Arab World needs comprehensive media renaissance

The ninth Arab Media Forum (AMF) called for a comprehensive renaissance in the Arab World through building a "scientific society" as the base for progress.

The forum started yesterday addressing challenges and the current decline that is being faced by the media industry globally, but overwhelming attendance by more than 2,000 media professionals indicated anything but a decline in the industry.

The forum was inaugurated in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Also attending the inauguration of the two-day forum was Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

Dr Ahmed Zewail, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1999), gave the keynote address at the inauguration of the forum that was themed "Shifting Mediascape: Inspiring Content… Expanding Reach".

Dr Zewail called for a comprehensive renaissance in the Arab World through building a "scientific society" as the base for progress.

He said: "The three pillars on which change of any scale depends include the nature of change, its recipients and the challenges faced by the changing entity. While gradual change is common everywhere, critical change or a paradigm shift is what we all seek to achieve as a society.

"Change requires political vision right from the top. Unlike the past, in a modern world of the information age, political systems cannot aspire to keep their societies in silos. This has made changes in the political system a necessity."

Dr Zewail also emphasised on the importance of quality rather than quantity, in light of the huge growth in the number of TV channels and newspapers in the region.

He added: "From my point of view, the solutions to our issues in the region can be summarised by few points. First, we need a renaissance in the educational system. The academic syllabi taught in schools and academic institutions are not any more in pace with the technology the world is facing. We need an educational system that builds upon the cognitive development of students.

"Second, we need to follow scientific methods in media; that is to base news on facts and data from credible sources that are thoroughly investigated to ensure the unbiased truth is being said. The following step for this is analysis and opinion – to personalise news and add the 'views' element to it. This is where the concept of 'personal media' would arise; where people follow a particular writer or a presenter rather than a newspaper or channel."

"Finally, we need to add elements to our culture such as encouraging fruitful debate and conversation rather than blind disagreement. We also need to encourage excellence and achievement rather than scrutiny," he said.

Welcoming the guests and industry professionals from 25 countries, Maryam Bin Fahad, Executive Director, Dubai Press Club, said: "The AMF has come to be regarded a key platform for meetings and discussions on the media sector as well as a networking event that offers a window to successful international experiences.

"Science and the media are indeed interconnected, both influencing the progress of any country or region significantly. At this year's AMF, we will explore the parallel fates of these aspects which are interwoven into the fabric of any society," she said.

Industry professionals and analysts initiated the dialogues as early as 9am with aggressive topics that challenged the very essence of traditional journalism, along with the challenges raised by new platforms.

Setting the mood of the forum with the first session was the vibrant subject of citizen journalism as it creeps into the domain of traditional journalism. Aptly titled "Citizen Journalism: Challenging the Unnamed Source", the session saw very passionate involvement of speakers who included Ahmed Ashour, General Manager of Al Jazeera Talk website; Mohammed Al-Kayali, a well-known blogger from Syria and Anwar Al-Hawari, Editor-in-Chief, Al Ahram Al Iqtisadi.

"Citizen journalism is coup d'état by the citizens against traditional journalism with the community taking on a more proactive role in collating and disseminating news and information through new digital media," according to Ali Al Karni, Director, Al Jazirah Newspaper Chair for International Journalism, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

The session was moderated by Sherif Amer, anchor of Al Hayat Al Youm, Al Hayat Channel, that focused on the role of citizen journalism.

In support of the notion Al Karni said that citizen journalism including bloggers and social media constitute the fifth estate just as traditional journalism constitutes the fourth. Citizen journalism looks at events from a new perspective, he added.

Ahmed Ashour of Al Jazeera Talk said citizen journalism has become an important source of back up information for media firms as there are times when certain places are inaccessible to journalists. It has also instilled the idea among the Arab youth that they can be an agent for change.

According to Anwar Al Hawari, traditional journalism as it is termed retains its place as a specialised field based on ethics and responsible means of reporting about global issues.

He said: "Whenever there is new technology, it enables people to use new means of communication and the relationship of citizen journalism is complementary to traditional journalism."

Mohammed Al Kayali, blogger, said the term 'blogger' that has been synonymous with 'writer' has changed considerably and the blogger has now become a source of reference with the elements of social media reflected in the mainstream news media.

Forum also shed light on the politicisation of media in the region with special emphasis on Kuwait that has grown considerably during the past decade.

In a discussion on the emergence of two global media giants, China and India, representatives from East and West, but none from China discussed the challenges that are being faced by the regional media.

Speakers from India, highlighted the maturity of the media, that has been propagated by political objectives and the craving of information that is essential for the survival of democracy.

While other speakers from the West gave their interpretations of the issues with the two emerging media giants, they were sceptical if this mammoth growth is good for journalism.

The winners of the third Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Youth Media Awards received their prizes at a gala ceremony on the opening day of the ninth Arab Media Forum under the patronage of Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

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