05/11/2021
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Mazen Ali Al Ansari, director of the Asia, Africa and Australia Media Department in the Ministry of Information in Kuwait.
Part2.
Business FM: How social media influences the media and freedom of speech
Mazen Ali Al Ansari: Very good points. Freedom of speech is necessary. For our creative minds. We need that to be creative. When you sit to create what you intend to say, you shouldn't have to fear reprisals, punishment or paying fines. But on the other hand, freedom of speech is also our responsibility. I can tell you of a few famous social media personalities that I used to follow, and I have completely lost interest in because of the material they have spread, false material. And for social media honesty and credibility are the most important aspects.
Business FM: What digital platforms are used in Kuwait, how to prepare for sudden shutdowns?
Mazen Ali Al Ansari: Yeah, absolutely. As I mentioned, this has the internet and the social media platforms have become part of our lives, everyday lives. I know that the loss of Facebook and Whatsapp, were four for only six hours created havoc. But luckily, there are other platforms. Actually, this was beneficial to other platforms. So, people now know there are other ways they can communicate and connect. But this just shows you how powerful tool the social media is, and how it's getting us more connected than ever before in the history of this world.
Everything is popular, I think the most popular, if I was to guess, I would probably say, both Instagram and Twitter. But also, Snapchat is very close and WhatsApp. But the most used I think, for communication, is WhatsApp for instantaneous messages.
Business FM: About the impact of Facebook malfunctions on public communication.
Mazen Ali Al Ansari: Well, yeah, in all honesty, I used Botim as a communication tool, but you can also call; Instagram was also shut down, I believe, so that was useless, but there is also Signal, I think, it’s another popular social media platform. Now, those two I was using during the shutdown.