MEDIA MARKET DATA - World Association of Newspapers

Morocco – JordanThe Jordanian Ambassador to Morocco, Nabil al Sherif, has affirmed that “print media willdisappear in the era of electronic ones,” adding that European papers have already reduced thenumber of their pages because of the flow of electronic news websites. The Jordanianambassador to Morocco, Nabil al Sherif, said that print media may face extinction. Nabil alSherif, who gave last week a lecture in the Casablanca-based Sapress, an Arab Africancompany of distribution, briefed the audience on the role of the newspapers in disseminatinginformation, stressing that the publication of print media may disappear in these coming yearsbecause of the assault of the electronic news sites. The meeting saw the ambassador meetjournalists, professors in the field and students of the Higher Journalism Institute. It was anopportunity for the diplomat, who was himself a journalist, to share his fears concerning thefuture of the print press with future journalists, urging them to go along with the changesimposed by the technological development in the field. The ambassador summerised hisdoubts and fears in one question: “Is print press in extinction? He affirmed that print papersare disappearing because of internet, stating that in the era of fast food and McDonaldizationof the world, people no longer have time to read long articles. “Many European papers havebeen turned into tabloids because people are not eager to read a lot of pages,” said al Sherif.He added that “thanks to the internet, every citizen has from now on the ability to have hisown website. He can write articles, inform and analyze like any journalist. Everyone can be ajournalist.” “Citizens are no longer receptive, they have the ability to own online papers andto intervene in the subject and give their opinion,” added al Sherif. The Jordanian ambassadorsaid that many print papers have shifted to electronic ones, giving as an example theremarkable success achieved by a Korean electronic paper, which has two million readers, 50specialized journalists and 30,000 citizens contributing to the articles. Al Sherif enumeratedthe advantages provided by the new technology, including news on Yahoo and Google, newson the mobile phone, blackberry service, saying that “people are no longer looking for news;news is coming to them.” During the lecture, the ambassador did not stop stressing that thefuture is in the electronic papers and not in the print ones. He stated the example of the SanFrancisco Chronicle, a California-based paper, which has said that it may give up printingbecause readers accede to the paper's website more than the printed version. In this context, alSherif affirmed that youth seek an easy way to read. “News on the internet is easily andquickly updated,” said the ambassador. “Thanks to the ability to know how many readers readthe article, the electronic paper is able to adapt their articles according to readers' needs,” headded. The ambassador concluded his lecture by stressing the necessity for printed papers toprogress in order to face the future challenges. He also added that changes will not touch thecontent but only the way of expression. “Internet is a danger but also an opportunity topromote the printed press. It is a call to change and promote,” he said, adding that stagnationleads to extinction. Jordan's Ambassador to Morocco, Nabil Charif, was Jordan's formerminister of communication. He was editor-in-chief of Jordan's oldest Arabic daily newspaper“Adustour”. He participated in a number of international conferences as a representative ofthe Arab press. He was also the only Arab board member of the Paris-based “World EditorsForum”. Charif is also a regular columnist in Arabic and English and author of several booksin media studies and literature, and host of Jordanian TV programme “Face to Face”.http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.asp?idr=11&id=13098; February 24, 2006How to… / Basics of ManagementArab WorldThe World Association of Newspapers is launching a unique media development programmein the Arab world in which selected newspapers will work together to share new commercial62