Transparency disclosure key to media’s progress

Transparency disclosure key to media's progress K.T. Abdurabb | Arab News

DUBAI: Representatives of print and broadcast organizations called for transparency, disclosure and increased understanding in the wake of the economic dip at the Arab Media Forum that opened in Dubai yesterday. The forum was inaugurated at Atlantis Hotel by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, in the presence of a number of renowned media personalities and Amr Moussa, secretary-general of the Arab League. The two-day event, which has brought together over 1,000 media personalities, including 57 speakers, 11 moderators and 300 foreign participants from abroad, is being held under the slogan "Arab Media: Weathering a Period of Change and Crisis." Addressing the opening session, Moussa said he sees a positive outlook in Dubai despite the negative press. He condemned Israeli occupation and the "Judaization" of Occupied Jerusalem in his speech. A session titled "Global Economic Developments: Direct Impact on the Media and Future Implications," moderated by Al-Arabiya presenter Cyba Audi, attracted a huge gathering. The panel comprised Azzam Al-Dakhil, CEO and board member of Saudi Research and Marketing Group, Mazen Hayek, marketing manager of MBC group, Abdul Hamid Ahmad, editor-in-chief of Gulf News, and Sami Raffoul, general manger of the Pan-Arab Research Centre. While the speakers unanimously concurred that the Arab media had undoubtedly been impacted by the global crisis, Abdul Hamid Ahmad took the stance that the crisis in the Arab press did not begin with the credit crunch but rather it existed for several years before due to the rise in print and logistics costs that impacted bottom lines. Al-Dakhil seconded the view by saying the Arab media has grown complacent and that "many are like bedridden patients dependent on artificial feeding." To remain competitive, Al-Dakhil advocated that media companies investigate mergers to streamline logistics and distribution for lowering cost overheads. Mazen Hayek of MBC said that Middle East markets must begin to invest in their own content and stop importing from abroad. His observation brought back the discussion to transparency, with the panelists agreeing that if there are no reliable statistics to show a return on investment in content, there will never be a motivation for spending on locally produced programs. Al-Arabiya's Audi, one of the moderators, went on to raise the issue of the media's response to the high ratio of people in the Arab world who are under 25, and how established media should respond. Her comments that sparked a new round of discussion saw Ahmad terming the demographic as the "Google Generation," and agreed with Al-Dakhil on the need for both specialized content and innovative delivery of news, such as mobile phone services. Finally, the panel agreed that without diversification, traditional media such as newspapers would die out as a response to the changes in both economy and demography. With input from Shadiah Abdullah