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SRMG returns to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 with an exceptional line-up of leading industry figures

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Updated 04 June 2023
Arab News
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SRMG returns to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023 with an exceptional line-up of leading industry figures

Updated 04 June 2023
Arab News

RIYADH: SRMG, the largest integrated media group from the MENA region, is back at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the second year with an even bigger presence at Rado Plage on the iconic Croisette. From June 19-23, SRMG is bringing together the leading names in media, tech and creativity for a series of panels, talks, workshops and live performances at the SRMG Beach Experience.

Over the course of five days, the SRMG Beach Experience will highlight the transformation and trends taking place in the creative and tech industries across the world through insightful conversations with the pioneers, entrepreneurs and executives from companies, such as Brut and TikTok. These leaders have created innovative platforms that have revolutionized the way the new generation consumes content. The program will explore challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the media and creative industries, and how to leverage disruptive advertising technologies and tech solutions. The in-depth discussions will also feature the latest names defining popular culture, including TV star Mo Amer, and award-winning songwriter and rapper Belly.

Panels and talks with the industry’s top innovators will delve into the biggest trends and challenges impacting our industry and what this means for the future of the media industry. The panels will explore how AI will impact the future of the creativity, how film and entertainment can bridge cultures, how the music scene in MENA is rising, and an insightful discussion on how communities have the power to build world-class brands.

The SRMG Beach Experience will also feature immersive and interactive artificial intelligence and augmented reality activations for attendees from some of SRMG’s leading brands, including an Asharq Business with Bloomberg AI video booth that will put guests' reporting skills to the test. Asharq Al-Awsat will have an arcade game, where players will have to choose between real and fake news. Manga Arabia will utilize the latest AI face filter technology to allow guests to transform into their favourite characters, and HIA Magazine will bring the latest fashion trends to life through augmented reality.

Since launching its transformation strategy in 2021, SRMG has supported, empowered, and championed local and regional creative talents, and established partnerships with some of the largest global companies. Cannes Lions is widely recognized as the premier festival for the media and creative industries, and provides a global stage for SRMG to showcase how it is redefining the media landscape. In 2022, SRMG’s participation at Cannes Lions represented the first MENA presence at the festival. There was significant interest from international companies to partner and collaborate with SRMG, which has led to several new agreements and initiatives. In 2023, SRMG has increased its presence to showcase its media and business portfolio on the global stage, partner with strategic and established brands, and elevate local and regional talent.

This year, SRMG also partnered with Cannes Lions to launch the first Saudi Young Lions competition. SRMG held a competition in Saudi Arabia to find the best young talent to compete in the global competition at Cannes.

“Nurturing young talent is an important aspect of our broader transformation strategy, and SRMG is focused on driving innovation and empowering the next generation of media leaders and content creators. We have partnered with global players to expand our portfolio and provide a stage to showcase our creative talent and stories to the world. This includes partnering with Cannes Lions to launch the first ever Saudi Young Lions competition, where the winners will represent Saudi Arabia at the Global Young Lions competition in Cannes.” said Jomana R. Al-Rashid, CEO of SRMG. “Cannes Lions is the perfect environment to highlight the creative revolution taking place in the MENA region. This is why we are excited to use this year’s festival as a platform to announce the next major step in our growth and expansion strategy.”

The stellar line up of industry greats will be complimented each night with live performances. And on Thursday night, June 22, SRMG is transforming the beach for the second edition of MENA Night, featuring live performances from renowned singer Elyanna, known for her unique fusion of Latin and Middle Eastern sounds, and one of the most celebrated artists from the region DJ Rodge.

Full details of panels, speakers and entertainment line-up will be announced shortly at canneslions.srmg.com.

Topics: SRMG SRMG Lions

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Saudi, UN bodies sign deal on media training

Updated 26 November 2024
Arab News
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Saudi, UN bodies sign deal on media training

  • Saudi Media Forum Chairman Mohammed Al-Harthi said that the partnership is the forum’s first strategic initiative and will positively impact Saudi media
Updated 26 November 2024
Arab News

RIYADH: The Saudi Media Forum has signed a cooperation agreement with the UN Institute for Training and Research to promote sustainable development and empower individuals as well as media organizations.

It aims to advance media and training efforts in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 and global sustainable development trends, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The agreement focuses on creating lasting impact through innovative training programs that combine academic knowledge with practical applications.

These programs will empower journalists and organizations, enhance professional awareness in both public and private sectors, and promote media literacy and innovative education.

The partnership will also support media organizations in achieving sustainable development goals through professional training, remote learning and educational resources.

Saudi Media Forum Chairman Mohammed Al-Harthi said that the partnership is the forum’s first strategic initiative and will positively impact Saudi media.

He added that Saudi Arabia, a nation of continuous renewal, must stay ahead of transformations to advance its development.

The forum continues to forge strategic partnerships with local and international entities to elevate Saudi media’s global standing while providing media professionals and organizations with the tools to create world-class content, the SPA reported.

 

Topics: Saudi Media Forum (SMF) UN Institute for Training and Research

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Israeli soldiers desecrate church in southern Lebanon in latest religious site incident

Updated 26 November 2024
Arab News
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Israeli soldiers desecrate church in southern Lebanon in latest religious site incident

  • IDF soldiers are filmed performing a mock wedding inside an Orthodox church
  • Online users question continued support by Western Christians despite rise in attacks toward non-Jewish religious sites
Updated 26 November 2024
Arab News

LONDON: Israeli soldiers have come under fire after a video surfaced showing them desecrating a Christian church in southern Lebanon, marking the latest attack on a religious site amid rumors of an imminent truce in Lebanon.

The incident reportedly took place in Deir Mimas, near the border with Israel, and involved soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces Golani Special Operations Unit.

The video, which began circulating widely online on Monday, depicts the soldiers performing a mock wedding ceremony inside the Orthodox church, sparking outrage across social media platforms.

The footage shows a male soldier, pretending to be a bride, wearing a hood and participating in a staged ritual led by another soldier using a disconnected microphone. The mock priest asked for the bride and groom’s names as the group laughed.

The scene escalates into chaos as another soldier interrupts, kneels before the “bride,” and simulates a dramatic objection, followed by soldiers piling on top of each other.

The timing of the video remains unclear, but its release has drawn condemnation online.

Karim Emile Bitar, professor of international relations at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, called it a blatant act of disrespect, posting on X: “Another video of Israeli soldiers desecrating a Church in South Lebanon and mocking the holy sacraments. Deafening silence of US and European politicians who spent the past 20 years masquerading as defenders of Eastern Christians, only to pander to Western Islamophobes.”

Other users voiced their anger, accusing Western Christians of ignoring Israeli acts of disrespect toward non-Jewish religious sites.

“It is incomprehensible that US Christians continue to blindly defend Israelis who desecrate the Church,” voiced another user.

This incident follows a string of troubling actions targeting cultural and religious landmarks by Israeli forces.

Earlier this month, the same IDF brigade allegedly vandalized two memorials in Hula, south Lebanon, using graffiti that read, “A good Shiite is a dead Shiite.”

In August, footage emerged showing IDF soldiers burning copies of the Qur’an in a Gaza mosque, drawing widespread condemnation and prompting an internal Israeli Military Police investigation.

Topics: Battlefield Lebanon Israel Church

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UK police forces quietly withdraw from X platform amid content concerns

Updated 26 November 2024
Reuters
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UK police forces quietly withdraw from X platform amid content concerns

  • Several UK police forces cut X usage to a minimum after misinformation on the platform fueled UK’s summer riots
  • X has been a primary communication tool for the British government, public services, institutions and millions of people for over a decade
Updated 26 November 2024
Reuters

LONDON: Several British police forces have largely withdrawn from Elon Musk’s X social media platform as concerns over its role in promoting violence and extreme content persist, a Reuters survey of forces’ social media output showed.
X, formerly Twitter, was used to spread misinformation that sparked riots across Britain this summer, and has reinstated British-based accounts that had been banned for extremist content.
Musk’s comment in August that civil war in Britain was “inevitable” drew rebukes from Downing Street and police leaders.
Critics argue that Musk’s approach fosters hate speech, though Musk has said he is defending free speech and has described Britain as a “police state.”
Reuters reported in October that North Wales Police had ceased posting on X. Others are moving in that direction, according to Tuesday’s survey.
Reuters visually monitored posts on X from 44 territorial police and British Transport Police over the three months to Nov. 13 and focused on ones that had noticeably fewer posts, comparing their output to a year previously.
Reuters then contacted those eight forces.
West Midlands Police, one of Britain’s biggest police forces which serves the second city of Birmingham, reduced its X posts by around 95 percent in annual terms in that period.
Lancashire Police in the north of England, cut its usage of X by around three-quarters compared with a year ago.
“We understand that, as the digital landscape changes, so too does our audiences’ channels of choice,” the force said.
And Derbyshire Police, which serves around a million people in central England, made its last original post on Aug. 12 and has responded only to queries since. It said it was reviewing its social media presence.

X-COMMUNICATION
Other forces said X remained useful for updates on things like road closures, but platforms like Facebook and Instagram were better for reaching communities.
X did not respond to a request for comment.
X has been a primary communication tool for the British government, public services, institutions and millions of people for over a decade.
It had just over 10 million British app users in October, compared with 4.5 million for Threads and 433,000 for Blue Sky, according to data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb.
But usage is dropping, with X’s British app users down 19 percent on a year ago, Similarweb data showed.
The government still posts to X but does not use it for paid communications. It does, however, advertise on Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, a government source said last month.
Several well-known organizations, including the Guardian and non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate, have quit X due to concerns over its content.
Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology and health at Alliance Manchester Business School, said many institutions were wary of Musk’s power over the platform, as well as his “very substantial views.”
Asked why more police forces had not quit, Cooper told Reuters: “Institutions, just like individuals, get addicted. They invested in it over a period of time.”
North Wales Police is the only force to officially quit X completely.
“As X was no longer an effective communication medium, this change hasn’t affected our abilities to reach our communities,” it said. (Reporting by Andy Bruce Editing by Christina Fincher)

Topics: UK police X Elon Musk

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Saudi Media Forum opens registration for annual media awards

Updated 26 November 2024
Arab News
Follow

Saudi Media Forum opens registration for annual media awards

  • Process open to media professionals, organizations until Dec. 10
Updated 26 November 2024
Arab News

RIYADH: The Saudi Media Forum has launched the registration process for its prestigious annual media awards, an event which aims to inspire creativity and recognize excellence across the media sector.

The awards are held in conjunction with the forum’s activities and the Future of Media Exhibition, which is to be held in Riyadh from Feb. 19-21 next year.

Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, the president of the Saudi Media Forum, stressed the awards’ growing importance in highlighting the role of the media in shaping societal values and fostering innovation, and added the event sought to recognize exceptional efforts in the fields of media and communication.

Last year’s edition saw more than 3,000 submissions locally and regionally, and the SMF said it expected participation to double this year amid growing interest in the sector.

The awards span a wide range of categories, including journalism, television programs, podcasts, academic research, and public relations campaigns. Individual achievements will also be recognized through accolades such as Media Personality of the Year, Best Digital Content, and the Columnist Award.

Al-Harthi also highlighted the introduction of the Tolerance Award, an international track focused on coexistence and dialogue and developed in partnership with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue.

Registration is open to media professionals and organizations until Dec. 10, with submissions being accepted through the forum’s official platform.

Detailed criteria and submission guidelines can be accessed on the forum’s website at saudimf.sa/ar/awards.

Topics: Saudi Media Forum awards

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Media watchdogs condemn ‘concerning’ Haaretz boycott by Israeli government

Updated 26 November 2024
Arab News
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Media watchdogs condemn ‘concerning’ Haaretz boycott by Israeli government

  • Committee to Protect Journalists says tactic is ‘disturbing evidence’ of efforts to prevent coverage of Gaza war
  • Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken critical of Israeli policies, prompting government call for restrictions on left-leaning paper
Updated 26 November 2024
Arab News

LONDON: Media watchdogs have strongly criticized the Israeli government’s decision to boycott Haaretz, one of the country’s oldest and most critical newspapers, calling it a troubling blow to media freedom and pluralism.

“We are extremely concerned over Israel’s authoritarian drift that undermines media pluralism and the public’s right to know,” said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger, who called on “the government to review its decision and stop damaging press freedom in the country by boycotting a newspaper.”

Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, labeled the boycott “deplorable” and accused Israel of intensifying its restrictions on critical media. “Israel’s increasing deployment of restrictions on critical media is further disturbing evidence of its efforts to prevent coverage of its actions in Gaza,” she said.

The Israeli government unanimously approved a proposal on Nov. 24 by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi to halt all government advertising in and communication with Haaretz.

The decision effectively boycotts the left-leaning outlet, citing comments by publisher Amos Schocken, who had earlier called for sanctions against Israel and referred to Palestinian resistance groups as “freedom fighters.”

Schocken, who has led the paper for over three decades, later clarified that he did not include groups like Hamas in his reference to freedom fighters, emphasizing his support for nonviolent resistance.

Despite this, Haaretz faced significant backlash, publishing an editorial distancing itself from his remarks.

Karhi defended the government’s move, saying Israel “cannot fund a newspaper whose publisher calls for sanctions against the state and supports its enemies during wartime.”

He has previously accused Haaretz of propagating “anti-Israel propaganda” and called for financial penalties against the paper.

The boycott comes amid wider concerns over media freedom in Israel.

Critics point to the introduction of laws like the so-called “Al Jazeera law,” which allows temporary bans on foreign media deemed a national security risk, and ongoing attempts to privatize the public broadcaster Kan.

“Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who follows the hardline stances of the Likud party, is leveraging the ongoing war — the longest in the country’s history — to silence voices that criticise the far-right coalition in power,” said Paris-based media watchdog Reporter Without Borders.

The Paris-based watchdog added that such measures will have “lasting, detrimental effects on Israel’s media landscape.”

In response, Haaretz described the government’s actions as an attempt to “silence a critical, independent newspaper,” vowing to continue its reporting despite the restrictions.

Topics: War on Gaza Israel Haaretz Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Reporters Without Borders (RSF) International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

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