Dubai Press Club (DPC), organisers of the Arab Media Forum (AMF), has announced that the 11th edition of the event will be themed “Arab Media: Exposure and Transition”.

Arab Media Forum 2012 (AMF 2012) is scheduled to be held on May 8 and 9 at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai, drawing the participation of over 2,000 regional and international journalists, as well as influential decision makers, opinion leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators.

It will feature eight sessions and four workshops that will highlight the perspectives of more than 65 speakers from various academic, media and research disciplines, a statement from the organisers said.

The event will primarily monitor developments in the Arab and global media landscape, examining the emergence of new media outlets and platforms that have significantly impacted traditional formats.

The forum will additionally review the predicament of certain news organisations that have faced challenges in offering an impartial coverage of events, it said.

Panel discussions will also analyse the new influencers of public opinion, and the shift in media content and language used.

Maryam Bin Fahad, executive director, Dubai Press Club, said: “The theme of the 11th edition reflects the geopolitical dynamics of the region and will be spotlighted throughout the sessions and workshops hosted at the forum.”

“We have witnessed turmoil in the media landscape that mirrors the transformations in the political and social fabric of the Arab world. Furthermore, recent movements in the Arab world revealed the flaws in the media’s response to crises. The gaps that were identified have provided the thrust for the media to change direction and place itself on a transformation path,” she said.

“It’s almost as if the Arab media is waking up to a new dawn in its changed ideology and mechanism. The forum’s agenda is in line with these developments in the media sector,” Fahad added.

The agenda for the 11th Arab Media Forum is drawn from the outcomes of the Arab Media Outlook, a report that charts developments in the media landscape across 17 Arab countries and is set to be launched by end-April.

“A group of media experts in the DPC network including Arab and international media persons have crafted the agenda of the event. We will share names of the speakers and formats of the workshops through the forum’s electronic gate www.arabmediaforum.ae,” Fahad said. “More importantly, in our continued aim to drive the practice of fair reportage, we will foster the involvement of young media persons and students and engage them in various aspects of event management.”

In 2011, the tenth edition of the Arab Media Forum themed ‘Arab media and the storms of change’ witnessed the participation of more than 2,800 delegates from 40 nations. Additionally more than 23,000 people watched the forum’s activities through live online streaming. – TradeArabia News Service