Future Media – Taghreed Ibrahim Al -Tasan

Taghreed Ibrahim Al -Tasan

On the tenth of May, and between halls in which the fragrant experience mixes with the enthusiasm of renewal, the work of the Arab Media Forum was launched in its twentieth session, under the kind patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al -Ahmad Al -Sabah, Prime Minister, in a scene worthy of the media standing in the lives of peoples, and reflects a deep understanding of its renewed role in the time of digital transformation, and from Kuwait the first lines of the Arab media future are written ..

The forum, whose activities continue until the twelfth of May, came this year different in its content and location from the map of Arab media discussions, and it seems that it carries an exceptional awareness of the impressive moment that the media goes through in light of the waves of rapid technology.

The organizers chose an accurate slogan: “media challenges in light of the development of technology and digital transformation”, which is not just a description of the situation, but an explicit invitation to rethink the paths, redraw the influence tools, and dismantle the new relationship between the digital mediator and the transformed Arab audience.

The issue today is no longer only for those who have the platform, but whoever has the influence, and when the average individual turns into a media force that may exceed an ancient institution in one moment.

It is noteworthy that this year’s session was not only an internal Arab discussion, but also witnessed a qualitative Arab presence represented in hosting the United Arab Emirates as a guest of honor, which was a host that was not symbolic or protocol, but came with clear messages: recognition of an advanced Gulf media experience, institutions that are good at dealing with technical transformations, and a media environment that started early in building digital systems integrating with the needs of the times. The participation of the UAE, with a delegation that includes representatives of the government and private media, constituted a qualitative addition to the discussion, and presented a practical model for what the Arab media can be when he is fluent in employing technology without losing its identity.

During the forum days, the sessions, dialogues and workshops that touched the essence of the profession continued, among the most prominent of what was presented, the serious debate about artificial intelligence in the media: Is it an aid or competitor? How can Arab media institutions deal with algorithms as a partner in the production of content?

The sessions were celebrated with realistic performances and experiences from Arab media that began to adopt these technologies, not only to improve performance, but to redefine the form of the news, and to formulate the media discourse in an environment that changes every second.

The moral and professional problems from the discussion table were not lost, and the battle of “confronting media misinformation and false news” was strongly present, as the attendees unanimously agreed that the credibility has become the first challenge in an open era, and that the traditional press cannot face this wave unless it regains the confidence of the public.

Also, the issue of “media and public opinion industry” has emerged, and how social media has turned from an individual expression tool into channels to formulate collective awareness, and sometimes to direct or mislead it.

What gave the forum a deep cultural dimension is cooperation with the Arab Thought and Culture Forum in the UAE, where the joint sessions witnessed an in -depth analysis of the issue of “involvement of technology” in the media, not only as a tool, but as a cultural actor that has an impact on language and content and even in the societal values ​​transmitted by the media.

It is not possible to talk about the success of the forum without praising the great efforts made by Professor Madi Abdullah Al -Khamis, the Secretary -General of the forum, who has managed over the years to maintain the momentum of this event, and to develop it to a serious Arab intellectual platform that brings experts to innovators, and links media generations to each other, in a scene in which the experience intersects with ambition.

As for the youth presence, it was remarkable and cheerful. Young people from different Arab countries, content makers, young media, and graduates of the media colleges, participated in the dialogues vibrant, and they were part of the scene and not on the margin, in a clear indication of the belief of the forum in the role of the new generation, not only as a beneficiary of the digital transformation, but as a leader.

What distinguished this session is not only the richness of the topics, but also the exact and streamlined organization in the transmission of the sessions, and the generous of Kuwaiti hospitality, which added to the activities a pure Arab warmth.

The forum, with all its details, has seemed a real space to think about “the future media”, not through theoretical alone, but by practice, experiences, interaction, and explicit confrontation of difficult questions.

In a time when media control is no longer confined to the hands of the major entities, the Arab Media Forum presents a rare model for Arab integration in reading transformations, and searching for an honorable Arab media site in the global map.

From Kuwait, the new story begins … where the media is not only a mirror of what is happening, but a partner in drawing what will happen.