• Home

Arab media needs to look East

DUBAI — Arab media should tell the ‘Asia rising’ story through their eyes. It calls for fresh minds and a new perspective to look farther East, all the way to Southeast Asia. That could unlock the potential of the thriving sector in those countries.

Asian giants India and China, meanwhile need to build on their centuries’ old ties with the Middle East. Exchange of ideas, investments and human capital with the emerging powers could propel regional media to the big league.

Dubai , the modern melting pot of cultures, was the perfect setting for this confluence of thought as ideas held away on Wednesday, the opening day of the 9^th Arab Media Forum.

Abdulla Al Madani, a Bahraini expert in International Relations and Asian studies, said Arabs must look outwards — to science, arts, education and technology — to join the larger media game ‘‘It will take a lot of effort to unshackle ourselves from the mindset of
the past.’’

Chua Huck Cheng, Editorial Page Editor of The Straits Times, said in an era of engagement, the industry in different countries can prosper together. The Chinese media is relatively closed when compared to the West, or even neighbouring India, but is open to change. Government channels like CCTV are adapting, and last year even launched a 24-hour Arabic channel. More language channels are in the works.

Big brother the Communist party keeps a hawk’s eye view on the Chinese media, but there has been a marked shift since 1978 when the country opened itself to market reforms. ‘‘There are a number of metro-based publications that are fast approaching the norms of free media with the ability to openly report prevailing issues,” said Jonathan Fenby, China Director of research company Trusted Sources.

The sector in India is also reaping the fruits of reforms of the last 20 years, which have brought with it new technology, know-how and improved vehicles of information disssemination. There are about 74,000 newspapers and periodicals in the country because Indians are not fatigued by ‘democracy and dialogue’.

It’s a talking democracy where channels of communication are kept open, according to Dilip Cherian of Perfect Relations. Plenty of questions are asked, though corruption and abuse of power by politicians is rampant.

While agreeing with Cherian, N. Ram, Editor-in-chief of The Hindu, said such a democracy should talk more to the Middle East and glean more meaning from the media of the region.

“Media is divided into two worlds; one, where it is witnessing rapid growth and the other that is in steep decline. We are seeing growth in emerging economies while the scenario in the Western world has been called ‘meltdown, collapse and disintegration’. Medium term prospects look good for growth,” Ram said.

The media industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has undergone the same rapid and disruptive process of convergence that much of the world has been experiencing in recent years. In a region where 60 percent of its nearly 300 million population is under the age of 25, media and technology are increasingly important sectors, Santino Saguto, Partner, Value Partners, told
Khaleej Times.

Youth will fuel the advancement of the media in the Middle East, no doubt, while India and China beckon on the sidelines. It’s time to grasp the opportunity. — allan@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE