Jordanian talents explore the future of media work in the "Arab Youth Media Leaders" program
Organized by the Arab Youth Center with the participation of 50 young men and women from 18 countries
Amman4 min read
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How does a journalist use artificial intelligence while maintaining news accuracy? What knowledge does a news anchor need to establish a media organization? And how does a content creator handle sensitive issues that affect the lives of their audience? These questions were present in the experiences of six Jordanian participants in the eighth edition of the "Arab Youth Media Leaders" program, organized by the Arab Youth Center, and formed different directions for developing their work within media institutions and on digital platforms.
The participants' interests combined production and editing skills, an understanding of institutional management, and the responsibility of engaging with the audience; these are areas the program addressed through practical training, meetings with leaders and experts, and visits to media institutions. The eighth edition saw the participation of 50 young men and women from 18 Arab countries over three weeks.
Artificial Intelligence under editorial review
The use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms emerged among the interests of journalists Ghufran Omran Barqawi and Moath Majdi, with their focus on the relationship between accelerating production and maintaining content reliability.
Barqawi plans to train her colleagues at her media institution on artificial intelligence applications, transferring the knowledge she gained to the team. She believes that the use of these tools is linked to controls that include information accuracy, respect for privacy, and assessing the impact of publication, especially when dealing with trending topics.
As for Majdi, he began his participation skeptical of AI's ability to approach the human touch in journalistic writing, before learning about its applications in processing audio, images, and text. His interest focused on utilizing it in certain production stages and preparing initial drafts for breaking news, while fact-checking, source evaluation, and pre-publication review remain essential editorial tasks.
The two experiences present a practical aspect of media qualification: identifying tasks that can be assisted by technology, and knowing what its outputs require in terms of professional verification and evaluation.
Rashid Rababa'a: From presenting news in Braille to thinking about establishing a media project
Jordanian media professional Rashid Rababa'a, who is visually impaired, looks forward to employing his experience in presenting news using Braille to establish a digital media project. His participation in the program allowed him to view the experiences of media institutions in the UAE and learn about their management methods and content development.
This experience prompted him to think about establishing a digital media organization after learning about the aspects of work behind the screen, from management to content development. Rababa'a seeks to build on his experience in news presentation and deepen his knowledge of the requirements for establishing and managing a project, in addition to his ambition to expand his presence on Arab screens.
The responsibility of influencing the audience
In the field of digital content, journalist and content creator Fatima Ahmed Al-Ramahi focused on addressing mental health issues and topics that many hesitate to discuss publicly. She was interested in methods of addressing younger generations, especially "Gen Z," and choosing language that considers the sensitivity of the topic and its impact on followers.
These interests are connected to the content creator's responsibility for the way they present issues, and the impressions and attitudes their messages may leave on the audience.
For his part, content creator Abdullah Bahaa Al-Nazir looks forward to developing ideas that add to his followers' knowledge and influence their understanding of the issues he covers. The participation allowed him to learn about new experiences and build professional relationships that may open opportunities for cooperation with Arab media institutions.
Diversity of experiences expands editorial options
As for radio and television student Shahd Ahmed Mahmoud, she found in the dialogue with Arab participants an opportunity to understand the different journalistic treatments of a single topic. Based on her experience in writing news for "Petra Platform," she learned about options for covering stories that stem from different environments and experiences.
She intends to build on this experience to develop writing, presentation, and production skills and participate in professional initiatives, benefiting from the discussions that brought the participants together, in addition to the training and institutional visits.
The six Jordanian experiences provide models for the professional interests addressed by the program, from project management and knowledge transfer within institutions to the use of modern technologies and making editorial decisions. Through the program, the Arab Youth Center works to provide training and professional networking for young media talents and connect them with diverse Arab expertise in media production and management.
