Al Jazeera Forum: Forum discusses media as change agent15 Mar 2011
By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: To explore the emergence of an integrated and multi-platform media and its impact on the reporting of the transitions taking place in the region, the Al Jazeera Forum yesterday had a discussion on 'Media as a catalyst for revolution?'.
Ayman Mohyeldin, Al JazeeraAl Jazeera's correspondent in Cairo, started the session with a common joke shared in Egypt advocating the role of social media in revolution, "Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak goes to Heaven. There he sees Anwar Sadat and Gamal Abdel Nasser. Anwar Sadat looks at him and asks whether he was poisoned or was assassinated, Mubarak replies, no I was facebooked."
Mohyeldin explained that the fear factor which has gripped every single Arab state had been broken because of the role played by the media, whether it's the traditional or new media.
"Be it the new-era media or the traditional ones, what carry beyond borders and beyond national identities is media," he said. The revolution was not only being televised--it was playing out live and interactively in the Arab media. And by that act the revolution evolves and perpetuates itself.
This amalgamation of new (Web-based) and traditional media, to a great extent, is the reason behind the revolution and it has apparently played a key role in opening Arab societies to the world and in generating a shared sense of community and identity.
The panel with Mark Lynch from the George Washington University, Mohammed Nanabhay, Manager of AJE online, Abdel Bari Al Atwan, Editor-in-chief of Al Quds Al Arabi, London, and Egyptian columnist Fahmi Huwaidi discussed and argued whether the media was a catalyst for revolution, with David Foster as the moderator.
The reason behind the change in media was also questioned at the session. "Revolutions have happened before. We will be extremely unfortunate if we don't look at these changes. History and the entire world has changed. Is the media also leading to genuine change?" asked Mark Lynch.
"Right now, quite interesting coverage is being given to the horrible incidents taking place in Libya, but not that much attention to the incidents taking place in Bahrain. What happens when the media have selective coverage? When you don't see the same level of coverage how does that affect the revolutions?" Lynch further questioned.
He also asked whether the media will give the same coverage for a revolution done through constitutional change as given to these revolutions with protest and anger.
Mohamed Nanabhay Manager of AJE online during this session explained about the time frame taken for the revolutions to travel from country to country in the earlier century and how fast it have moved from continent to continent recently due to the advanced technology and media.
© The Peninsula 2011
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20110315042044/Al%20Jazeera%20Forum%3A%20Forum%20discusses%20media%20as%20change%20agent
By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: To explore the emergence of an integrated and multi-platform media and its impact on the reporting of the transitions taking place in the region, the Al Jazeera Forum yesterday had a discussion on 'Media as a catalyst for revolution?'.
Ayman Mohyeldin, Al JazeeraAl Jazeera's correspondent in Cairo, started the session with a common joke shared in Egypt advocating the role of social media in revolution, "Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak goes to Heaven. There he sees Anwar Sadat and Gamal Abdel Nasser. Anwar Sadat looks at him and asks whether he was poisoned or was assassinated, Mubarak replies, no I was facebooked."
Mohyeldin explained that the fear factor which has gripped every single Arab state had been broken because of the role played by the media, whether it's the traditional or new media.
"Be it the new-era media or the traditional ones, what carry beyond borders and beyond national identities is media," he said. The revolution was not only being televised--it was playing out live and interactively in the Arab media. And by that act the revolution evolves and perpetuates itself.
This amalgamation of new (Web-based) and traditional media, to a great extent, is the reason behind the revolution and it has apparently played a key role in opening Arab societies to the world and in generating a shared sense of community and identity.
The panel with Mark Lynch from the George Washington University, Mohammed Nanabhay, Manager of AJE online, Abdel Bari Al Atwan, Editor-in-chief of Al Quds Al Arabi, London, and Egyptian columnist Fahmi Huwaidi discussed and argued whether the media was a catalyst for revolution, with David Foster as the moderator.
The reason behind the change in media was also questioned at the session. "Revolutions have happened before. We will be extremely unfortunate if we don't look at these changes. History and the entire world has changed. Is the media also leading to genuine change?" asked Mark Lynch.
"Right now, quite interesting coverage is being given to the horrible incidents taking place in Libya, but not that much attention to the incidents taking place in Bahrain. What happens when the media have selective coverage? When you don't see the same level of coverage how does that affect the revolutions?" Lynch further questioned.
He also asked whether the media will give the same coverage for a revolution done through constitutional change as given to these revolutions with protest and anger.
Mohamed Nanabhay Manager of AJE online during this session explained about the time frame taken for the revolutions to travel from country to country in the earlier century and how fast it have moved from continent to continent recently due to the advanced technology and media.
© The Peninsula 2011
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20110315042044/Al%20Jazeera%20Forum%3A%20Forum%20discusses%20media%20as%20change%20agent
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