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Qatar Today Editorials - The New World Order
Broadcast media experts agree that the recent events on the world scene have brought a real change to the media industry at all levels.
By Ahmed Lotfy
Broadcast media experts agree that the recent events on the world scene have brought a real change to the media industry at all levels.
The Middle East, in their view, has been grabbing the attention of international media organisations for a host of different factors.
In the last few years, the media industry, more than ever, had to adapt to a swiftly changing world, and to respond to a new kind of questioning audience.
Sky News Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall, and Head of Foreign News Adrian Wells agree that since 9/11, broadcasters have reshuffled the way they functioned.
Qatar Today spoke to the veteran journalists who were in Doha on a business visit. The channel is considering a permanent presence here.
Growing Interest Adrian Wells believes the Middle East, with its growing magnitude, is drawing the world's attention.
"When you look at the connections that join the world, they often pass through, or are hubbed in the Middle East.
"A lot of the problems (and conflicts) and a great deal of opportunities are located here. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is still consuming the global diplomatic efforts. In Iraq, we have the worst policy disaster in a hundred years. Afghanistan is not far behind that."
Marshall says, now ordinary people in Western Europe are keen on Middle East news - an area once familiar to history professors only.
"For example, they are interested to know how Saudis and Egyptians are putting pressure on Syria over the Lebanese issue."
The run-up to 9/11 Adrian Wells believes that in the time between the fall of the Soviet Union and 9/11, the US media had ceded its leading position, affecting the industry as a whole.
Head of Foreign News, Adrian Wells belives that the US Media has ceded its leading position, affecting the industry as a whole.
"After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the American media began to withdraw into its national territories. It no longer covered the world the way it used to. On the other hand, the UK media, especially Sky News, was expanding. The 9/11 events were not quite the shock to us.
"After 9/11, the US media badly needed to hire Britons, who were able to make sense of the new dynamics. British reporters had ready passports (to the Middle East) and were in Baghdad throughout the 1990s."
However, a new challenge was born with the new situation- insecurity. "Before 9/11, we, as reporters, used to carry with us a bubble of immunity. We felt safe to go anywhere and report any story. Now all that changed," said Marshal.
"A journalist now is one who has a story to tell on television, radio, the web, blogs, podcasts..."
The New Media Wells says the target audience now demands something different. In his view, the success of any news corporation will depend on a deep understanding of that.
"In the UK and Western Europe, there is a whole generation who do not watch TV news. They'd rather go to the web. This is a trend that is sweeping from Western Europe to America, and subsequently to the Gulf.
"A journalist now is one who has a story to tell on television, radio, the web, blogs, podcasts..."
"The UK newspapers send their reporters out with video cameras. The Daily Telegraph, for example, has a TV channel. We, in Sky News, try to make sure that we offer a multimedia service - not only television.
"We try not to be exclusively focused on the UK. We are interested in every big international story - we covered the end of inquest in Princess Diana's death - an incredible story fascinating the world for over ten years.
"We reported the Iranian elections, interviewed Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal. We were in Pakistan, Kenya and Zimbabwe for major events."
Sky's Agenda Adrian Wells insists that Sky News adopts a neutral agenda. "We report events as they happen. In the early days of the invasion of Iraq, lots of international stations used to say the situation is verging on a 'quagmire'. We did not do that, because we had a better understanding of the tactics."
"We carried lots of Tony Blair's pro-war arguments, and covered many hours of stop-the-war demonstrations. Sky News covered the French Foreign Minister's milestone speech at the UN, against the military option on Iraq. We did not say he was right or wrong!"
Sky News is the leading 24/7 station in the UK and Europe. It has 130 million viewers across Europe.
According to Marshal, "A recent research found that most of the UK's government offices and major industries get the news live from Sky News. And even though, we do not broadcast in French or German, public offices in the two major countries get it on."
Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall says before 9/11, reporters used to carry a bubble of immunity which has changed now
This article is reproduced with special permission from Qatar Today - Qatar's only news, business and lifestyle magazine
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