October 05, 2022

Interactive workshops held during Arab Media Forum discuss new trends and tools shaping the future of media

- Interactive workshops held during Arab Media Forum discuss new trends and tools shaping the future of media
- AMF 2022 featured five workshops held in collaboration with leading media institutions
- Prominent industry experts demonstrate how technologies can be used to enhance the impact and quality of news content

The landmark 20th edition of the Arab Media Forum, organised by the Dubai Press Club from 4-5 October, featured a series of interactive workshops on the latest tools that can be leveraged to improve the quality of journalism.

Organised in collaboration with leading global media institutions, the workshops were led by prominent media experts who demonstrated how technologies can be utilised to enhance and verify media content.

Themed ‘The Future of Media’, AMF 2022 drew the participation of over 3,000 regional and international decision makers, thought leaders, journalists, opinion leaders and senior executives in the media industry.

Dr. Maitha Buhumaid, Director of Dubai Press Club, said: “We are pleased to have partnered with some of the world’s leading media organisations to support quality journalism and train journalists and media professionals on the latest technologies in the field. Dubai Press Club’s network of partnerships has enhanced its ability to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise and broaden the impact of the Arab Media Forum. The five interactive workshops held at this year’s AMF enabled participants to gain new insights and knowledge on the latest tools being adopted in newsrooms globally.”

Workshops
During a workshop held by CNN Arabia, titled ‘Audience Segmentation and the Creation of Personas for News’, participants learned how analytics and social media insights can be used by journalists to identify the right audience for their stories and products. Led by Samya Ayish, Senior Producer and Digital Media Trainer at CNN Arabia, the session demonstrated the strategy used within the CNN newsroom to build outreach for news. The workshop also reviewed the methodology, strategy and tools used to understand the audience and design the right stories for them.

In another workshop conducted by Agence France-Presse (AFP), titled ‘Digital Verification with AFP Factcheck’, digital verification journalist and AFP trainer Josette Abi Tamer spoke about misinformation and disinformation in the Arab world. The training session highlighted AFP’s efforts to verify the authenticity and accuracy of news and prevent the spread of misinformation worldwide.

Participants were able to learn about the fundamentals of fact-checking and get hands-on experience in verifying images, videos, and text.

A workshop by CCTV Middle East, led by Journalist and Python Developer Sun Hu, reviewed the latest technologies in video editing and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data analysis to enhance news operations. Hu demonstrated how advanced technologies are being used to automatically prepare visual news reports for TV and social media platforms without the need for human intervention. The workshop also discussed the latest developments in the field of video editing and highlighted examples of high-quality live broadcasting techniques.

In a workshop titled ‘Reels School’, organised by Meta, participants learned about Meta's fastest-growing content format Reels, which is available on both Instagram and Facebook. Led by Joana Jamil, Strategic Partner Manager, Established Creators at Meta, ‘Reels School’ provided a deep dive into the Reels format and how participants can create engaging Reels. It also shared creative tips and tricks on how media professionals and organisations can optimise their Reels strategy.

In another training session organised by Meta, Samer Chehab, Strategic Partner Manager, Media at Meta, led a session titled ‘Welcome to the Future of Entertainment’. The session showcased how Meta is revolutionising the way people connect and engage with media companies. The training session demonstrated how Meta is providing its media partners with solutions to better grow their business and community and accelerate their journey to the Metaverse.