JEDDAH – The convergence of communications, Internet and mobile technology and the rapid rise of social media are changing the broadcast industry from the way news is gathered to how it's delivered and consumed, according to a news expert. Speaking about the impact of technology on the broadcast news industry, Nart Bouran, Head of Sky News Arabia, said: “It's no longer good enough for media companies to have the largest news gathering resources and the best journalists. “It's now essential for them to embrace technology and deliver news to their audience via social media as well as through multi-media platforms.” He said Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation sparked shockwaves that continue to reverberate across the Arab world and beyond. Bouazizi's act of protest not only marked the beginning of profound political and social change throughout the Middle East and also revolutionized how news is reported and consumed across the region. He added: “A lasting legacy of the Arab uprisings is the rise of citizen journalism – the use by the general public of mobile devices and harnessing the power of social networks to rapidly capture and report on events as they unfold.” The easy accessibility of tools and devices that enable anyone, anywhere, to produce an immediate, firsthand and eyewitness account of events has caused news organizations everywhere to reappraise the term “breaking news”. Bouran said: “Nowhere was this change more visible than in the uprisings that erupted in the Arab world in the spring of 2011, with demonstrations in some countries erupting so quickly that journalists were unable to get in fast enough to cover the birth of the protests, leaving citizens as the only witnesses of events.” While print media have reacted to the change by providing richer, deeper commentary and analysis and developing a two-way dialogue with their online readers, broadcasters have had to rethink their approach to better interact with their audience, according to Bouran. As the head of a well-known news channel in the Arab world, Bouran said: “As a result, the weight of responsibility on television news journalists has never been greater. “Reporters have to be faster with breaking news and sharper in their reporting from a much wider range of sources, while editors must find the balance between speed, accuracy and guaranteeing impartiality in accordance with ethical journalistic conduct.” He pointed out that technology has irrevocably changed journalism, especially the reporting of breaking news. News organizations now incorporate social media networks into the heart of their newsgathering to source material and capture eyewitness reports while at the same time having to remain vigilant about verifying the authenticity of that material before putting it on air. He also added social networks provide a platform to engage with audiences and to get a sense of differing opinions on key issues while also providing a platform for news output, driving younger audiences to the website and mobile app in addition to the TV channel. Speaking of the challenge Sky News Arabia faces in the Arab world, he said: “Our tackling of the news will be different. “We are conscious that our target audience – especially the youth of Arabia who are enjoying a new found voice of expression – are not only consuming news differently and across a multitude of platforms, but are also actively participating and commenting on it.” Sky News Arabia, a 24-hour, Arabic-language rolling news channel broadcasting from Abu Dhabi, has rolled out live-streaming of its news broadcast for Apple iPhone and Android smartphone devices as it continues to develop its multimedia platforms.
