Information power is Changing

By: Manal Abdullah

The biggest changing that we face today is our ability to get information and act towards these information.

Mazen Nahawi , Managing Director of Media Watch Middle East and SocialEze researcher said that in his speech to Zayed University students last Monday.

Mazen said that media in the past didn't tell the truth. Media hid the truth and told people that there is no problem, while there was a problem in a matter of fact. Media and governments did that probably because they are afraid of people’s reaction.

Mazen said that we Arabs are courageous and brave. However, we are afraid of impressments and humiliation. That’s why media hide the reality. In the past, we didn’t have the power of information which made us not know our own history.

“Today, young Arab generation have the power of knowledge, have the power of truth” Mazen said.

He said people knows their rights to information and they fight for it. Thanks to social media, the barriers are gone so, people came. Social media controls politics, family rights women rights and simply everything. Because the power is shifting to people.

AUDIO PODCAST CLICK HERE:      Mazen Nahawi Talk

Sultan Al Qassimi on the power of social media

By : Manal Abdullah
Sultan AlQassimi , the Emirati Columnist visited Zayed University last week to give a speech for communication students.
From his speech in Zayed University, Sultan AlQassimi pointed out the power of social media, and indicated that Social media is more powerful than CNN
More information with Manal Abdullah  CLICK HERE   sultan-VR


Sultan AlQassimi tweeted right after he left the university saying ” just left Zayed University where I spoke to the most challenging audience I ever addressed .This country is in good hands.”

Ahdeek - Zayed Radio

By Alia Humaid

 This year, the graduating class of 2011 came up with very creative capstone projects. We all know that Ahdeek means “I greet you”, but Hessa Ahmed bin Hareb, took Ahdeek to a new level. Her capstone project consists of a recently designed line of cultural and traditional greeting cards. Ahdeek was launched in the presence of Dr. Suliman Al Jassim and faculty from the communication college, last week at Dubai Community Theater and Arts Center.

Alia Humaid has more details about the event….

On-behalf of Zayed Radio we would like to Congratulations the class of 2011....and wish them all the best.

To be active leader … communicate: ZU radio cut

By Hanan Mohammed

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, UAE columnist talked at conference of celebrating 100 years of women’s leadership, which was in Beach Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

Interview with Sultan Sooud about his advices to Zayed University students to be a good leadership (ZU student Radio_  17_ 21 April, 2011)

http://inside.zu.ac.ae/studentpress/2011/04/18/zu-student-radio-broadcast-17-21-april-2011/

ZU students can be a good leader in future and they have a chance.

Creativity, ideal and passion lead to success ( voice report)

By Hanan Mohammed

CCMS students visited the Ogilvy company in Wednesday . First of June. Tanya Dernaika, Group Head of Strategic Planning in Ogilvy said, we look for people who got things done and people who make sell for the company.

This is Hanan reporting about the event

Audio: 54 seconds
First words: Tanyan Dernaika
Last words : bigger than an ideal
Back announce: That was Hanan Mohammed on the Ogilvy company

Ogilvy is global, with 50  languages, 14,000 employers,  and many offices around the world.

Red lines are moral values ( voice report)

By Hanan Mohammed

George Kordahi, Anchor in MBC Group talked at Arab Medai Forum. He talked about, how the entertainment channels in the Middle East crossed the red lines, by offering content that directly conflicts with traditional community values and customs.

This is Hanan reporting about the event

Audio: 44 seconds
First words: George Kordahi

Last words : Arab Got Talent.

Back announce: That was Hanan Mohammed at Arab Medai Forum

The tenth edition of the Arab Media Forum exceeded 2,800 visitors, pegging an increase of 17 per cent from last year.

Media Revolution in the Arab World (Voice report)

By Hanan Mohammed
Nabil Al Katibe, executive editor in Al Arabiya News Channel talked at Arab Medai Forum, he talked about the role of traditional media such as television and newspapers and  how they  play the key role in the Arab World.

 

This is Hanan reporting about the event



Audio: 37 seconds
First words: Nabil Al Katibe
Last words : events and coverage
Back announce: That was Hanan Mohammed at Arab Medai Forum

Over 26,000 Media Enthusiasts Follow Two-day Proceedings of Arab Media Forum 2011.

Noura Al Kaabi advises students to be successful leaders

Noura AlKaabi

By: Manal Abdullah

Noura Al Kaabi , Head of Tawasol and Human Development twofour54, advised students who attended Women Leadership Conference in Abu Dhabi on how to deal with others in the work place. As a speaker in the celebration of 100 years of women’s Leadership, She asked them to stick to some major steps in order to be successful leaders.

First of all, she told them to be friendly and at least smile to create a friendly environment and make people feel comfortable in the work place. She added that the leader should be objective to a certain point but should remember that we are humans at the end of the day. She mentioned that the leader should keep talking to people and never stop communicating with employees saying “ pick the point, go to the office and talk , talk to people!”.

Noura Al Kaabi believes that family name is not powerful in media

Noura AlKaabi

By: Manal Abdullah

Noura Al Kaabi , Head of Tawasol and Human Development, twofour54, stated that family name don’t affect the person’s media career. She said that in Women Leadership Conference in Abu Dhabi, 8th of March-2011 under the celebration of 100 years of women’s Leadership.

Noura answered a Zayed University student question at the open discussion part about whether the family name plays a role in being in media especially in the Gulf region saying , “ I don’t understand how can a family name play a role with the person carrying it. It is always about the person itself”. She added that in the media “whatever you say and whatever you do counts on you. Revolutions started by just media .It is about the message we send to the world as we live in it not in one country”.

Ahmed Hassan’s movies have no goals, no messages!

By: Manal Abdullah

     Ahmed Hassan , the UAE national film director and the owner of Faradees Film Production Company assures that his short movies have no messages and no goals. The statement was announced at Zayed University where the young Emirati director was invited with some of his colleagues to give a lecture to ZU’s CCMS students, show some of his movies and have an open discussion with the students.

    After showing three films which were directed by Mr. Ahmed Hassan, the open discussion part started and the students started asking the film’s crew questions and share opinions with them. One of the students was wondering about the message behind these movies, when the director Ahmed Hassan indicated that his movies have no messages and no goals to reach saying :”There is no message behind my short movies”.

    Ahmed added that they are out there for people to guess the goal of the movie and get the message according to the way they percept the movie. It is all about tasting and feeling the movie.

Our Shiekhs are not our only role models.

Najla al Awadhi, retrieved from Google

By: Mariam Yousef

    Najla al Awadhi shocked a group of international women who attended the Women's Leadership conference at Abu Dhabi when she said "our sheiks are not our role models, please be real". But after few seconds she clarified  her opinion by indicating that the UAE sheiks did a great effort to be our models and we appreciate that “but" we need someone from the public.                             

     Najla talked after that how we as locals missing being models for others in the UAE society.  She  added that people should be more realistic in talking about their role models in their lives and not just using the common sentence we hear often that "our sheiks are our role models."

    Najla’s speech was credible by giving accurate percentages about women in the workplace with a sense of humor. The  audience was pleased especially women when she advised them to be  good role models for others in the society by making remarkable achievements that will be  remembered  by the next generations. 

The Orange Chase

By Futaim Bakhit Al Falasi

Students from ZU yesterday visited Memac Ogilvy one of the largest marketing communications networks in the world. Students got to know more about a fantastic case-The Fanta Case, and Ramzi Mourtan the creative director described it, "It's the first time in the world that coca cola have ever done a thing like this."

The Fanta Case started when the company received a piece of TV commercial from their office in London, "They said here is an ad make it work for your part of the world," said Ramzi. He added that "An ad doesn’t always help us, because people do not always watch TV, especially the young target audience".

Ramzi told the students "It's very difficult to get people to be engaged to the brand, and actually feel the brand and understand what you want to say." So he said that the agency took the ad from a TV commercial and understood the idea, then they re write the idea by doing a projection in Dubai mall.

In the projection, there were 5 to 6 companies involved, "it was a really logistical nightmare," said Ramzi.

The cost of the projection was a 130,000$. Around 9,000 to 10,000 people watched the show in Dubai Mall and we got more than 200,000 hits in YouTube.

"Facebook is becoming the number one choice for the youth brand marketing", said Ramzi. So, part of the plan was pushing everything to the Facebook game called – Fanta Chase. 

CNN Arabic consider what’s important to young generation

By Sara Abdulla

CNN for fact is turning to more social problems and thinking ahead to write more about lifestyle, fashion, celebrates heroes and sports, rather than just politics stories. For example, the story about the Egyptians who sell Falafel on the streets and doing interview with them rather than a billionaires and ask them if they can buy food for their families Caroline said. Caroline showed the Zayed University students around when they recently visited the CNN Arabic place and informed the student of what exactly they do.

CNN Arabia is now depending on social media and on what young generation posting on Twitter, FaceBook and YouTube and it is part of dealing with new era, where people start to look for news on website. Also where anyone can be a reporter but the CNN job to be accurate in the stories they post and most be confirmed. She also said, the CNN Arabic job is to gather information not only post them and do voice over and re-edit the story not translate them because that might confuse the audience and take what most important to Arab audience. Also they bring guest to interview them or go out and interview them.

One student ask, why there stories only about the Middle East? She answered people may not be interested in what happen in other countries but CNN Arabic take only stories that my change something in a region, for example, Obama making a military decision in something, so the CNN only take what is might be linked to Arab world.

Former FNC member starts the women’s leadership conference

 By: Fatma Bujsaim

Image: Najla Al Awadhi giving keynote speech

Former Federal National Council member, Najla Al Awadhi, gave the keynote address to the women’s leadership conference in the Rotana Beach Hotel.

Al Awadhi has stated, “While we are here to celebrate, we are doing ourselves and the future generation injustice”. She believes that even though Arab women have come a long way, they still have a longer way to go. The regions political participation of women is below 10%.

She also points out that the Arab world suffers a lack of education and has gender discrimination. Women are look at as inferior to men by both men and women in the society.

It is true that our society is not yet ready to see a woman leading them, but it is ready to see women in the work force and creating a difference.

Al Awadhi said we have a glass ceiling holding us back, “the glass ceiling that is difficult to break, the glass ceiling of our minds.” She also said that the answer to this problem is very simple and practical. It first starts at home; mothers raise their boys, so they should take the time to make them understand these gender issues.

Another solution would be civil society. “Each person is part of civil society,” she says. People should be good in their jobs for the sake of positive change.

Al Awadhi also stated that “social media changed the face of the Arab world”, people would be surprised at how much it changes and its effects. People should embrace the power of social media and use it to create change.

How advertising agencies works

By Sara Abdulla

From far it looks boring and it reminds people with what they see on TV with the consist ads, but ads agencies are where the “magic” happens, where creativity rise and attraction is their first goal. Memac Ogilvy was visited by Zayed University girls from Dubai campus yesterday, where the agency welcomed them with pleasure to show them around.

Tanya Dernaika, Group Head of Strategic Planning, introduced the company from the beginning with David Ogilvy who was famous in the 50s and the 60s, and he was one of the first pioneers to talk about brands what they means and make communication more exciting.

Dernaika said he is the legend in the world of advertising, and people still quote him these days. One of his quote is “ if each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, then we shall be the company of dwarfs, but if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants” saying that people are the asset of the company.

Dernaika also said, Ogilvy agency is really famous and one of the top five of advertising agencies in the world, and MEMAC stand for Middle East Marketing and Communication, and Dubai department is the Middle East arm, and it’s the biggest office in Arab world and with 180 people working in it.

The agency showed what is beyond the final products that what people normally see every day, Ramzi Moutran, Creative Director showed some interesting case studies like Fanta with game website, Volvo car seatbelts involved fashion with it and Breast Cancer, it started with one clothes store to reach out newspapers, spreading awareness about it.

Power of social media could save lives! (Extra)

By: Manal abdullah


Sultan AlQassimi at Zayed University



       Sultan alQassimi, the Emirati social commenter on Arab affairs, assured that social media is powerful and effective. During his speech last Monday at Zayed University to communication and media students , he mentioned a story of one of his Egyptian friends.

      His friend blamed him for tweeting news about Egypt during the protesting time thinking that this is going to make things worse in Egypt. However, he thanked him afterwards on Facebook for saving people’s lives. Because, the information power through Sultan saved Egyptians lives actually.

     People in Egypt were able to know the major events in their county and where the police are and where are the dangerous neighborhoods and avoid them . “This might have saved people from being hurt, this is the power of social media” Said Sultan

sultan-audio

Sultan Al Qassimi solutes all women

 By: Fatma Bujsaim

Image: far right, Sultan Al Qassemi speaking

I am here to salute every single woman that touched my life, beginning with my own grandmother, said Sultan Al Qassimi, a current affairs commentator, in the 100 years celebration of women and leadership conference. The event was organized by Mubadala and was held in Rotana Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

The conference, where Al Qassimi had been part of a panel discussion on communication, hosted a lot of big females names from the United Arab Emirates such as Najla Al Awadhi, former member of the Federal National Council and founder of Najla Al Awadhi consulting, and Noura Al Kaabi head of Tawasol in TwoFour54, and many more.

Sultan Al Qassimi, who is widely known for his efforts in continuously tweeting about the recent revolutions in the region, has emphasized on the importance of women in the society and the workforce itself. He believes that it is not a matter of gender, “we do suffer from some sort of superiority/inferiority” he said, “some men think they are better and that is not the case, some men are better and there are some women who are better”; it is a matter of the person itself and his own achievements, goals, and ambitions.

“When I tweeted yesterday I’d be speaking in this conference,” added Al Qassimi, “A lot of people replied with: but you’re not a woman. But that does not mean I am not part of this community; this is a community that is part of me and I am part of this community,” Al Qassimi also states that we need to “desegregate this isolation” between men and women in some sectors of society.

Al Qassimi also points out that women do have their rights in the United Arab Emirates but she could ask for more; she should ask for more. One of those rights Al Qassimi discussed is passing her citizenship to her children if she married a non-Emirati. The UAE law does not allow Emirati women to pass down her citizenship to her children if she marries non-Emirati, where as it allows Emirati men to freely do so. “You either take it away from both, or you give to both. The equality has to be demanded, not just by women, but by men as well.”

He also points out that the women leaders in the UAE such as our female ambassadors, judges, members of parliament, and ministers, now have a responsibility of carrying the torch and continue for the generation that will come after them. “They have to educate themselves, they have to empower themselves, and they have to stand up, because the generation that comes after them will question them just like your generation today is questioning the ones that came before you: what have you done for women?” states Al Qassimi.

The UAE current affairs commentator and columnist has ended with emphasizing the importance of education, documenting, and research, and the role women play in it. Women have the skills, and it is now time for them to use those skills in making a difference.

Audio: Quote from Sultan Al Qassemi

The Family name can't affect your success in the Media world.

By: Mariam Yousef

Noura Al Kaabi, retrieved from Google 

       Noura Al Kaabi, a Head in twofour54 company sent a message to the audience at Woman's Leadership Conference 2011 in Abu Dhabi saying that the success of a person in the media world is affected by the massage he or she carries with his or her beliefs, not by the family name. Al Kaabi had a negative attitude towards people who  treat others due to their family names especially in the media world.  She added that people are presenting themselves by their achievements in life and not by the last name they carry.

         Al Kaabi indicated that people can't be judged by their family names because at the end of the day all of us are not just belong to a society but we belong as well to  the same world. By these words Al Kaabi answered the question that had been asked by a student from Zayed University during the Conference. 

Passion &Communication are important keys of leadership

      

By Futaim Bakhit Al Falasi

To distinguish yourself as a leader you have to have Predictability, Consistency, Trust, Communication and Passion, said Kate O'Neill, a faculty member in college of business at Zayed University in the event of celebrating 100 years of women leadership.

"Don’t ask your employees or peers to do things you are not going to do yourself. Support your peers those who work for you and above you", said O'Neill. She mentioned that communication is very important and you should tell people what you are going to do, then do it. You have to ask questions and really listen to the answers.

O'Neill added, "To become a great leader, you have to have passion, love what you do. If you don’t love what you're doing, you shouldn’t be doing it". She said also, "Every leader should understand what her role is in the big picture, so that everyone can be passionate about their task, big or small."

English .. The Social Media’s dominant language during the Egypt revolution.

By: Mariam Yousef  

    Mazen Nahawi, the president of News Group at SocialEyes found that English was the dominant  language used to discuss the Egypt revolution in the social networks. He indicated that 38% of all conversations about the revolution was in English. This percentage was high comparing with the Arabic language used for the same purpose which was just 32% , although the revolution issue is happening in an Arabic country as Egypt.                                                      

By: Hanan Mohammed 

      Nahawi gave students at Zayed University an important fact about the language usage during the Egypt revolution. He figured out from his researches that 11% of all conversations in the social media was in Faresi. “ This shows that what happens in Cairo has an impact in Tahran,” Nawahi said.

     Nawahi’s figures come from his monitoring for all the social networks as Facebook, Twitter and google using a specific software to count and collect the needed conversations in the worldwide.

     Based on Nahawi’s research about the number of conversations made during the Egypt revolution, he found that the conversations doubled from 1.6 million to 3.3 million during one month only between January to February 2011.

Audio - Mazen Nawahi talking about the dominant language in the social media during the Egypt Revolution.

According To Sultan Al Qassimi: News Is Not News After 49 Minutes

By Shurouq Lashkri

Sultan Al Qassimi

Sultan Al Qassimi, an Emirati journalist who was involved in reporting news about the Egyptian revolution, was pleased to share his story and how he started writing about Egypt with ZU Dubai students.

As Mr. Al Qassimi loves shaking the boat and making news interesting, he dedicated himself to covering the news about the riot that was going on in Egypt. He started watching different news sources and reported on what was going on Twitter. That is when he realized that over 10,000 people have followed him on Twitter as they just “wanted news 49 second after it happens, not 49 minutes after it happens”. It is only then that he know the power of Twitter and what it can do.

He loved the rush that was happening and loved how hectic things were as he was thinking of what was happening all the time and he was really dedicated to delivering the news to people around the world as it happens. He liked the feeling to be part of this dynamic world where everyone wanted to know and he was helping people know what is happening right on the scene.

Mr. Al Qassimi was trying to deliver messages which were not reaching out to people as fast as he would hoped. He decided to help people know what was going on as he knew what if felt not knowing if your relatives or friends are doing good, or what was really happening on of the streets; as he had friends who were in the midst of it all.