Dubai: The media revolution ushered in by digital technology continues and the roles in journalism will also not remain constant. New ideas and changes in media consumption will emerge. Panelists at the Arab Media Forum argued on how these developments are affecting the Arab world.
"We are connected to the Arab diasporas around the world, this telecast will be seen as far as Brazil which has millions of Arabs," said Yousuf H Mugharbil, President of Digital Media, Rotana Media Group.
Much of the discussion centred on the type of content that the technological advancements have now made available to people in the Arab world and how it conflicts with the moral and cultural values of the Arab world.
"We don't have a problem with lack of freedom; we have a problem with abuse of freedom," says Sami Abdul Aziz, Chief of Board of Directors TBWA/EGYPT.
Abdul Aziz warned about the sources of many of these new media content and how some conflict with Arab views and values. He also said that social networking and mobile media is causing a rift between family members. "I went on a trip with my daughter and she was on Facebook the whole time, but she told me I can't blame her for that as I was on my Blackberry checking emails the whole time as well. So we were together and not together at the same time."
Though the panel argued that you can't ignore a whole field of media just because some of the content is bad or goes against our moral values. As with anything you must take the good with the bad.
"In the UK, online advertising has surpassed advertising on television; that trend is happening here in the Arab world too," said Santino Saguto, Managing Director of Value Partners Dubai.
