Dubai-UAE: 13 May, 2010 – Fierce competition among Arabic television programmes could be the leading reason why many talk show presenters resort to heated debates as a strategy for attracting and retaining viewership, according to Marcel Ghanem, Presenter of the talk show ‘Kalam Annas’, LBC.
Ghanem’s comments came during a seminar ‘Don’t Interrupt me!…The Etiquette of Dialogue and the Virtue of Listening’ held on the second day of the Arab Media Forum 2010. The session additionally analysed the key to a successful discussion and whether interruptions serve to contribute to successful on-screen debates.
Moderated by Dr. Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, Professor of Political Science, Emirates University, UAE, panelists at the session included Mohammed Al-Nughaimish, Writer and Administration Specialist, member of Jami’yat Al-Insaat; Amr Adib, Presenter of ‘Cairo Today’, Al Youm Channel, Orbit Network; and Turki Al-Dakhil, Presenter ‘Idha’at’, Al-Arabiya.
Ghanem added: “All presenters are trying to find something that brings the audience closer to their respective channels. We should not condemn talk shows that are animated, intelligent and spontaneous. While noisy talk shows by themselves do not carry virtue with the audience, the viewers are fascinated when a presenter succeeds in cornering a guest who is evading a pertinent question. Talk shows that fulfill the dual needs of entertainment and information is now a reality.”
The seminar focused on a recent study by Mohammed Al-Nughaimish, Kuwaiti writer and researcher, featured in a book titled ‘Don’t Interrupt Me’. The study shows that 70 per cent of Arabs who participate in debates on television programmes do not have the proper etiquette of dialogue and continuously interrupt their fellow debaters and speakers, which implies a crisis of listening and dialogue in the Arab world.
The study has also shown that 57 per cent of the speakers who are interrupted continue to speak regardless of the fact that they have been interrupted and who they have been interrupted by. This leads to live on-screen chaos that prompts viewers to switch to other channels.
Explaining why presenters often have to resort to interruptions, Amr Adib, Presenter of ‘Cairo Today’, said: “A typical guest on a talk show is extremely difficult. Sometimes, it takes a long time for them to get into the spirit of the discussion, and when they do, their responses are long-drawn, and on occasions not related at all to the question at hand. If I, as a presenter, do not get the answers to my questions, it would not be possible for me to continue my work, since I work for a paid channel.”
Panelists at the session further explored aspects such as whether the show presenter is required to play the role of a ‘Devil’s Advocate’; if low key debates are less interesting and demanding to viewers than a chaotic loud debate; and whether guests at a debate sometimes forcibly provoke presenters of a programme/debate.
Turki Al-Dakhil, Presenter of ‘Idha’at’, Al-Arabiya, with a reputation for interrupting his guests, said: “If a guest is very calm, even to the point of boredom, I have to heat up the discussion. Each media presenter must find a way to produce a talk show programme that can hold viewer interest over a considerable period of time.”
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, AMF 2010 opened on 12 May at The Atlantis-Palm. Themed ‘Shifting Mediascape: Inspiring Content…Expanding Reach’, the event has brought together more than 2,000 media personalities and experts from Arab countries and across the world.
AMF 2010 has served as a crucial platform for insightful discussions on issues such as citizen journalism, sports media, the media in Asia, Arabic channels’ diffidence to expand into other languages, and the etiquette of debate on live TV.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the winners of the third edition of the Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Youth Media Awards received their prizes at a gala ceremony on the first day of the forum.
The Arab Media Forum 2010 will conclude with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid honouring the winners of Arab Journalism Awards, the region’s most coveted distinction for journalistic excellence.
Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), Arab Media Group (AMG), Nakheel, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Emirates airline are the key sponsors for the forum.
Latest updates on the workshops and speakers at the Arab Media Forum 2010 are available at www.arabmediaforum.ae.
