WATCH: Shaikh Mohammed opens Arab Media Forum

Top Stories

Shaikh Mohammed, Princess Haya, Shaikh Hamdan, other Shaikhs and senior officials attend the opening day of the Arab Media Forum at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Tuesday.
Shaikh Mohammed, Princess Haya, Shaikh Hamdan, other Shaikhs and senior officials attend the opening day of the Arab Media Forum at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Tuesday.

Dubai - Two-day Arab Media Forum began in Dubai today.

By Staff Reporter

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Tue 10 May 2016, 7:37 PM

Last updated: Wed 11 May 2016, 1:57 AM

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated the 15th edition of the Arab Media Forum at Dubai World Trade Center.
Shaikh Mohammed was accompanied by Princess Haya bint Al Hussain, wife of Shaikh Mohammed, Chairperson of International Humanitarian City and UN messenger of peace, as well as Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed,Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, and Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
The two-days forum - organised under the slogan 'Media for Good' - was attended by Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and hundreds of prominent Arab and international media elites.

Addressing the opening keynote speech, Princess Haya said that the humanitarian aspect has been ignored amidst the intense political turmoil in the region.
In her remarks, she called on Arab media officials to give professionals their due rights to secure a decent living. She also praised the UAE for forming two new ministries - for happiness and tolerance - at this time of conflict in the region.

Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh delivers a keynote speech at Arab Media Forum
In his keynote speech, Nasser Judeh stressed the urgency of specialized humanitarian media to focus on humanitarian issues in the region.

Shaikh Mohammed attends part of the session titled: "On the Path of Humanity" by Eid Al Yahia
He also called on Arab leaders to support the people of Palestine, as well as Syrian refugees in various countries. Citing Jordan as an example, he said the government makes every effort to provide assistance to Syrians that are currently on Jordanian soil and ensure their safety and security. 

WATCH LIVE: Arab Media Forum 2016 
 

 

DP World announces programme to educate 34,000 kids by 2020
At the Arab Media Forum in Dubai, DP World announced an education programme to educate 34,000 children aged eight to 14 by 2020, in which employees will use their volunteer leave to deliver a wide range of modules in local schools. 

Working with a specialist agency and consulting with teachers, the educational material covers a number of topics including port, trade, and logistics. 
The modules will each come with guidance and delivery notes, lesson plans, student activities and worksheets, and will be implemented this year in seven languages, including Arabic, English, Hindi, Mandarin, French and Spanish. 
The first lessons have been piloted in the UAE , India, Pakistan, Senegal, the UK, Argentina and the Philippines and will be rolled out from June across the rest of DP World's network in over six continents.


'Photographs on Syrian refugees convey peoples' courage'
Speaking in particular on the Syrian Migrant crisis and how photographers bear witness and spread awareness, Reuters Bureau Chief William Maclean said that "a photograph is as powerful an imagery as you can get."

"A photograph builds a bridge between the subject and the person looking at it. A print story at the end of the day is just words on a page. It's the photograph people look for to tell the complete story," he added.
Talking about this year's Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Yannis Behrakis, the 30-minute session explored the different reasons why photojournalism will never die.
One of the questions that arose from the session on the "Syrian Migrant and the Photographers who bear witness" was how does one photograph a subject like the migrant crisis while at the same time keeping their dignity intact and not violating their privacy so that you can send it over the bridge to be consumed.
In conclusion the session highlighted that because of the powerful imagery produced changed the stance of many European countries on the Syrian migrants after the horrors face by Aylan Kurdi and the other refugees were documented.
The impact of digital and social media on storytelling and using media for humanity will be the focus of discussions. 

A call for professionalism in Arab media
"Media is facing a crisis of professionalism in the Middle East," said Yasser Abdel Aziz, a prominent writer from Egypt, during the opening session 'Media that impacts Humanity'.

The session - which was moderated by MBC Anchor Yasser Al Amro - included Mohammed Al Nughaimish, a writer with Al Sharq Al Awsat newspaper.
Al Amro began the session with a question: "Is the media a mirror reflecting the society?"
"Yes, we are a window to what is going on in society," Mohammed answered, adding that "media should play a vital role in raising awareness as people need responsible media to provide them with in-depth analysis and entertainment as well".
To achieve a high level of professionalism - of which there is much in the Arab World - Mohammed said that media CEOs need to invest in people.


Media shifting towards user generated content 
Today's media landscape is taking a turn towards user generated content, according to experts speaking at the Arab Media Forum.

One of the forum's first-day sessions, entitled " "Covering the Middle East in the decade ahead and the impact of digital on journalism practices" was attended by Faisal Abbas, Editor in Chief, Al Arabiya.net English, moderated the session and was accompanied by Ian Phillips, Middle East News Director, Associated Press and Othman Al Omeir, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Elaph E-Newspaper.
"The Media landscape has changed. It's gone from print to online to user generated content. It is not a threat to main stream media but in fact we are now more relevant than ever. Our audience is way bigger than our pre digital era. Now when we hit send we publish to a global audience. Accuracy and general quality is of more significance as our responsibility to produce good journalism now more than ever," said Phillips.
One major focus of the discussion was whether western media has double standards when covering the Middle East.

Workshop and talk session about science, role of Media and MBRSC projects in UAE

 
 


More news from