Al-Harthi: New media is an opportunity, not a threat

New digital media is not a threat but an opportunity for conventional media companies to make investments and achieve further progress, said Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, editor in chief of Arab News and Sayidaty.
“The general impression that new media is a threat to conventional media is not true. They, in fact, complement each other. Experiences have proved that conventional media can achieve success by making use of new media,” he said during his address at the third Saudi Media Forum at the InterContinental Hotel in Jeddah.
In his address, Al-Harthi emphasized the need for open discussions to serve the public interest, instead of holding lectures and seminars.
“The experiences we’ve had at Arab News and Sayidaty go well with new media (developments),” he said, commending the courageous changes brought about by digital media operators.
Riyadh Najm, president of the Commission for Audiovisual Media at the Ministry of Culture and Information, also spoke at the forum organized by the Arab States Broadcasting Union and Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union.
“We expect every success for this forum,” Najm said, adding that delegates would discuss the latest developments in the media industry. “It’s a good opportunity for the Western media to provide solutions for new media developments in the Kingdom,” he told the gathering.
An exhibition on the latest technological developments in the media industry is being staged on the sidelines of the two-day forum, which will illustrate the state of Saudi media.
Speakers will discuss new media techniques to attract viewers by adding value to content. There will be a workshop at the end of the forum on integration of transmission through cloud computing.