Tripoli, April 4: A free and independent press and a vibrant civil society are the main goals behind the Free Media Centre, . . .[restrict]formally opened this week by the US Ambassador at a ceremony attended by members of the NTC and the Tripoli Council, as well five US legislators.
Ambassador Gene A. Cretz said the Freedom Centre for Media and Cultural Excellence (FMC), which actually began operating in December, had a crucial role to play in training journalists because “a free, independent and professional media is essential to any democratic society.”
The FMC has been established with the help of USAID, which has backed it with training materials, supplies and furniture, as well as supporting programmes to build an independent professional media and an involved citizenry.
The Centre’s Director Hossam Hussein Alzkar explained: “The centre seeks to provide support to media organisations and civil society organisations, to keep up with the historic transformation through which Libya is passing.”
Its key task is to help ensure transparency and the spread of accurate and timely information, while encouraging debate and making sure that Libyans feel that they have a voice with which to express their views and concerns. [/restrict]
