Media initiatives to train young professionals
dubai — The Arab Youth Media Initiative was launched on the first day of the Arab Media Forum to train and equip the coming generation of media professionals.
Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth, said the initiative, established under the Arab Youth Centre, is a strategic programme that will provide young people from 22 Arab countries with occupational training they need to become media pioneers. The centre, instructed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, will have branches across 22 different counties.
It includes an Arab Media Youth Council, which will explore ways to enhance the role of young people in the society and develop media professionals of high competence and creativity. An Arab Media Youth Academy will also provide workshops to educate the young generation. The initiative will also provide an opportunity for the youth to receive vocational training in prominent media organisations.
The Arab Youth Media Initiative aims to develop a system to enable Arab youth to lead the media field and to develop a generation of media professionals capable of spreading Arab content.
“While some nations view youth as a challenge, we see them as the hope and future,” said Al Mazrui as she spoke at a panel session on ‘Media and Arab Youth’. Pointing out that the media has a responsibility to develop young professionals, Al Mazrui said the success of every media person is the impact they have.
While the youth make up over 50 per cent of Arab population, figures showed that the consumption of media content reached to 11 hours. About 39 per cent of Arab population are social media users, which prompted the ministry to direct the youth efforts in the media under a trained framework.
The minister urged media organisations to participate in the new initiative through training young people on media skills. She said that though some people say that media has a negative side, the fact is that media is an important means of spreading positivity.