Advertising-programme content relationship must change, say experts at Arab Media Forum

More collaborative action is required to manage the relationship between advertising and programme content, according to media experts at the Arab Media Forum 2007.

Abdullah Rasheed of Emirates Media Group mediated a discussion on ‘Content versus Profit: the Impact of Advertising on Programme Content’. Tahseen Khayat, Chairman of New TV, Lebanon, Abdullatif Al Sayegh, CEO of Arab Media Group, and Mansoor al Jamri, Editor in Chief of Alwasat, Bahrain participated in the session as speakers.

Al Jamri spoke on the need for an independent body to regulate advertising and public relations industries, specifically in the GCC region. He said there was currently no mechanism in place to prevent the impact of advertising on managerial decisions regarding programme content in the newspaper sector. He also underlined the urgent need to identify public relations and marketing-oriented messages, particularly which deal with public health and safety.

Al Sayegh recommended an action-oriented approach, urging his newspaper colleagues to adopt more modern practices such as SMS news updates and reader contributions. He said advertising and editorial could be complementary. However, advertisements should be surrounded by powerful editorial in terms of subject matter and tone, to offer a holistic reader experience.

Khayat advocated a hands-off strategy for the broadcast media. He urged governments and research companies to desist from stifling creativity. He deplored media monopolies, particularly in the GCC region, and said that governments must set in place anti-trust laws to guard against this practice.

The forum is being attended by more than 500 delegates, including editors-in-chief of major regional and international print and the broadcast media, as well as leading journalists, columnists, academics, analysts, commentators and senior government officials. It will conclude tomorrow with the launch of the Arab Media Outlook, a report analysing trends and forecasts for the industry.

Tags: Abdullah Rasheed, Abdullatif Al Sayegh, AMF, Arab Media Forum, Emirates Media Group, Mansoor al Jamri

11 local and regional entities to sponsor Arab Media Forum and Arab Journalism Award

Dubai Press Club, today announced the support of 11 leading regional and local organisations as sponsors of the Arab Journalism Award and Arab Media Forum, which takes place on 24-25 April, at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

Built around the theme - ‘Developing People, Developing Organisations’ - this year’s Arab Media Forum will bring together key Arab and international media experts and prominent speakers to explore the status of the Arab media.

The Diamond sponsors of the Forum are Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arab Media Group, Nakheel, Tatweer, Emirates Airline and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) while the Gold Sponsors include Al Arabiya, Zabeel, Hewlett-Packard and telecommunications provider, du.

Maryam bin Fahad, Events Manager, Dubai Press Club, said: ‘We are glad that the Forum has gathered the support and sponsorship of top notch local and regional establishments and authorities.

‘The Arab Media Forum partners are a group of high-profile organisations who are industry leaders and align themselves with the values and objectives of the Forum and the Award. The Forum is one of the biggest events of its kind in the Arab media calendar, while the Arab Journalism Award is one of the most coveted media awards in the Middle East and the world.’

Maryam bin Fahad said the support of these renowned companies reflects their commitment to development of the regional media industry and towards the driving theme of progress and reform in the Arab world where the media is expected to play a pivotal role.

‘We look forward to the discussions during the Forum to identify ways to boost the development of Arab media. The discussions will be substantiated with case studies and models,’ she added.

The AMF Organising Committee has been conducting comprehensive research for the past year on media organisations in key Arab countries to identify the current status and future trends in order to formulate a strategy.

The Arab Media Forum has successfully established itself as one of the most important media events in the region. The high significance of the issues discussed has gained the forum extensive regional and international media visibility.

Tags: AMF, Arab Journalism Award, Arab Media Forum, Dubai Press Club, Maryam bin Fahad