His Excellency, Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, inaugurated the first Al Arabiya forum entitled: “The Challenges: Academia and Media” on 21 June in Dubai. The event brought together students, media professionals and educationalists to examine the challenges faced by the media industry and academia.
In his inaugural speech, His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, emphasised that there is need for immediate action from both media and academic establishments to cooperate and create a bridge between theoretical learning and practical training.
His Excellency added: “Universities are primarily responsible to define the demand for highly skilled media reporters and provide the adequate training in this regard. Academic institutions should collaborate with existing Media organisations to provide scholars and students with the knowledge and understanding that is required for them to perform efficiently as this will help elevate the standards of Arab media industry to international levels. This can be done by focusing on the following issues:
- First: the need to practice proper journalism, which can be achieved by researching the facts, evaluating and verifying the source and being able to differentiate between facts and personal opinions.
- Second: the ability for a journalist to present the news in an organized and orderly manner in correct and proper language.
- Third: Media professionals should know a second language as well in order to stay connected with the rest of the world
- Fourth: reporters should be aware of worldwide issues in several fields and sectors, in order to have a better understanding of the matters they are dealing with.
- Fifth: media scholars should be geared to keep up with any technological development in the work field, regionally and globally.
- Sixth: media professionals are to give more importance to team work
- Seventh: No efforts are to be spared when it comes to gaining professional experience, be it during academic training or professional work
- Last but least, both media professionals and scholars are to abide by the ethics of this noble profession, regardless of circumstances.
In the end, His Excellency the Sheikh expressed his greatest appreciation to Al Arabiya Channel for initiating this unprecedented gathering underlining the importance of such commitment for the future of Arab media.
Dr Nabil Al Khatib, Executive Editor of Al Arabiya shed light on this unique opportunity presented by the channel, to create the next generation of Arab broadcasters, which has been the driver for the debates held today. He commented: “I hope a time will come when we will witness the emergence of an academic or press publication which is not a direct reflection of its owner’s opinion, and which mainly targets to serve its community freely. The board members of such a publication should include Academics, who have earned their professional titles thanks to their know-how and invaluable expertise, rather than pure theoretical research”.
The day-long forum focused on bridging the gap between academics and media professionals. Interactive debates analysed the differences between media studies in the region and the practicalities of working in the field. Leading regional experts were engrossed in exchanging knowledge and best practice to arrive at conclusions from the debates.
Conclusions and recommendations were presented by Dr. Nabil Al Khatib at the end of the Forum.
Notes to the Editor:-
The forum addressed the following themes:
- Role of Education in the Future of Arab Media
- Meeting the Demand for Talent: Role of Academia
- Why Media demands are Outstripping Supply
- Whose Responsibility is it-Media or Academia?
- What are media institutions and companies doing to help the future supply of Arab talent in this most important of disciplines?
- Is the Media expecting too much from academia?
- Is it up to the industry to develop its own specialists’ needs?
- Unmediated Media: Future Trends
- Anticipating change: are academia and media creating a new digital divide?
- Can new media bridge the gap between book and screen?
