‘The climate crisis is the most important story for this generation,’ says CNN Academy director on second news simulation

A total of 110 aspiring journalists from 30 different nationalities participated in the simulation. (Supplied)
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Updated 20 December 2023
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‘The climate crisis is the most important story for this generation,’ says CNN Academy director on second news simulation

  • 110 aspiring journalists participated in the program
  • Simulation was set in a fictional country undergoing a climate disaster

DUBAI: CNN held its second reporting simulation as part of its academy training program last week.

A total of 110 aspiring journalists from 30 different nationalities participated in the simulation.

Of the participants this year, 14 marked the inaugural cohort of the new CNN Academy Global South Climate Storytelling program, funded by The Rockefeller Foundation. They were intentionally chosen to take part from the regions most impacted by climate change, which includes countries such as Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya and Vietnam.

Other participants included students from global CNN Academy initiatives, such as Hong Kong Chui Hai College, University College Dublin, Universidad Loyola Sevilla, University of Nottingham Malaysia, and CNN Academy Abu Dhabi.

This year’s news simulation focused on climate reporting.

“The climate crisis is the most important story for this generation,” said Alireza Haji Hosseini, director of the CNN Academy and deputy bureau chief of CNN Abu Dhabi.

“As we’ve seen, 2023 was the hottest year on record, (so) we wanted to focus this year’s news simulation on climate storytelling,” he told Arab News.

Held in a fictional country undergoing a climate disaster, the simulation required participants to gather news in the field, use a custom-built social media tool and attend mock press conferences and interviews.

Each team was tasked with writing, producing, reporting, filming and editing a news package using the facilities at twofour54’s Yas Creative Hub in Abu Dhabi.

“Covering the climate crisis is both vitally important and multifaceted so it provided a strong challenge for the participants,” Haji Hosseini said.

Each group was assigned a mentor to guide them through the week, thereby creating “a safe-to-fail environment,” so they could make mistakes that “they would not be afforded in real life,” he said.

The simulation was designed and planned by CNN, in collaboration with Prof. Rex Brynen of McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and Jim Wallman, director of game design company, Stone Paper Scissors. 

“We worked with them last year for CNN Academy’s first newsroom simulation, which was a great success, so it was a no-brainer to work together for this event,” Haji Hosseini said.

“We created a fast-paced environment, with volumes of information and sources to uncover, including red-herrings, conspiracy theories and even simultaneously occurring news events to replicate many challenges that journalists face every day,” he said.

The simulation was designed to test the skills students had learned in the CNN Academy, such as interview techniques, storytelling, ethics and verification.

They had to play multiple roles as reporters, photojournalists, writers, editors and producers, which tested their technical skills in capturing and editing audio and video, as well as soft skills such as strategic thinking, collaboration and diplomacy, Haji Hosseini said.

Participants also visited the COP28 conference in Dubai and attended talks at the UN Climate Change Conference.

Alongside the simulation, CNN held masterclasses on the power of pictures and storytelling during times of conflict, along with workshops on the importance of data management and archiving, and the complexity of gender reporting.

Glen Mulcahy, an expert in mobile journalism, hosted one session that focused on the use of smartphones in journalism, which covered topics such as lighting, using a tripod, and how to shoot b-roll and cutaways to film and edit packages professionally.

While the first simulation had a clear story line to be investigated, this year’s simulation featured more than 200 potential story angles, Haji Hosseini said.

He added: “As this year’s simulation was centered on the climate crisis there were many avenues to explore across technical and social aspects. There were more than 200 possible story angles spanning ecosystems and biodiversity to sustainability, activism and how climate change disproportionately impacts women.”

Therefore, “one of the main challenges this year was for participants to establish the angle they wanted to focus on and not be distracted by other potential stories or events,” he said.

“The experience was extraordinary and immersive because the simulation week not only pushed me beyond my usual circle but also led me to see the world through the eyes of a real journalist,” one participant, Reem Al-Mansoori, from CNN Academy Abu Dhabi, told Arab News.

For another participant, Sarah Al-Kaabi, the experience helped to hone her technical skills, such as shooting and editing videos and understanding scriptwriting. “It was a really helpful exercise for me when thinking about building the narrative for a visual presentation,” she said.

At the end of the week, a winning team was chosen for creating the best package, which included Lhekkah Sivaraja from University of Nottingham Malaysia, Esha Mitra from The Rockefeller Foundation Cohort, Daniela Torres Basila from Universidad Loyola Sevilla and Alia Al-Zaabi and Abdulrahman Al-Marzooqi from CNN Academy Abu Dhabi.

Haji Hosseini said that CNN “provided feedback on the work submitted and shared all the work on the CNN Academy hub, so everyone could view what was produced and understand why some packages were stronger than others.” 

CNN also conducted “listening sessions so that we as trainers got insight from the participants about what they enjoyed, what they found most challenging so we can adapt and adjust accordingly,” he said.


Saudi stories pique audience interest, says Bloomberg Media MD

Updated 07 November 2024
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Saudi stories pique audience interest, says Bloomberg Media MD

  • Visiting the Athar Festival of Creativity in Riyadh, Amit Nayak told Arab News: “We’ve seen a real appetite from our global audiences for content from here”

RIYADH: Stories and articles about Saudi Arabia and the region are among the most widely read by audiences, according to Bloomberg Media’s managing director in the Middle East and Africa.

Visiting the Athar Festival of Creativity in Riyadh, Amit Nayak told Arab News: “We’ve seen a real appetite from our global audiences for content from here.”

He said that with such a large and diverse team based in the Middle East, Bloomberg Media was able to bring local insights and perspectives to provide content based on what audiences wanted.

“We remain focused on deeply understanding our Middle Eastern audience, fostering direct relationships, and delivering trusted news and insights tailored to their needs,” he said.

“We work with leading entities across the region, such as Saudi Tourism Authority and Red Sea Global, using custom content across different platforms to help tell their stories to regional and global audiences.”

The use of smart technology has been big part of Bloomberg’s strategy for over a decade, with The Bulletin being a predominant feature on the app. Launched by Bloomberg’s Media Innovation Lab in 2018, it provides single-sentence summaries of the top three stories.

“We leverage first-party subscriber data through our AI-powered Audience Accelerator platform,” added Nayak. “This allows us to precisely target key demographics to inform machine learning models that predict the population of users on the site, enhancing campaign performance and building brand credibility.”

In 2022, Bloomberg Media Studios opened a regional studio in Dubai and earlier this year launched “Bloomberg Horizons: Middle East & Africa,” a flagship morning program.

Bloomberg News also launched the Mideast Money newsletter, which focuses on “the intersection of wealth and power, and the impact of regional sovereign investors and dealmakers in global finance.”

Evolving as a commercial team that, 10 years ago, predominantly sold advertising, Nayak said that as clients became more sophisticated and keener to reach global audiences, Bloomberg Middle East was fostering internal talent to better collaborate with them.

“We were well placed because we have invested heavily in our teams on the ground here — whether that’s expanding sales, building a client marketing team, or hosting events on the ground in the region,” he said.


Tunisia influencers sentenced to jail over content: media

Updated 06 November 2024
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Tunisia influencers sentenced to jail over content: media

  • Some Internet users condemned the spread of crude language and obscene images on social media, while others saw the move as a new restriction on freedoms

TUNIS: Four influencers on Instagram and TikTok have been sentenced to jail in Tunisia for content authorities deemed immoral, local media reported Wednesday.
The Business News outlet said an Instagrammer known as Lady Samara, with about one million followers, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison on Tuesday.
TikToker Khoubaib received four years and six months, while Instagrammer Afifa was sentenced to a year and six months and her husband Ramzi to three years and six months.
On October 31, as part of the same investigation, an Instagrammer known as Choumoukh was sentenced to four and a half years’ jail on similar charges.
The private radio station Mosaique FM also reported a series of sentences ranging from 18 months to four and a half years, without identifying those being sent to prison.
It said they were being prosecuted for “public indecency, dissemination of content contrary to good morals or adopting immoral positions, using inappropriate language or adopting inappropriate behavior that undermines moral and social values and risks negatively influencing the behavior of young users of these platforms.”
The investigation was opened after the justice ministry on October 27 urged prosecutors to “take necessary judicial measures and launch investigations against anyone producing, displaying or publishing data, images, and video clips with content that undermines moral values.”
The decision sparked widespread debate, both on social media and in the media.
Some Internet users condemned the spread of crude language and obscene images on social media, while others saw the move as a new restriction on freedoms.
Online magazine Nawaat, which frequently criticizes the Tunisian government, said the arrests come amid “a climate marked by repressive restrictions on freedoms.”
“Following the systematic dismantling of judicial power, the prosecution of opponents and journalists, and the repression of civil society, social media influencers — regardless of the quality of their content — are now in the regime’s crosshairs,” said an article.
Tunisia’s opposition and civil society have condemned what they call an “authoritarian drift” by President Kais Saied, who was re-elected on October 6 with a sweeping majority but low turnout.


Trump Media reports $19 million loss in third quarter on TV streaming costs

Updated 07 November 2024
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Trump Media reports $19 million loss in third quarter on TV streaming costs

  • Trump Media & Technology Group said the figure includes $12.1 million in legal fees
  • It also reported $3.9 million in research and development spend

Former US President Donald Trump’s media company reported a net loss of $19.2 million in the third quarter, due to legal fees and costs tied to its TV streaming deal.
Trump Media & Technology Group said the figure includes $12.1 million in legal fees in the quarter, stemming from its acquisition of TV streaming technology in August and residual fees related to its SPAC deal in March.
It also reported $3.9 million in research and development spend.
Shares of the company reversed earlier losses in extended trading and were last trading about 2 percent higher.
The report comes as the US presidential election is in the final stretch, with polls showing Trump and current vice president Kamala Harris running neck and neck, as the world awaits the results of one of the most unusual elections in modern US history.
Shares of Trump Media, which operates the Truth Social media platform, have seen wild swings in recent days with the stock serving as something of a proxy for Trump’s chances of election.
Trump Media said its revenue was $1 million for the quarter ended September and had cash and cash equivalents of $672.9 million, including short-term investments, with no debt. 


BBC staff in open letter accuse broadcaster of pro-Israel bias

Updated 03 November 2024
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BBC staff in open letter accuse broadcaster of pro-Israel bias

  • Over 100 employees demand corporation ‘recommit to fairness, accuracy and impartiality’
  • Letter signed by more than 230 figures in UK’s media industry, other sectors

LONDON: More than 100 BBC employees have accused the British broadcaster of pro-Israel bias in its coverage of the Gaza war.

The claim was made in an open letter signed by more than 230 figures in the UK’s media industry and other sectors, who said the public broadcaster has failed to provide “fair and accurate” coverage of the conflict. It was sent to Tim Davie, director general of the BBC.

The letter, first seen by The Independent, said the BBC must “recommit to fairness, accuracy and impartiality.”

The BBC employees who signed the letter did so anonymously, with one telling The Independent that “so many of us feel paralysed by levels of fear.”

They added: “Colleagues have left the BBC in recent months because they just don’t believe our reporting on Israel and Palestine is honest.”

Prominent members of Britain’s political, media and academic class signed the letter, including Sayeeda Warsi, a Muslim member of the House of Lords; historian William Dalrymple; actress Juliet Stevenson; Dr. Catherine Happer, a senior lecturer in sociology and director of media at the University of Glasgow; Rizwana Hamid, director at the Centre for Media Monitoring; broadcaster John Nicolson; and columnist Owen Jones.

The BBC must “robustly challenge Israeli government and military representatives in all interviews,” the signatories said.

In September, BBC Chairman Samir Shah said the board would “seriously consider” a review into the broadcaster’s Middle East coverage.

It followed claims by Jewish groups that the BBC is suffering from an “extreme” anti-Israel bias and that it is failing to properly manage complaints.

The open letter calls on the BBC to make new editorial commitments, including “reiterating that Israel does not give external journalists access to Gaza; making it clear when there is insufficient evidence to back up Israeli claims; making clear where Israel is the perpetrator in article headlines; and including regular historical context predating October 2023.”

One example of a “dehumanizing and misleading headline” cited by signatories related to Israel’s killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab in January this year. The BBC headline read: “Hind Rajab, 6, found dead in Gaza days after phone calls for help.”

The letter to the BBC said: “This was not an act of God. The perpetrator, Israel, should have been in the headline, and it should have been clear that she was killed.”

Another anonymous BBC employee told The Independent: “Palestinians are always treated as an unreliable source and we constantly give Israel’s version of events primacy despite the IDF’s (Israel Defense Forces) well-documented track record of lying.

“We often seem to prefer to leave Israel out of the headline if at all possible or cast doubt on who could be to blame for airstrikes.

“The verification level expected for anything related to Gaza hugely outweighs what is the norm for other countries.”

In response to the letter, a BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster holds itself “to very high standards,” adding: “This conflict is one of the most polarising stories to report on, and we know people feel very strongly about how this is being reported.

“The BBC receives almost equal measure of complaints asserting that we are biased towards Israel, as we do asserting we are biased against it.

“This does not mean we assume we are doing something right, and we continue to listen to all criticism — from inside and outside the BBC — and reflect on what we can do better.”


Mauritius reverses ban on social media

Updated 02 November 2024
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Mauritius reverses ban on social media

PORT LUIS, Mauritius: Mauritius on Saturday reversed its decision to block social media until its election that had been prompted by a wire-tapping scandal.
The ban on social media had been in place for 24 hours, with users on the Indian Ocean island unable to access Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.
It was due to last until November 11 — the day after the general election.
The ban was prompted by the release of secret recordings of phone calls by politicians, journalists, members of civil society and even foreign diplomats that began to emerge online last month.
The office of Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth had said that “the national security and integrity of our republic and our international partners may have been compromised” by the leaks.
But in a statement on Saturday, the Information and Communications Authority said the ban had been lifted after “consultation with competent authorities.”
There had been uproar from opposition parties and local media groups, who rely heavily on social media.
The leaked recordings were released by an account called Missie Moustass (Mr Moustache), primarily on TikTok.
There have been attempts to block the account but it quickly resurfaced elsewhere and has been releasing recordings almost daily.
Among those causing the greatest shock was that of the police commissioner apparently asking a forensic doctor to alter a report into a person who died after being beaten in police custody. A judicial investigation into the death was launched following the leak.
Private calls featuring British High Commissioner Charlotte Pierre also appear to have been leaked.
Jugnauth is seeking re-election as head of the Militant Socialist Movement.
He inherited the premiership on the death of his father in 2017 and secured a victory for his coalition in polls two years later.