Panel discussion explores digital media transformation

AMMAN — Digital media transformation is a “very successful project”, however, there needs to be more training for media personnel on how to create digitised content, State Minister for Media Affairs Faisal Shboul said on Wednesday.

During a panel discussion, organised by the Al Rai Centre for Studies on Wednesday, Shboul noted that local newspapers are “struggling”. 

“Jordan is undergoing a digital media transformation to revive its local newspapers,” he added.

The discussion panel was attended by media representatives and students, and it was moderated by Hadi Shobaki, director of the centre. 

“It can be either a complete digital transformation or a hybrid method that combines traditional media and the digitalised media,” Shboul added. 

Yaser Shqeer, a media expert, held the view that traditional newspapers are “outdated”. He also said that there is an “urgent need” to assess the current situation in the Kingdom to improve media channels. 

“By 2023-2024, media education will be included in the national curricula,” the minister added. 

Meanwhile, Tareq Abu Al Ragheb, the Media Commission’s director, said that digital transformation is impacting the media industry, pointing to the need to modernise the medium journalists are using. 

“There’s an urgent need to develop legislations and laws to govern media in the Kingdom,” Abu Ragheb added. 

He said that the current media minister has proposed some amendments to regulate media in the Kingdom, however, he stated that “laws and legislations have to be flexible and easily modified” to keep up with the ever-changing media channels. 

Meanwhile, Shboul said that “citizen journalism has become a worldwide phenomenon”, pointing to the increasing occurrence of citizens playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing, and disseminating news and information. 

“Citizens now have all the technology needed for content creation,” he said. 

Jordan has been undergoing a digital transformation since 2010, said Shobaki.

“Social media created instant feedback,” Fayeq Hijazeen, Director of The Jordan News Agency, Petra, said during the panel. 

However, Hijazeen said that while the media channels have changed, content creation remained the same.