By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: The development and training department at the Ministry of Information held on Sunday a workshop titled ‘Create meaningful digital content’. The two-day workshop was held under the slogan ‘Working professionally in a democratic country.’ Media consultant Saleh Al-Mutairi explained how digital media evolved in Kuwait, and how to create meaningful content by using journalistic skills and technical abilities, as well as using a range of strategies to develop digital news. "Digital media thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic. It delivered news faster, disseminated information, and was more daring in its coverage. Digital media gained prominence among news outlets in delivering information - even the government felt its dominance,” he added.
Mutairi said that social media has proved to be the best means for exposing events. "We saw how the video of a battered wife went viral recently. Social media shows us crimes we do not know about.” He said news coverage should be objective and not influenced by personal beliefs and opinions and must be professional. "A successful journalist must be honest and eloquent in his coverage,” he said.
The media consultant also explained the theory of understanding. "It is based on the fact that there is a difference between perceiving something and understanding it. The journalist must perceive the event, explain it, then understand the reason for its occurrence. To reach the stage of understanding, he must have a background,” Mutairi said.
Mutairi said that digital media is a tough new field in Kuwait, and there is no clear law governing online newspapers. "We saw some unethical behavior by journalists covering the parliament. Journalistic values ??and ethics control how the news is reported. Our problem lies in getting ahead of other news outlets. The journalist must present the truth that brings him closer to his audience and hear what they want to say. Being the first to report the news does not mean fame, but rather he must be truthful in the dissemination of information, to educate and inform people,” he added.
The lecturer also explained the media agenda theory, and how it controls public opinion and reformulates events. He spoke about the danger of online media in turning public opinion, like during the Turkish coup - with some even calling it hypodermic needle-like. "We saw this in the coverage that took place during the parliamentary elections, where some reporters deliberately violated the privacy of some candidates and embarrassed others,” Mutairi said.