According to the Public Relations and International Affairs of the Kish Free Zone Organization, the commemoration ceremony for Journalist Day was held at the Kish International Conference Center with the presence of media figures and media activists, Mohammad Kabiri, CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization, a number of deputies, CEOs of subsidiary companies and directors of the organization.
In this ceremony Mohammad Hossein Hassani, Acting Deputy of Cultural, Social and Artistic Affairs of the Kish Free Zone Organization, referring to the demands raised by media activists regarding the delegation of powers of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to free zones, said: Follow‑up on this issue began about a month ago and, considering the views and suggestions presented, completing and making the text of the delegation of powers more precise, especially in the media field, has been placed on the agenda.
He added: In this regard, dialogues and exchanges of views have been held with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the related text is also in circulation for review and completion so that the media field is addressed with greater comprehensiveness and clarity and this process reaches a result in the shortest possible time.
Hassani also emphasized the importance of strengthening media trade associations and said: The House of Press is a suitable capacity for the coherent follow‑up of professional and trade issues of journalists and active participation of the media can help strengthen and increase the effectiveness of this body.
The Acting Deputy of Cultural, Social and Artistic Affairs of the Kish Free Zone Organization noted: Many trade matters of the media community can be pursued through the House of Press within an organized structure and strengthening this association can provide the basis for more coherent communication between media activists and responsible sectors.
Seyyed Hossein Ahmadnejad, Acting Director of Public Relations and International Affairs of the Kish Free Zone Organization, while commemorating Journalist Day and emphasizing the need to strengthen communication between the island management team and the media community, said: The views, criticisms and suggestions of journalists can be effective in identifying issues and improving the process of information dissemination and communication with public opinion, and the organization's public relations pursues continuous interaction with media activists within this framework.
Referring to the accompaniment of Kish media at various times, he added: The island's journalists have played an effective role in accurately conveying information and maintaining calm in the public space under various conditions and challenges, and this accompaniment, especially at times when accurate and trustworthy information dissemination becomes more important, is one of Kish's important capacities.
Ali Hasanlou, Deputy of Tourism of the Kish Free Zone Organization, also in this ceremony, while congratulating Journalist Day and appreciating the media activists' accompaniment of the tourism sector, said: Kish media have always played an effective role in introducing the island's tourism capacities and forming a favorable image of this destination, and their accompaniment during different periods is deserving of praise and appreciation.
Referring to the performance of Kish's tourism sector last year, he added: After the 12‑day war, Shahrivar was one of the busiest Shahrivars in Kish's history in terms of hotel accommodation and this trend continued in Mehr and Aban as well; to the extent that these three months, according to the statistics recorded in the Kish Statistics system, registered notable records in hotel stays.
Hasanlou, saying that hotel stay statistics are among the most reliable indicators for evaluating the tourism situation, stated: The experience of this period showed that with proper planning, the cooperation of activists in this field and strengthening the destination image, usual travel patterns to Kish can be changed and even during periods that were traditionally among low‑demand seasons, tourism witnessed a boom.
Hasanlou, emphasizing the necessity of protecting the island's credibility, asserted: Nothing in Kish is more valuable and precious than the Kish brand. A large part of the island's economy, tourism and people's livelihoods are linked to the credibility of this brand; therefore, its protection is a shared responsibility among managers, media, economic activists and citizens.
He described journalists and media activists as the island's main narrators and said: A significant part of tourists' perception of a destination is formed through narratives and images, and what is published about Kish does not remain confined to the island; given Kish's position and characteristics, it can be seen and heard at the national level and even beyond the country's borders.
Hasanlou, also referring to the expansion of social networks and the increased role of citizens in content production, said: Today the public information space is not only in the hands of official media and anyone with a mobile phone can produce and publish content; therefore, raising media literacy at the societal level has become more important.
He added: Publishing an image or a narrative, even about a small subject, can influence the formation of audiences' perceptions of a destination; therefore, attention to the effects and consequences of content published about Kish is of special importance. Fortunately, professional media activists on the island, considering the various dimensions of subjects, play an effective role in presenting a responsible and honest narrative of Kish.
At the end, Hasanlou appreciated the journalists' accompaniment of the tourism sector and expressed hope that this cooperation and synergy in introducing the island's capacities, developing tourism and strengthening the Kish brand will continue.