حملة الأفلام يحاورون نقيب حملة الأقلام النقيب بعلبكي ، مجلة فن التصوير اللبنانية _ ع٣

They are interviewing the captain of the pen holders, Khalat al-Am al-Naqeeb Baalbaki, “The picture often speaks louder than what the pen says:

Four journalists and photographers, they chased the head of the Lebanese Press Syndicate, Professor Muhammad al-Baalbaki, carrying their films, pens, concerns and aspirations, and they talked to him about everything related to the concerns of their important profession, which are lطargely neglected. have legitimate rights. It is the dialogue of the film holders with the captain of the pen holders. Between the two writers in white on the black film, and the two writers in black on the white sheets. They are two lines, although they are opposites (black and white), but they are sympathetic and sympathetic to each other. . .

The meeting with the President of the Lebanese Press Syndicate has a special journalistic and morale flavour, as it is the first of its kind between the President of the Press Syndicate, Mr. Muhammad Baalbaki, and the delegation of photographers working in the “Art of Photography” magazine. The importance of this meeting is that it was devoid of formal traditions. It was an open meeting for us to talk frankly about all the concerns and problems of the profession. Before that, we were hesitant to put the questions, but in the end we preferred that the questions be the result of dialogue, and our concern became to clarify the position of the Press Syndicate on photojournalism and its importance in the Lebanese press. He has the negligence you suffer from, and we are honest with him in our attempt to portray the conditions of the two professions of photojournalism and art, and thus create a level of development and sophistication for everyone who wants to take photography as a hobby or a craft. The Captain received us in his office at the Press Syndicate House as a delegation from the Art of Photography magazine, consisting of photographers: Ali Hassan, Michel Barzghal, Ali Muhammad and myself. The purpose of the meeting was clear to Al-Naqeeb. The first issue of the magazine The art of photography was on his desk, and this means that his meeting with us will be about photography and the content of our emerging magazine. But we first wanted to hear the opinion of the President, Professor Muhammad al-Baaliki, about the stage that the Lebanese press is currently going through and his assessment of its role. Huge obstacles hinder the press from carrying out its duties as a result of the security situation. This is a situation that led to the death of many of our fellow photographers and journalists while carrying out their professional duties, who did not hesitate for a moment to obstruct the distribution of newspapers and not spread them to prevent them from reaching various regions, and not enabling many newspaper workers to reach their work centers, not to mention the interruption telephone and electricity) with it despite all the dangers they were exposed to. Add to

transportation and other obstacles. Captain Baalbaki remained silent for a while, then added: Now the picture has changed. The security situation has improved to some extent and many pressures have risen. Colleagues can carry out their work and mission in isolation from these pressures. Al-Naqib then confirms that the freedom of the press in Lebanon is fine and will not be exposed to any danger, because there is general agreement that this freedom is one of the main foundations of national life in Lebanon. Moreover, this freedom is an inherent matter in Lebanese life that cannot be cut off as easily as some might imagine, and it is not permissible for anyone in Lebanon to think of harming freedom in any way, because it was not a grant granted by any ruler to the press, nor a ouster that any authority dethroned. It will be more informative and clearer than the news. On a question about the role and importance of photographic work in the Lebanese press, Captain Baalbaki answered by saying - The importance of photographic work in the Lebanese press is its importance in the press in general. I still remember the day when newspapers were published in this country without any picture in their pages, and the appearance of a photograph on the front page was a journalistic event that distinguishes that newspaper. And the matter developed so that the image became an essential element of the journalistic content, and so that photojournalism became a very important aspect of the journalistic work, and the image often utters more eloquently than what the pen utters. It is indispensable for high-end journalism, and we are keen for the Lebanese press to be at the level of sophistication it deserves. In view of this importance of the image in the press and its necessity, it was necessary to obtain an explanation from the Press Syndicate about ignoring the mention of the importance of the photographer and his role, and thus not regulating his work, and the relationship between him and the press in any click or item, whether in the internal system of the Press Syndicate or the system of the Lebanese Press Law We also asked him for a second clarification: Is our work essential and part of the journalistic work, or is it independent of the newspaper? The Press Syndicate replied sharply: We called the photographer a journalist, and this indicates that his work in photography is related to journalism, and also indicates that this colleague is devoted to journalism in his photography work. He only practices photography in service of journalism, so he is a photographer

In this field, your association was established (here we corrected the official name for the Syndicate: “The Syndicate of Photojournalists in Lebanon.” He said, “I do not call it a Syndicate, because it was not established by a law from the House of Representatives to be called a Syndicate according to the Lebanese law, and it is included in the number of associations.” Journalist . There are many photographers, but they are not photojournalists, and it is necessary to distinguish between these two types of photographers. In this clarification from the Syndicate, he drew our attention to an important point that we place at the disposal of the Press Syndicate in particular, in order to take our right, we, photojournalists in Lebanon, into a syndicate organization that takes into account
Considering our importance in the press, and the need to work to organize this sector as it is the gateway to any development in the modern press. The Lebanese Press Syndicate continued by saying: I have always called for the necessity of correcting this situation and reaching a formula for the Lebanese Press Union to bring together all those working in the field of journalism, whether they are photographers, painters or calligraphers. And I may reach the limit of newspaper sellers. Of course, each team in its field can have a special organization. I must have a union for all of these to gather in order to coordinate their relations between them independently and collectively.