TV presenters told to use fame for addressing social issues

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The celebrity status, fame and fan following of TV presenters should be better utilised to espouse social causes rather than promoting themselves and brands on social media, delegates of Arab Media Forum said.

Speaking at a session titled ‘Fame and Celebrity in the New Media Age’ on the concluding day of the 18^th Arab Media Forum in Dubai on Thursday, three celebrity presenters, Rabia Zayyat, Noura Abdullah and Heba Al Abasiry, shared their differing views on the issue of how fashionistas and celebrities use their status as a marketing tool to promote themselves and products.

The general view was that TV presenters use their fame and stardom as a marketing tool to promote themselves or some brands, which should be discouraged.

Moderator Neshan Der Haroutiounian, who himself is a popular presenter, set the tone by saying the radio ‘generation’ criticises the print media generation, which in turn criticises the new media generation.

“A star is someone who is famous, the real star is someone who gives good content and the sad fact is that most of them do not give anything worthwhile. They present trivial issues and highlight trivial activities of people, either ignoring the real issues or not understanding real issues,” said Heba, adding that fashionistas use their fame as a marketing tool.

“We rarely see famous people using the social media to promote products such as vitamins, etc. but they have a lot of social responsibility.”

Rabia said there are many who are doing social work, but with attractive make-up to prop up their image, to which Heba responded that the idea of perfection is not a bad idea.

Heba said that social media influencers, all over the world, have something to say and discuss. They should be people of substance and not beauty. The famous should share value, not style, be inspirational to the new generation.

The panel was posed a question on celebrities buying followers on social media to show their popularity and acceptability. Heba said: “Stupid people resort to such tactics, they can buy followers, but that’s a bubble. It’s all about honesty and credibility.”

Rabia said: “We often see some of them having followers from far away places. The fact is that they invest in them.” Noura countered it saying what she shares are her episodes, but not personal stuff.

Channels steal or poach presenters from their competitors, not knowing that most of the large following is not natural, but the number of followers is an indication of fame.

Rabia said: “I don’t buy followers. Fame should come from real quality or talent and not because of tips on fashion.”

Noura suggested that fame should be used to support social causes. “Deliver positive messages, espouse issues affecting suffering people and find real fame, rather than basking on beauty and fame.”

All the panelists agreed that social media influencers should ‘export’ positive energy and reporters should cover news, and not be in the news themselves. “It is important to be responsible and content is important.”

-Ends-

About Arab Media Forum (AMF)

The Middle East’s most prominent media event, the Arab Media Forum (AMF) is a platform designed to enrich dialogue, exchange ideas and attract attention to the reality and future of media industry in the region. AMF strives to trigger a change in the Arab media and call for a requisite redefinition of content and substance.

Since its inception in 2001 under the patronage of Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Press Club has been responsible for organizing the Arab Media Forum. The Forum has consistently strived to facilitate in-depth debates and exchange of ideas on the regional media. Since its first edition, the annual event has successfully attracted exceptional media experts from across the region and the world, in addition to politicians and academia.  AMF platforms have also played vital roles in opening up channels of communication between Arab media professionals and their global peers. The Arab Media Forum is regarded as a much-awaited calendar event by high-caliber professionals including editors-in-chiefs, directors of TV and broadcasting channels, columnists, analysts and commentators, as well as academic professors and media students. For more information, pls. visit www.arabmediaform.ae/en 

About Dubai Press Club (DPC)

Established in 1999 under the patronage of Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Press Club (DPC) is a proactive platform for journalists and media professionals to debate and deliberate on various topics of different interests ranging from political, economic and society. Dubai Press Club plays a significant role in supporting and developing regional media industry by launching unique initiatives including the renowned Arab Media Forum (AMF), Arab Journalism Award (AJA) the promising Emirates Media Forum (EMF)  and Arab Social Media Influencers Summit (ASMIS).

Additionally, DPC’s busy agenda offers a variety of activities targeting different segments of the media community. DPC hosts and organizes workshops and seminars on issues affecting regional and international socio-political scenarios, as well as strategic communication, business, economy, education and technology. The club periodically invites high-profile speakers and senior delegates to interact with local media and newsmakers. DPC is an active producer and sponsor of specialised media research and studies that keep pace with the rapid changes in the media industry. For more information, pls. visit http://www.dpc.org.ae 

© Press Release 2019