Kuwaiti media official urges Arab universities to teach social media
‘Need to reorganize Arab media scene’
CAIRO, Sept 23, (KUNA): A prominent Kuwaiti media figure has called on Arab universities to start teaching social media to help new graduates keep up with the growing role of social networking sites and apps in media.
Social media has taken the Arab media scene by storm despite the fact that such a specialty is taught neither at Arab universities nor elsewhere, KUNA’s Deputy Director-General for the Editorial Sector and Editor-in-Chief Saad Al-Ali told KUNA on the sideline of his participation at the sixth edition of the Arab Media Leaders’ Forum in Cairo.
He urged Arab universities to create a special major for social media to be taught side by side with conventional media.
The current technological transformation had made such a move a must, he asserted.
Al-Ali argued that traditional media, radio and television will not disappear, but rather it needs overhaul to catch up with the latest developments.
He regretted that the Arab and international media is undergoing a state of “chaos” due to the misuse of new media tools which do not require any commercial or official license and are not regulated by clear laws.
Information
Anyone from any age group can use social media to post news or information, he said, stressing that the need for re-organizing the Arab media scene.
The Arab media is lagging behind due to the limited freedoms and lack of government transparency, particularly in providing information, he said.
He pointed out that individuals, governments and newspapers are “exhausted” from the flood of “rumors” that come from social media.
He suggested that the only solution for this problem is providing the correct information through official media.
Meanwhile, the Arab League said that the media’s role has become increasingly significant given the tumultuous situation in the region.
The remarks by the bloc’s assistant secretary general for media and communications Bader El-Din Alalli came amid talks involving media personalities from across the wider Arab region.
On the gathering, he said it was a chance for participants to exchange views on the latest media trends, in addition to existential challenges facing the Arab media industry.
The media’s role entails such initiatives as “fighting extremist ideologies and promoting virtues such as tolerance,” added the official, besides depicting Arab civilization in a positive light.
The talks are significant given the unrest that has plagued a number of Arab nations, according to the forum’s secretary general Madhi Al-Khamees, who expressed hope that the event would prove beneficial for the Arab media industry.
Some of the Arab world’s most recognizable journalists and media personalities, have turned up for the talks.