(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) The role of the media in building social and cultural bridges among Arab people can never be underestimated, according to a UAE daily.
In an editorial on Wednesday, The Gulf Today said, "The ongoing Arab Media Forum, AMF, deserves kudos for seeking to open wide horizons for dialogue, in-depth discussions and exchange of ideas on issues of importance to the region as well as the world at large."
The presence and interaction with delegates by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, surely added an extra glitter to the forum.
A cursory glance at some of the topics highlights an earnest attempt to address serious issues involving the fast-evolving media industry.
Among the subjects chosen for discussion are: Stereotypes: Islam and Muslims, Drone Journalism, Arab Media 2015: A GCC Perspective, Has the Media Forgotten the Palestinian Cause? The Chaos of Ethics and The Outlook for the Arab World from the Perspective of International Media.
Remarkably, in keeping with the "2015 Year of Innovation" in the UAE, the AMF 2015 features two key new concepts € The Media Walk, which features a brief history of media; and Davos-style 20-minute sessions.
An interesting session on stereotypes of Islam/Muslims saw the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, issuing a clarion call for the West to better understand Islam and for Muslims to have hope in the future.
Iyad Madani, Secretary-General of the OIC, posed a pertinent question to the audience and the wider world: "Where does freedom of expression start and where does it finish? Do I have the right to abuse something in another culture?"
Another most significant aspect that emerged on the first day of the forum is that media agencies are no longer the sole source of news to people. It has been revealed that online users grew from 780 million as of January 2004 to 3 billion by January 2014, of which 1.4 billion are on Facebook.
"Of the 1.4 billion Facebook users, over 80 percent of them, which corresponds to about 1.1 billion, have it on mobile phones," added the Sharjah-based daily.
Such a hugely significant change in the media scene unquestionably calls for an intensive introspection. After all, none can deny the fact that Citizen Journalism is changing the face of the world.
The daily concluded by saying the noble aim of the AMF is to highlight the UAE's openness and avant-garde role and to promote its leadership in communication and dialogue.
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