The University of Samarra Hosts the Director of Media Initiatives at Al Jazeera Media Institute

The University of Samarra, in the Al-Mu’tasim Hall, hosted journalist (Muntasir Mar’i), Director of Media Initiatives at Al Jazeera Media Institute, and journalist (Raghda Jamal), Coordinator of the Al Jazeera Ambassadors Initiative, in a practical scientific symposium titled “The Value of Journalism in the Digital Age.”

The Department of Media in the College of Arts and the Department of Media and Government Communication in the university presidency (the organizers of the symposium) aimed to enhance the concept of trustworthy journalism, increase students’ knowledge of technological developments that have led to the emergence of digital and modern media, and open avenues of cooperation with reputable media institutions, notably Al Jazeera Media Institute, which is considered one of the most important media institutions in the Arab world.

Professor Dr. Ahmed Hussein Ali (Professor of Voice and Speech) in the Department of Media at the College of Arts moderated the symposium sessions, while Assistant Professor Dr. Ali Mawlood Fadel (Head of the Department) conducted a discussion with the speaker during the symposium segments.

In this context, the speaker discussed the early days of Al Jazeera Channel in 1996, the limited resources in journalistic work, including equipment and tools that could have been more advanced then, and the channel’s reliance on journalists and correspondents to collect journalistic material.

On another note, Mar’i highlighted the emergence of social media platforms and their role in developing media work, Al Jazeera’s efforts on these platforms, the formation of teams for each platform, and their experience with experimental work for each team.

In turn, Professor Dr. Sabah Alawi Al-Samarrai (President of the University) hosted the delegation from Al Jazeera Media Institute, praising their dedication to serving the media and enduring the challenges of travel, and expressed his gratitude for their visit to the University of Samarra.

He added that the University of Samarra has always been and will continue to be eager to establish avenues of cooperation with media and academic entities to benefit the university’s students in this field. He commended the critical journalistic concerns addressed during the symposium, which he attended along with his assistant for scientific affairs, the Dean of the College of Arts, and a group of university faculty members and students.