Amman: Arab and international media professionals underscored the significance of the Jordan Forum for Media and Digital Communication in addressing the challenges faced by the media sector, particularly in Arab countries.
They lauded Jordan’s initiative to host a forum that brings together media leaders from various countries to exchange insights and experiences.
Participants at the forum, in statements to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), highlighted the importance of the issues discussed in advancing Arab media and developing solutions to its challenges. They praised Jordan’s organization of the forum and the opportunity it provided for media leaders to collaborate.
Former Lebanese Minister of Information, Manal Abdel Samad, commended Jordan’s leadership in the Arab world in tackling media challenges and proposing solutions, such as those related to artificial intelligence and the digital revolution.
Abdul Rahim Naimi, CEO of Communications and Government Relations at Abu Dhabi Media Network, emphasized
the timely nature of the forum amidst regional crises. He noted the importance of Jordan continuing to host the forum in the future.
Naimi reflected on his participation in the forum’s first session, titled “Media and Decision-Making in the World,” which he found fruitful in addressing challenges faced by Arab media and exploring how to turn these challenges into opportunities.
Hamad Kaabi, CEO of the News Center at Abu Dhabi Media Network, stressed the need for forums like the Jordan Forum for Media and Digital Communication, which foster communication among Arabs. He praised the relevant and impactful topics discussed.
Kaabi shared the experience of Al-Ittihad newspaper in digital transformation, highlighting a five-year plan that included training and qualifying staff, developing an infrastructure to keep pace with technological advances, and safeguarding website data. He noted that while the tools of journalism have changed, the profession itself remains constant.
Ibrahim Kilic, Director General of TR
T Arabic channel, described the forum as an invaluable opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss crisis management, especially for satellite stations.
Zaid Al-Fadil, head of the cultural program at the Gulf Research Center and a writer for Mecca newspaper, underscored the importance of the forum’s inaugural edition, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of His Majesty King Abdullah II assuming his constitutional powers. He highlighted the forum’s focus on digital media as a crucial dialogue between traditional and digital media and its role in serving the media sector.
Al-Fadil emphasized the need to address the aspirations and challenges currently facing the media sector, both in official and private institutions, particularly in light of the digital revolution and social media platforms.
Ammar Taqi, journalist and founder of the Black Box program on Al-Qabas Foundation’s platforms, discussed the growing dominance of podcast programs in the Arab and international media landscape. He explained th
e recent surge of interest and involvement by Arab media institutions in podcasts, compared to their earlier adoption by foreign media.
Mays Muhammad, presenter of a social podcast on Al-Mashhad Channel, identified the main challenges facing podcast programs as continuity and trust in delivering quality content.
She stressed the importance of focusing on content quality rather than viewership and listening rates.
Taqi and Mays commended the topics addressed by the Jordan Forum for Media and Digital Communication, particularly those related to podcasts.
Muhammad Arab, founder of the “Pangeanis” platform, discussed the future of social media platforms supported by artificial intelligence, predicting that smart social communication will eventually replace traditional methods.
He introduced the “Pangeanis” platform, launched from Bangalore, India, emphasizing its AI-driven capabilities and exclusive use of the Arabic language to compete with global platforms.
The Jordan Forum for Media and Digital Communica
tion concluded on Wednesday after two days of discussions and deliberations in eight sessions featuring approximately 35 speakers from local, Arab, and international backgrounds.
The forum’s recommendations, organized by the Ministry of Government Communications, included the importance of enhancing digital infrastructure, utilizing specialized and advanced digitization in media outlets, and preserving the Arabic language amid the rise of colloquialism on social media platforms.
The recommendations also stressed the need to address significant advancements in artificial intelligence, manage its mechanisms on an Arab level, and focus on the bias of social media platforms towards Israeli narratives in the Gaza conflict while ignoring the Palestinian issue.
Additionally, the recommendations called for a review of media college curricula to enhance students’ digital and technical skills and support clear programs for education and media literacy in Arab countries.
Source: Jordan News Agency