Book to compile winning works of Arab Journalism Award
Collection will be used as a reference for media students at the MBR School for Communication
The Dubai Press Club and the Mohammad Bin Rashid School for Communication (MBRSC) at the American University in Dubai (AUD) have decided to launch a book combining all the works that won the Arab Journalism Award.
The book, a collection of winning works by journalists in the Arab world from the past four editions of the award, will be exclusively available to media students at the MBRSC as part of their curriculum.
Ali Jaber, dean of the MBRSC and member of the AJA, said: “This project has been a result of major brainstorming sessions and will serve as the main reference for students studying media in Arabic at MBRSC. The idea was to extend the award into something that lingers for a long time,” said Jaber.
“There’s a noble side to the award, it’s not only an award given to a great writer.”
Good writing skills
Jaber said that the only way to good writing is to expose students to good writing. “We needed something that was similar to the Pulitzer Prize book, which has served as a major reference for students in the [United] States.”
The book, to be launched this year, he said, will be substantial and will include more editions in the future to be used as a reference in writing classes. “We hope that all media schools teaching media in Arabic to use this reference that provides samples of innovative and successful journalism works.”
He also highlighted the vision of MBRSC, following a discussion with His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to have students graduate from their Arabic media courses and get hired in the Arab media industry.
Reference point
Mona Ganem Al Merri, Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO) and AJA SecretaryGeneral, said that the launch of this reference book will raise the standards of the award and involve it in academia.
“The Arab Journalism award honours distinguished works of journalism and this book will be documenting these successes. What journalists contribute to the media will now be taught and used as a reference for researchers, scholars and media students as part of their research.”
She also said that the works included in the book have previously gone through a strict arbitration and evaluation process by a highly qualified and experienced jury, which is what makes them so important.
The Arab Journalism Award was launched in 1999 and has honoured over 231 journalists in various categories.