Discussion Panel at DIBF Discusses Role of Digital Platforms in Encouraging Reading

Doha: The Qatari Media Centre of the Ministry of Culture organized a panel of discussion on the role of digital media in encouraging youth to read at the cultural salon of the 33rd Doha International Book Fair (DIBF). Journalist Dr. Abdullah Faraj, linguist Dr. Ahmed Al Janabi, and Assistant Professor of Broadcast and Digital Journalism at Qatar University Dr. Mohsen Al Afranji participated in the discussion panel. Dr. Abdullah Faraj addressed the importance of reading in preparing new youth. He also discussed the reasons behind abandoning the paper book in this era and its impact on the current generation. He said that the media, particularly digital media, can contribute to creating a reading generation, given its capabilities, as well as its widespread use by new generations. Dr. Ahmed Al Janabi dealt with the need for educators, intellectuals, and content makers to have many skills that can help form the appropriate conditions to create a generation linked to reading. He pointed to the possibility of benefiting from digital development in directing young people toward reading despite the dominance of different types of content provided through those platforms. Dr. Mohsen Al Afranji emphasized that the media, through the various means it provides, still has an influence on society and its leadership, indicating that the relationship between the media and reading is a complementary relationship, explaining how the media has contributed to shaping societies. Al Afranji also discussed the characteristics of digital media that qualify it to play a major role in directing young people toward reading, urging publishing houses to take advantage of the characteristics of digital media to disseminate cognitive content. On the other hand, as part of the activities accompanying the DIBF, a workshop on effective communication skills was presented by trainer Manar Al Kahlot. The workshop focused on effective communication skills as an important skill at the present time and how essential it is for the individual to possess it, especially since there are some people who may face problems when communicating with others. Manar Al Kahlot said that the current generations need to have these skills in light of the continuous developments that life is witnessing around us, especially at the technological level. She stressed that they are skills that do not stop at a certain age, but rather that people continue to acquire them for life, explaining that one of the important skills is training and development. She added that the workshop focused on the different types of effective communication, including written communication and visual communication in particular, which are used and dealt with on a daily basis in our lives. Doha International Book Fair is held this year under the theme "Knowledge Builds Civilizations," at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) with the participation of 515 publishers from 42 Arab and foreign countries. Source: Qatar News Agency