Nablus – Ma’an – In hiding the facts Israel and its news media have lost credibility, Ma’an’s Chief Editor Nasser Lahham told journalism students at An-Najah National University in Nablus on Wednesday.

The comments came following the release of the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom index for 2009, which dropped Israel to 93 out of 173 countries around the world, down from its ranking of 46 the year before. He spoke at a special session on the impact of Israeli media on world opinion.

“Hiding the truth got harder since the 1990s and the development of internet technologies and satellite,” Lahham opined to students, “a kid from Nablus can now sit on his computer and broadcast to the entire world what is going on outside his house.”

Arab and Palestinian media is ready to spar with Israeli media, Lahham said, “ready to put the facts out to the world.” He cited developing technology as the key factor to battling the funds available to Israel for promoting the state-sponsored point of view. “Israeli security still controls a lot,” he added, “and the movement of reporters is hampered despite better communication mechanisms.”

Palestine’s Press Freedom Index rose marginally from 163 to 161.