commemoration of An-Nahar publisher Gebran Tueni,
murdered on 12 December 2005
Welcome addresses by:
Timothy Balding, CEO, World Association of Newspapers
Documentary on Gebran Tueni

Nayla Tueni, Member of the Board, Deputy General Manager, An-Nahar
Thomas Friedman, Columnist for the New York Times and Pulitzer Prize winner
Musical performance by Ghassan Saliba
Ayad Wakim, Secretary General, Youth Shadow Government
David Ignatius, Associate Editor and Columnist for the Washington Post
Musical performance by Majida El Roumi (recorded)
Imadeddine Adib, Journalist
Abdel Rahman El Rached, General Manager of the Al-Arabiya News Channel
Ghassan Tueni, CEO of An-Nahar
Musical performance by Ghassan Saliba
Fouad Seniora, Prime Minister of Lebanon
Nabih Berri, Speaker of the House of Parliament

Presentation of the first Gebran Tueni Award
by Roger Parkinson, Immediate Past President, World Association of Newspapers

12:30 - 13:45
Visit to An-Nahar Newspaper

14:30 - 15.30
Lunch

16:00 - 18:00
Session I: A Deadly Profession - Journalists in Danger
The session will deal with the physical risks taken by Arab journalists when carrying out their daily work, and discuss ways of setting up mechanisms of protection.

Speakers:
Jamal Amer, Editor-in-chief, Al Wasat, Yemen
Ali Hamadé, Senior Editorialist, An-Nahar, Lebanon
Alia Talib, Media Specialist, Iraq
Abdlerahim K. Abdallah, Journalism Unit Director, Media Institute/Birzeit University, Palestine
Salaheddine El Hafez, Vice Editor-in-Chief, Al Ahram, Egypt

Moderator:
Rodney Pinder, Director, International News Safety Institute, Belgium

20:30
Gala dinner
Al-Balad Restaurant, Jounieh

Monday 11 December
8:00 - 9:00
Breakfast
"Media Development Loan Fund - Investing in independent news"
Sasa Vucinic, Managing Director
Patrice Schneider, Director of Developments

9:00 - 11:00
Session II: Controlling Media Through Legislation
The discussion will focus on legal mechanisms aimed at controlling Arab newspapers and how these could be removed, to allow for an independent press to prosper.

Speakers:
Ali Amar, Co-founder and Publisher, Journal Hebdomadaire, Morocco
Ziyad Baroud, Lawyer & Lecturer at St. Joseph University, Lebanon
Ibrahim Issa, Editor-in-chief, Al-Dustour, Egypt (tbc)

Moderator:
Kamel Labidi, Media Expert, Tunisia

11:00 - 11:15
Coffee break

11:15 - 13:00
Session III: Censorship and Self-censorship
The panel will discuss how censorship and self-censorship is used to stifle a free press in the Arab world, and what means there are to combat this way of repression.

Ghazi El Aridi, Minister of Information, Lebanon
Ahmed Benchemsi, Publisher and Managing Editor, Tel Quel, Morocco
Ali Abduleman, Editor, Bahrain Online, Bahrain
Naziha Rjiba, Editor-in-chief, Kalima online newspaper, Tunisia

Moderator:
David Ignatius, Associate Editor and Columnist for the Washington Post, USA

13:00 - 15:00
Lunch

15:00 - 17:00
Session IV: Achieving Economic Independence and Financial Viability
The session will look at publications in the region that have implemented successful strategies to become financially independent.

Mohammed Alayyan, Publisher, Al Ghad, Jordan
Omar Belhouchet, Editor-in-chief, El Watan, Algeria
Mazen Hayek, Director Corporate, Marketing & PR, MBC group, UAE
Hisham Kassem, Publisher, Al Masry Al Youm, Egypt
Talal Selman, Publisher, As-Safir, Lebanon

Moderator:
Natasa Vuckovic Lesendric, General Manager, APM Print&Trans Press, Serbia

Final debate and closing remarks

The event is organised by:

The event is co-sponsored by: