MESTEC 2024: A New Era in Middle Eastern Strategic Communications
The 12th edition of the Middle East Strategic Communications Conference (MESTEC 2024) commenced on Tuesday on the Intercity Muscat Hotel in Oman. This enormously expected occasion, prepared via Muscat Media Group (MMG) and supported by using the Gulf Center for Strategic Communications (GSC) and the Council of Arab International Relations (CARINTER), has brought collectively a prominent organization of media experts, authorities officials, and communications specialists to discuss the evolving panorama of strategic communications inside the Middle East and globally.
With media unexpectedly transforming, the convention pursuits to deal with how these adjustments are influencing now not handiest the media industry itself but additionally political discourse, public opinion, and local techniques. MESTEC 2024 serves as a vital platform for notion leaders to engage with the challenges and possibilities offered through those shifts in communications, while searching in advance to what the future holds.
Opening Ceremony: A Landmark Moment for Muscat Media Group
The starting rite featured key figures from Oman’s media and authorities sectors, consisting of Awad Baqwir, Member of the State Council; Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali, CEO of MMG; Dr. Mohammed Al Hinai, Director General of Publications on the Ministry of Information; Dr. Tariq Al Shammari, Chairman of GSC; Fadi Kattar, Chief Operating Officer of MMG; Salem Al Jawhari, Vice President of the Omani Journalists Association; and Salim Al Habsi, Advisor to the CEO of MMG.
Salim Al Habsi, in his keynote deal with, took the possibility to mirror on MMG’s vast legacy in shaping Oman’s media landscape. “Muscat Media Group has been a shining lamp and solar for 5 decades, illuminating the direction of the nation and society,” Al Habsi remarked, emphasizing the institution’s willpower to professionalism in Omani media. MMG has extended its reach to more than 30 media products and structures in both Arabic and English, with a blended following of over 4 million. The institution is poised to rejoice its 50th anniversary, marking a milestone in its management of the area’s media enterprise.
Al Habsi further underscored the position of media in shaping public opinion and fostering transparency, quoting UNESCO’s announcement of free media as a fundamental tool for political and cultural improvement. He highlighted how the media serves as a powerful tool in shaping the public’s belief of political activities and using superb societal alternate.
The Changing Role of Media: A Global Perspective
One of the critical subject matters of MESTEC 2024 has been the evolving position of media in shaping global public opinion. Salem Al Jawhari, Vice President of the Omani Journalists’ Association, highlighted that media’s have an effect on has transcended its traditional function as the “fourth property” and now plays a far greater energetic component in shaping global discourse. “The media is no longer considered the fourth authority as it become within the beyond. It has superior to second region due to its influential function in shaping worldwide public opinion,” Al Jawhari stated.
This shift has turned the media into a crucial companion in decision-making, each on the countrywide and global ranges. Al Jawhari emphasized that media now serves as a key influencer in geopolitical matters and may appreciably effect political strategies. He additionally mentioned the moral responsibilities of media experts, particularly in light of the growing use of media to increase particular political agendas, mainly in instances of crisis and conflict.
Addressing Media Transformation and the Rise of Digital Platforms
Dr. Tariq Al Shammari, Chairman of GSC, provided treasured insights into the transformation of the media landscape over current years. “The media landscape has passed through a full-size transformation,” he found, reflecting on how the definition of a media expert has broadened. “Today, everyone has emerge as a media professional of their very own forte. Even mother and father elevating children and religious leaders turning in sermons are a part of this broader media ecosystem.”
Al Shammari pointed out that virtual media’s upward thrust has revolutionized communique strategies, making it important for organizations to adapt to this new surroundings. He stressed the importance of confronting incorrect information and countering misleading media narratives. Reflecting on his time in the UK, Al Shammari stated the want for Arab media retailers to actively interact in reshaping narratives, specially those propagated through Western media, and shared how he founded the International Media Relations Council (now CARINTER) to help counter such misleading campaigns.
Media’s Role in Political Discourse and Conflict Coverage
One of the most vital periods of MESTEC 2024 centered on how media impacts political verbal exchange and its role in conflict conditions. Al Shammari discussed the role of media in masking regional conflicts, consisting of the ones in Palestine and Lebanon. He mentioned the challenges posed by way of biased reporting and media stores that distort the reality of resistance moves by means of branding them as “terrorist” factions. For Al Shammari, the media’s role is to prioritize reality and accuracy, especially in terms of complicated political occasions.
Al Jawhari echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for reporters to be vigilant in upholding journalistic integrity and refraining from the usage of misleading terminology which could gas further division and battle. Both leaders underlined the importance of media helping causes of peace, justice, and human dignity, specifically inside the modern-day risky geopolitical weather.
Shaping Public Relations in the Digital Age
As virtual media keeps to form verbal exchange strategies, the conference additionally addressed the intersection between media and public family members (PR). With the upward push of social media and different digital systems, PR strategies have developed to interact audiences on a more personal level. Panelists mentioned how agencies are actually leveraging each conventional and digital media to better connect to their audiences, in particular in instances of social and political unrest.
Al Shammari highlighted the significance of integrating each traditional and cutting-edge PR techniques to reach diverse audiences effectively. “Public family members these days can’t rely upon traditional media by myself,” he stated, emphasizing the want for a combined method that includes the reach and interactivity of virtual platforms.
MESTEC 2024: A Platform for Collaboration and Innovation
MESTEC 2024 serves as a critical platform for conversation professionals inside the Middle East to trade ideas, discover new opportunities, and tackle the urgent issues facing the place’s media enterprise. With various discussions protecting subjects including digital media, public family members, incorrect information, and the changing role of media in political discourse, the conference is ready to shape how the vicinity adapts to the speedy changes within the global communications panorama.
The 2d day of the conference keeps to offer treasured periods, inclusive of discussions on present day PR techniques, virtual media’s position in training, and the intersection of communication and healthcare. In addition, the Gulf and Arab Journalism and Media Awards may be presented, recognizing wonderful contributions to the media area.
As the media landscape within the Middle East maintains to conform, MESTEC 2024 is poised to play a essential role in guiding the location’s media professionals, industry leaders, and policymakers in navigating this converting environment. The event, prepared with the aid of Nexus Novel, a leading marketing and branding corporation, promises to elevate the practice of strategic communique and foster more collaboration throughout the place’s media, governmental, and company sectors.
With its compelling discussions, expert panels, and realistic insights, MESTEC 2024 is shaping up to be a transformative occasion for the future of strategic communications inside the Middle East.