Social media transforming journalism, ex-Al Jazeera head says

20 Nov 2012, 6:39 pm   -   Source: SBS STAFF
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Former director-general of media network Al Jazeera Wadah Khanfar says social media is bringing journalism 'back to reality', as audiences expect media networks to increasingly go down to the streets with the people, and understand their hopes and fears. 

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Former director-general of media network Al Jazeera Wadah Khanfar believes the future of journalism lies in social media and says it is necessary to bring the profession “back to reality”.

“The arrival of new media is necessary to reform us, to reform our traditional television organisation and to bring us back to the orthodoxy of journalism, to the universal values of journalism as we did inherit from the founders of this profession,” he told SBS.

Khanfar is in Sydney meeting politicians and delivering seminars as part of his role with his Sharq Forum, an independent think-tank developing long-term strategies for political development and social justice in the Middle East.

“Social media is balancing the spectrum, reforming the traditional media, bringing us back to reality, connecting with the grassroots,” he says. “It is good news; we need to embrace it. It is here to stay.”

He says the transformation that the region is going through is a testament to the influence of social media, with power being redistributed to citizens.

“Things are changing in that region, ordinary people are taking charge.”

During his eight years as director-general, Khanfar turned Al Jazeera from a single channel in 2006 to the global media network it is today. He resigned from the post in 2011.

“I feel that mainstream media over the past few decades have been more and more involved in commercial gains, political games and other things that distracted us from putting the human being at the centre."

Giving power back to the people and fostering dialogue is the crux of his work with the Sharq Forum, particularly as the Middle Eastern region continues to undergo revolutionary changes.

“Today we talk to each other. Islamists, Secularists, Liberals, Socialists sit together in one forum – speak to each other, criticise each other, communicate with each other – and result of that is fantastic, because for the first time we discover that the diversity in our societies is a strength not a threat against us and against our future.

“The most important thing is: to what extent can we go down to the streets live with the people, understand their hopes and build our paradigm of thinking – be it political, social or cultural– on them because they are much more solid than any other organisation, political party or even government."

Watch the full interview on YouTube:

Al Jazeera , Wadah Khanfar , Middle East Conflict

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