Some 800 Arab and foreign media experts will convene in Dubai from 12 to 13 May for the ninth Arab Media Forum (AMF), to be held under the motto, "Shifting media-scape: Inspiring content…expanding reach." "The motto reflects the subject of planned discussions and workshops, in which 70 eminent journalists and the most influential decision-makers from the visual, print, audio and online media segments will participate to discuss vital issues pertaining to the mediascape," said AMF Executive Director Maryam Bin Fahad. She added that encouragement of local media production had become "the topic of the hour" and was considered a prerequisite to boosting the overall quality of Arab media. Conference participants are expected to discuss the impediments currently faced by print media in the digital age and to review the development of Arab citizen journalism and the Arab entertainment industry. Organizers say the event will also attempt to gauge the success of Arab media in terms of crisis coverage. The Dubai Press Club announced yesterday that the AMF would be held under the auspices of Prince Mohamed Bin Rashed el-Maktoum, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and governor of Dubai. The event, to be attended by a host of international media experts, will be hosted by Dubai's Atlantis Hotel. According to Bin Fahad, the forum will hold several private sessions with various media experts who are expected to talk about potential new forms of media coverage in light of recent technological innovations. One session, she said, would tackle the challenge posed by Arabic-language content in particular. The conference will also discuss Arabic-language television talk shows, and to what extent the hosts of these programs were able to conduct constructive dialogue. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
