December 23, 2020
Global pandemic has changed the media landscape, says AMF speaker
Global pandemic has changed the media landscape, says AMF speaker
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed describes 2020 as “the year of information”
Both traditional and new media have witnessed a surge in audience numbers as a result of people’s interest in following the coverage of the global pandemic, a prominent media industry leader said at the 19th edition of the Arab Media Forum organised virtually by Dubai Press Club.
Speaking at a virtual session titled ‘Reshaping the Arab Media’, Abdulrahman Al-Rashed, Chairman of Al Arabiya's Editorial Board, described 2020 as “the year of information”. “In comparison to previous years when people were interested in diverse issues, this year there was one topic that consumed the interest of the entire human population - the global pandemic,” he said.
The session was attended virtually by Chairman of the Dubai Media Council HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
2020 was a turbulent year that brought many challenges for the media industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Al-Rashed in the session moderated by Sky News Arabia TV Presenter Chantal Saliba. “Despite the contributions of digital platforms in successfully communicating messages about the pandemic, some media entities failed to maintain their credibility.”
Al-Rashed pointed out that social media users play a huge role in circulating fabricated news and rumours, which have spread fear among people.
Speaking about the roles of traditional and new media, he said: “We cannot disregard the achievements of traditional media and assume that members of society will only rely on digital platforms for information,” he said. Describing traditional media as “renewed media”, he noted that this form of media has a massive audience and the ability to disseminate huge amounts of credible information on a regular basis.
On the impact of Arab media on politics, Al-Rashed explained: “The idea being promoted by some about the ability of media to change the political landscape is nothing but a myth. The political landscape is created by politicians.” He further noted that more people are following coverage of political issues in Arab media due to the proliferation of digital platforms.
“The media can only create political awareness among the audience. It may have some effect on the political landscape but it cannot shape it,” he added.
In his concluding remarks, Al-Rashed said that the global pandemic has changed the Arab media landscape. “Many media professionals have come to realise that the world does not revolve around politics and that there are many other critical issues facing humanity, such as health and medicine, among others that affect people’s lives.”
Held under the theme ‘Arab Media: The Future is Digital’, the 19th edition of the Arab Media Forum saw more than 10,000 people tune in to the Forum’s sessions, which were broadcast live on a special platform set up for the Forum and through the live feature on DPC’s official Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. The Arab Journalism Award ceremony, which honoured 11 outstanding journalists in the Arab world, was also broadcast live.
The largest gathering of media industry stakeholders in the region, the annual Arab Media Forum has provided a platform over the last two decades to discuss ideas and solutions for enhancing the progress and prosperity of the region.
