National Press Day: Former media figures honored

Former media figures were honored, in Algiers, on the occasion of the National Press Day, in the presence of Minister of Communication, Spokesman of the Government and acting Minister of Culture Hassan Rabehi.

The ceremony, organized by Communication Ministry under the patronage of Head of State Abdelkader Bensalah, was marked by the presence of several members of the government, the State’s top officials, media directors and well as several journalists.

Former journalists were honored, some of them posthumously, in recognition of their course in the promotion of citizens’ rights for an objective and credible information throughout all the decisive periods of Algeria. 

Late mujaheed Harrath Bendjedou, one of the pioneers of the information services of the national television after Algeria’s independence, was honored.

Tahar Benaicha, born in 1925 in Oued Souf, is another media figure who was honored. He joined Zeitouna University in 1942 and settled in Algiers in 1949. Militant in the Algerian People party, he joined the National liberation Front (FLN) after the outbreak of the war of the independence in 1954.

Abdelkader Rabani, known as Barhoumi, former journalist in several newspapers and the National Radio, was also honored, as well as late Mohamed Fodil, who was one of the students sent by FLN to the Middle East. After the independence, late Si Fodil served as a teacher in the Higher School of Journalism before becoming director of El Moudjahid paper.

The ceremony was also marked by a tribute paid to Fouad Boughanem, founding member of the daily Le Soir d’Algérie in 1990.

A tribute was also paid to late Bachir Hamadi who worked in several Arab-speaking newspapers, notably Echaab and El Massaa.

Ministry of Communication also honored Abdelkader Nour, mujaheed and former director general of the Algerian Radio. Founding member of the Radio of Islamic countries, the deceased started in “Sawt El Arab Radio” in the service of the national revolution.

Other media figures were also honored in this ceremony, namely Meriem Yacine and journalist and writer Kamel Ayache.