The Dubai Press Club announced that the nineteenth session of the Arab Media Forum will be held on October 20, 2020, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in a virtual extraordinary session that keeps pace with the changes of the current phase imposed by the repercussions of the virus crisis The new Corona, and the fundamental changes it necessitated in the concepts, rules and standards of work in various sectors, including the media sector.
The forum's organizing committee, represented by the Dubai Press Club, revealed that the next session of the most prominent event on the Arab media agenda, which will be organized remotely through visual communication technology, will focus its main agenda throughout the course of next October 20, while its virtual sessions will continue until the end of the year. With the participation of a group of leaders of media institutions and a group of the most important local, Arab and international symbols of politicians, decision-makers, writers, thinkers, experts and specialists in the media sector, who will discuss through visual communication technology the radical transformations caused by the Covid-19 virus crisis at all levels, especially the media sector.
This comes at a time when the global pandemic imposed on media institutions and their workers new rules, including working remotely and temporarily halting paper publications, while the crisis constituted a true test of the credibility of the media and the news they publish, as it sparked a debate about the role of the new media, especially Social media sites and platforms, in light of their lack of commitment to clear controls or standards related to the digital content they publish, compared to traditional media, which adopted fixed rules that enhanced its credibility and objectivity.
On this occasion, Mona Ghanem Al-Marri, President of the Dubai Press Club and Chair of the Organizing Committee of the Arab Media Forum, said: “The world is going through great challenges due to the Covid-19 crisis, but the UAE’s response to this crisis was different based on the approach established by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the State and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, in transforming challenges into a test space to discover real opportunities for success in the realization of thought in finding innovative solutions and alternatives to overcome these challenges, in a manner that ensures continuing implementation of development plans and continuing work towards the strategic goals of the state within Various sectors. "
Al-Marri emphasized that His Highness’s vision established a solid base for launching towards the future by preparing for all variables in a thoughtful manner and in a manner that relies on innovation and the creation of creative ideas, with what this calls for in enhancing the qualitative capabilities of various vital sectors, especially the media, to make its role more effective and effective.
Mona Al-Marri added: “The decision was to continue the Arab Media Forum to hold its regular session despite the precautionary and preventive measures imposed by the Covid-19 crisis on the world, and today we are pleased to announce that the forum will be held in its digital version, through visual communication technology, and that is a commitment from Dubai to play its role. In pushing the march of Arab media forward, and the message that it took upon itself, under the guidance and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum twenty years ago, to have a clear impact in promoting media work in the region, through initiatives launched to serve him, the most important of which are the Arab Media Forum and the Arab Journalism Award. .
Al-Marri explained that Dubai's strong infrastructure enabled it to largely overcome the repercussions of the emerging Corona crisis, as various sectors continued to work remotely with the same efficiency and ability, while the media sector was no exception. She said: “Today we announce an exceptional course. We are supported by the advanced technical capabilities of the Emirate of Dubai, as we will be able, through visual communication technology, to hold forum sessions remotely. We are pleased to host a group of politicians, thinkers and media leaders from different parts of the Arab world, to discuss topics related to the current situation in the region and the world and their direct implications for the media.
The forum’s discussions will address questions about how media institutions are preparing for the next phase, whether in terms of developing the content and content of the media message, or in relation to reconsidering the agenda for future media and formulating its new priorities.
Al-Marri added, "This year's forum comes at a time when our Arab world is preoccupied with many issues, especially on the health and economic levels, while the media field does not remain immune to the repercussions of the current challenges. Rather, it is in fact a genuine partner in addressing their consequences."
Her Excellency praised the Forum’s endeavors to provide positive additions to the Arab media scene and said: “We discussed during the successive sessions of the Forum many issues that, with their accumulations, contributed to the formation of regional and international crises, and how they directly reflected on the image and performance of the Arab media. Media decision and the elites of thinkers and influencers in the media and politics to clearly identify global trends, current and expected developments, and the requirements for drawing the new media landscape in light of these data.
It is worth noting that the virtual session of the Forum this year will also include an innovative virtual party to announce the winners of the nineteenth round of the Arab Journalism Award.