KUNA dialogue dissects journalism challenges amid burgeoning digital drive

KUWAIT, Oct 15 (KUNA) -- Journalists and media personnel taking part in a KUNA-hosted dialogue on Wednesday looked into some of the challenges thrust upon them at a time where an accelerating digital drive has transformed the industry.
The participants, a list that reads like a who's who from the wider Arab region's media industry, agreed that pushing forward with a full-fledged digital drive has become a "definitive necessity," as opposed to a mere option, in addition to being a tool that can be employed for faster and more efficient news delivery, they said.
In the age of social media and digital platforms, print-based journalism is facing challenges in making the online transition, thanks largely to pitfalls such as fallible information posted on social media platforms by anonymous individuals, said Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) chief Dr. Fareed Ayyar.
This further highlights the role of state-run news agencies as the most reputable source for news and information given the "informatics chaos" seen on social media platforms, added the FANA secretary general, acknowledging Kuwait's state news agency, KUNA, as among the regions pre-eminent news bodies since its inception back in 1976.
KUNA's foreign bureaus also contribute immensely towards the news agency's global coverage, he said, while the state-run Kuwaiti news agency is also an active participant in the activities and endeavors organized by FANA, many of which take place in Kuwait, he said.
On some of the transformations seen in the media industry, the chief of Jordan's news agency PETRA Nabil Ghishan cited technological innovations, including the emerging Artificial Intelligence industry, as the most prominent given how such tools can sway public opinion and influence the decision-making process, he said.
Praising the indelible mark that Kuwait has left on the region's media industry, Bahrain News Agency chief Abdullah Buhaji said that Kuwaiti culture is among the most prominent and renowned, while Kuwait's designation as the "Capital of Arab Culture 2025" is fitting given its contributions to the field.
PETRA's former chief Ramadan Rawashdeh reiterated the shortcomings of digital platform when it comes to delivering news to the public, saying that while such tools remain popular among the younger generation, state-run news agencies remain the most relied upon source for news and information. (Pick up previous) shd.nam