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20 Jun 2016
Arab media and production specialists in children’s programs and literature gathered at Jordan Media Institute (JMI) to discuss ways to serve the interests of Arab child audiences.<br />
The two-day meeting, organized by the University of Westminster’s Arab Media Center (AMC), aimed at exploring opportunities for effective academic-practice management, reconciling audience experiences and production processes and optimizing relevant content for underserved audience groups. <br />
The 25 participants from Jordan, UAE, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Syria included diverse and innovative specialists in practice, advocacy and research in the fields of screen (TV and online) and non-screen (children’s literature, illustration and performance), media advocacy and education.<br />
They also discussed the findings of a study on the production, content and reception of screen media for Arabic-speaking children in the UK, UAE, Morocco, Palestine, and Lebanon. The research was conducted by a five-member team from the University of Westminster led by renowned Professor of Media Policy and Author, Naomi Sakr.<br />
In addition to identifying crucial constraints surrounding regulation and production processes, findings from textual and ethnographic audience research pointed to serious gaps in Arab children’s access to relevant screen media across demographic, socio-economic and contextual variables.<br />
The specialists were critical of the content on Arab television screens which they said failed to provide children with quality programs that entertain and educate them. They also highlighted the importance of theater, arts and music in developing children’s character, appreciation and their ability to express themselves.