Youth council to revamp media policy

Abu Dhabi - The NMC will select the Youth Media Council (YMC), comprising 12 young members

A special media team consisting of youngsters will be formed to constantly interact with the youth and get their opinions in shaping future media policy, according to the National Media Council (NMC).
On Saturday, the NMC organised a screening process to select the Youth Media Council (YMC), comprising 12 young members in the age group 18 to 30. The council, coordinated by the NMC, will have both male and female members, including resident foreigners.
The NMC said they received about 150 applications from different nationalities who wanted to be part of the team. More than 60 participated in the screening process during which they presented their ideas to a panel of judges, the challenges facing the youth and how they would make positive changes to the media content.
The NMC said it launched the YMC initiative this year based on the findings of a survey conducted nation-wide in collaboration with the UAE University's Centre for Public Policy and Leadership.
The study provided insight into the local media sector, along with suggestions to upgrade it to meet international standards and best practices.
"The survey aimed at identifying the reality of the media sector in the country, and ways to develop and promote it to keep abreast of global developments and to enhance the participation of youth in this vital field," said Jaber Al Lamki, acting executive director, media and strategic communications, at the NMC.
"The media has changed a lot. It has transformed from the traditional media to digital and here youths have taken the lead. Youths influence a lot of young people on social media. And after seeing results of the survey, we saw it important to bring them onboard and help us in shaping the future media.
"The youth media council will also collect recommendations from the youths in order to remain up to date with their expectations, as well as with the latest developments in digital media. It will also capitalise on the experiences and creativity of young people when designing the projects of the NMC and the media sector in general."
The council will also formulate a youth-centric message that meets the aspirations of youth, which forms the majority of the society.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi