Media Center: Living With Social Media
The Media Center organized the Legal Responsibility in Social Media Workshop on Sunday the 19th of Safar. Advisor to the Rector, Head of the Information and Communication Department, Afaq Newspaper Supervisor, Dr. Ali Bin Shuwail Al-Qarni, delivered the first part of the workshop which discussed the emergence of the internet in our lives and the developments we can reasonably expect in the foreseeable future. He explained social network related concepts, social media platforms, and the impact they have on our daily lives.
Dr. Ali bin Shuwail Al-Qarni pointed out that the new media is much differently organized than legacy media. In days gone by, media was in the control of a handful of journalists, content developers, and their staff members. Media and news sources were highly centralized and managed by just a few media executives. The new media however, especially by way of social media, is highly decentralized. There is a plethora of content creators. While there are still professional journalists, semi-professional and amateur journalists are creating content for public consumption. “Because of the diversity available on the internet, not all of the content available is trustworthy. Some news and information can be misleading or even completely false. In order to ensure that the public is well informed, news sources must be verified and validated on an ongoing basis,” he said.
Jurisprudence Department Head, Dr. Mohammed bin Ali Al-Qarni, explained the legal ramifications of social networks. Dr. Al-Qarni presented three primary recommendations/considerations for the Media Center: (i) The importance of legal awareness among media consumers, (ii) Issuance of written legal guidance for the Media Center, and (iii) The appointment of a research chair that holds regular training sessions focusing on the ethics of media and journalism.
At the end of the workshop, Media Center General Supervisor, Dr. Mofleh Al-Qahtani, presented recognition plaques to the workshop participants in appreciation for their efforts and making the workshop a success. Dr. Al-Qahtani also recognized and thanked the large number attendees including media supervisors, public speakers, and representatives of government and private industry.
