Dubai: The 13th edition of the Arab Media (AMF) Forum focusing on new trends and their impact on the future of today’s media will begin on Tuesday at Mina A’Salam Resort, Madinat Jumeirah, in Dubai.
The two-day forum with the theme “The Future of Media Starts Today”, is being held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
With the rapid development taking place in the media industry around the world, AMF organisers have included important topics such as how Information and Communications Technology (ICT), new media, and extinction of traditional media such as newspapers affect and alter the media landscape today.
Renowned researcher and futurist Ross Dawson will open the first session with ‘The Future of Arab Media’ where he will analyse a timeline of newspapers ceasing publication due to stiff competition with other media platforms.
The session ‘New Media: New Phenomena’ will zoom in on how social media, particularly those used by celebrities, have attracted huge crowds, especially among the youth, and influenced content dissemination.
MBC anchor Ola Al Fares will moderate the session by new media personalities, namely, Abdul Aziz Al Jasmi from UAE, Adam Saleh from US, Faisal Al Basri of Kuwait, Hatoon Kadi from Saudi Arabia, and writer and blogger Amjad Al Munif, also from Saudi Arabia.
The panellists will answer questions on whether or not celebrity-hosted social media are just a fad or will be a mainstay in the industry and what values these platforms offer other than traditional media, among others.
‘Virtual Warfare’ will deal with how media dependent on information and communications technology (ICT) are being paralysed in their news coverage when ICT is targeted in conflict zones. Since virtual warfare is as dangerous as conventional wars with the increasing dependence on communications networks, attacking and neutralising these networks affects the capability of the army to retaliate. So do the media in covering news.
Hosted by the Dubai Press Club, AMF will also feature the 13th Arab Journalism Award to recognise and encourage journalistic excellence in Arabic media.
Since its inception in 2001, the Arab Media Forum has grown from just having 400 participants from eight countries to 3,160 participants from 47 countries last year. It has covered topics ranging from conveying the Arab view of the West to the Arab media through a period of crises during the Arab Spring, and down to the Arab media in transition.
