20-minute talk: use of drones in journalism
If we learn to use them improperly, governments will shut us down, said Matt Waite, Professor at the College of Journalism and Mass Communication at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, when addressing the use of drones in journalism. When using drones, individuals and entities must think wisely of how they will use them and for what purpose. In order to use drones properly, Waite explains that users must use them compassionately and responsibly to avoid putting people's lives in danger with the device. He expressed that the world is at a stage where the rules don’t make sense because the law can never keep up with technology. The technology is moving faster than laws and the devices keep changing rapidly.
20-minute talk: biggest humanitarian crisis
Describing it as one of the biggest humanitarian crisis to take place, former journalist Nareen Shammo tells AMF in a 20 minute talk about the thousands of Yazidi women kidnapped, raped, and brutalized by the terrorist group Daesh.
Nareen talked about the documentary “Slaves of the Calphiate” telecasted by BBC Arabic, which documents the stories of women who were kidnapped, then sold and bought within the Daesh community- and those she helped escape. Through a series of images, she recalled heartbreaking stories of the women and children who survived the violence under captivity by the terrorist group. Around 10,000 Yazidi men and women are either killed or missing, and more than 1,500 children have been kidnapped, she said.
Fed up by discussions
Arabs' distrust for the Americans comes from the latter's overriding motive -- profit. But Arabs also now expect their own leaders to shun talk and act decisively, the on-going media forum here was told.
Dr Fahad Al Shulaimi, President, Gulf Security and Peace forum, said: "I think Arab nationals are fed up by discussions and they need action. They need active leadership, just words are not acceptable.
"We, Gulf countries, are no longer money suppliers only. We need to be in leading positions. We have no trust in the US president. They, Americans, are interested in profits, not in losses.
"Why can't we be nuclear powers. Is it permissible for Israel, not for us?"
Turning to the crisis in Yemen, Dr Fandy said there is "no exit strategy" for Yemen yet and the situation is far from resolved.
He added an Arab Spring identity has not crystalized yet. "There's a wide gap between the ideas and institutions. Emotions are important, but it can lead us to dangerous roads."
On Camp David meeting, he said three can be "gimmicks,political bribes and games" not in best interest of Arabs.
He said regional conflicts must be taken on case-to-case basis. "The Yemen model won't necessarily work in other hot spots."
GCC vision on new media
The challenges brought about by the evolution of new media channels is one that needs to be urgently addressed in the region.
The vision of GCC countries is for traditional media to support new media known as citizen journalism and to ensure that it is used constructively, said Shaikh Salman Al Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of state for Youth Affairs, Kuwait, at a session at the Arab Media Forum 2015, discussing the GCC perspective.
Pointing out the evolution of traditional media in a time where information has become the property of everyone, Shaikh Salman described today’s media as "open and different.”
The easy access and availability of information however, has provided a ground for rumors and extremism, he said. Today, there are more than 82,000 sites, thousands of tweets, and hundreds of pages online promoting the views of terrorist groups.
Social media channels have become a tool utilized by terrorists to not only promote their views and further their agenda, but to exploit the freedom of citizens and threaten the security of countries.
Exploitation of youth
The biggest challenge falls in the exploitation of youth that we see today, said Shaikh Salman.
Encouraging freedom of speech and expression, Shaikh Salman highlighted that 86 per cent of Kuwait’s youth use the internet and social media, and 75 per cent of them read the news online.
He referred to the need for partnerships with new media channels and prompted officials to set up dedicated committees or task forces for handling new media.
“Traditional or new, media needs basic principles of integrity and responsibility of positive impact to protect youth from negative influences,” said Shaikh Salman.
He pointed out that there is a neglect of morals, and cynicism by some online users that have led to the undermining of Islamic principles in the region.
“Professional media should present clear picture of Islam, and enhance national identity.”
Shaikh Salman stressed that new media should be thoroughly studied in terms of political and social influence, its integrity, and its effects on the national security of countries in the region. “There is no compromise on the freedom of media. What we want is constructive freedom that safeguards societies,” he said.
Both traditional and new media have the responsibility to report accurately and repair the negative image used to reflect the region.
Shailk Salman touched on the recent announcement of ‘Decisive storm,’ which he said shows cooperation between GCC countries to help bring stability and prevent civil wars seen in another parts of the Arab world. “This cooperation should also be reflected in the new media.”
Decisive Storm Operation
Alleged Iranian influence in the Arab world, especially in the Gulf, has been dealt a blow by the Operation Decisive Storm, the Arab media forum heard.
The forum on Monday hosted a panel discussion on the operation.
Dr Mamoun Fandy, London global strategy institute, said: "I think decisive storm has made the Iranian stand less in the atomic negotiations. We the Arabs have a problem with the Iranian presence. Ultimately Iran will sign an agreement as a result of military action in Yemen."
Dr Ali Al Nuaimi, Vice Chancellor, UAE university, added the operation marks the "first time" there has been such galvanization of Gulf powers against a "common" threat.
Egypt is another example where the Arab countries cooperated to pull it out of crisis, Dr Al Nuaimi said.
Information from media
Shaikh Salman Al Sabah, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs in Kuwait, told the Arab Media Forum on Tuesday: "Information is [the] property of everybody."
"Professional media should present a clear picture of Islam," he said during a session titled "Arab Media 2015: A GCC perspective."
"Traditional or new media needs basic principles of integrity and responsibility of positive impact to protect the youth from negative influences," he said.
"The storm of decisiveness shows cooperation between GCC to bring stability and prevent civil war seen in another parts of the Arab world. That cooperation should be reflected in the media as well," he added.
Al Sabah said new media has become a tool for spreading rumours and is being used by extremists. "Terrorists have been able to capitalise on this wireless and social media technology to forward their propaganda," he said.
Fighting extremism
"We can't fight extremism just militarily. We are not a PR organisation. Muslims should not apologise for their faith," Iyad Madani, secretary general of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, told the Arab Media Forum in Dubai on Tuesday.
Madani said violence and apathy against Muslims in Palestine and Nigeria, for example, attracted youth towards violent groups and must be addressed by international community
"The media is not a game; it is an institutional reflection of the powers that be," he said.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
Iyad Madani, secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), told the Arab Media Forum that it is a political group and not a religious one.
His comments came during the session titled "Stereotypes: Islam and Muslim ."
He said he looks forward to Kosovo joining the OIC.
Madani said the group "will be doing humanitarian work and cultural exchanges."
On women's role, he said: "Women's share in economy and legal rights are now a priority for OIC."
The OIC will also focus on human rights, Madani said, adding that lines must be drawn where freedom of expression is concerned.
He called extreme organisations like Al Qaida as a "disease".
On Daesh
The Arab Media Forum 2015 kicked off on Tuesday morning with a session titled "Perspectives that are Changing the World."
Discussing the emergence of terrorist groups, speakers discussed media trends and impact on public opinion through coverage.
Ebtisam Al Ketbi, chairwoman of Emirates Policy Centre, says: "The GCC countries have taken a path and have decided to be active. I call it the Arab gulf moment."
"We are not responsible for the emergence of [Daesh]. [Daesh] is a new face of Al Qaida. It includes many foreign militants [who] have come to fight from all over the world. "
Nart Boran: Millions of videos including those of [Daesh] are available online. But when the media shows these videos they should censor the faces of victims. There is a clear approach that media should follow where violence and bloodshed should don't be shown.
Arab Media Forum begins
The Arab Media Forum commenced on Tuesday at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, with media professionals from across the Arab region attending.
The 14th edition of the forum allows speakers from across the Arab world to share their expertise and indulge in discussions regarding issues relevant to daily life in the region. The forum includes panel discussions, 20 minute talks and workshops for those who wish to acquire media related skills.
- With reports from Faisal Masudi, Jumana Khamis and Maria Botros
