MIDDLE EAST
02 NEWS
23 November 2008
MEDIA
New newsroom at Gulf News
Multimedia is being embraced at Gulf News with the restructuring of its newsroom, following UK lead
By CHARLIE NEYRA/News writer
competing with internet and satellite news
stations and cannot ignore that readers
DUBAI All change at Gulf News as the want news as it happens.”
various news teams are brought together The move mimics that made by The Daily
in one work space. The move will see Telegraph in 2006 when it integrated its
print and online journalists working side- news departments in order to stay ahead
by-side, which deputy managing editor of the shift away from print media. It was a
Muhammed Al Mezel tells Media Week is troubled development, but following recent
an evolution of the media company’s news headlines around the planet regarding
provision. declining newspaper sales, probably a
The change at the English-language prudent one.
broadsheet will integrate the news sections Al Mezel adds: “We did this in different
creating a multimedia newsroom. Further stages. The first stage was the ‘web first’
down the line radio will join them too. policy, in late 2006, which saw readers
According to Al Mezel, the plan is for respond by sending in material. It swamped
journalists to interact, deciding together the website with user-generated content.
where and how news is published. It will We are now in the next stage, integrating
also give readers more room to contribute our whole service.”
to the different outlets. Talking to Media Week with the sound of
Al Mezel says: “We are thinking up-to- work crews in the background, the deputy
date on news gathering and new publishing managing editor says it will be a matter of
to best use our resources and give the weeks before everything is in place with the
readers the news quickly and rapidly. We’re
Integrated Daily Telegraph newsroom
multimedia newsroom up and running.
PR partners for
The Middle East becomes embroiled in the Jacko story as he allegedly fails to Saudi business
see through an agreement to sing songs by Sheikh Abdullah of Bahrain
BAHRAIN Sheikh Abdullah Hamad deal struck between the pair,
Isa Khalifa, the second son of the king Jackson is said to have agreed to
of Bahrain, is suing Michael Jackson major recording obligations, an
for reneging on a contract to sing autobiography and a musical stage
songs penned by his own hand. play, along with other rights.
The singer allegedly accepted He admits he failed to meet
Active PR’s management team
$6.9 million in 2006, but has not any obligations the sheikh may
sung any of the royal’s tunes have expected, but insists there DUBAI Dubai-based PR agency, Active PR, has
since then, according to media was no legally valid agreement formed a partnership with MPR, one of the oldest
reports. Jackson says the money between them. agencies in Saudi Arabia. It was chosen because of its
was a gift and that he has no The hearing in London is local knowledge and contact base, according to Active
intention of paying any of it expected to enjoy a recording PR managing director Louay Al Samarrai.
back. of a song made by the two, He tells Media Week it took his company 18 months
The sheikh told the courtroom following the 2004 Indonesian to find the right partner. The deal will see Active PR have
that the money he spent supporting tsunami disaster. The prince’s “a chair and table in the corner of MPR’s offices” for
Jackson’s lavish lifestyle, including lawyer claims it shows “the quality of an Active PR exec to use on weekly visits. Al Samarrai
his child molestation case, was purely Sheikh Abdullah’s song writing skills adds: “MPR provides an on-the-ground extension to
an advance. He said: “I would never and that of Mr.Jackson’s voice”. The Active as part of our network. We can handle a lot from
pay anybody millions of dollars for a contract but later refused to work on pair were also set to work on a song here, but we felt there were two markets we needed
nothing in return.” He claims the near the projects. for the Katrina hurricane victims. a presence in—Egypt and KSA. We have an office in
bankrupt 50-year-old pop star signed Under the terms of the supposed The hearing continues. Cairo, so KSA was next.”
EPP awarded, twice
AMG doesn’t believe all it reads
DUBAI Emirates Printing
DUBAI AMG CEO Abdullatif Al Sayegh
Press (EPP), a Dubai-
tells Media Week he is not prepared to shut
based printing house, has
down Emarat Al Youm, the AMG Arabic
won two Sappi European
daily, based on newspaper reports. Rival
Printer of the Year Awards
Arabic-language daily Al Ittihad reported
at a ceremony held in
on Wednesday that the AMG title has been
Hamburg, Germany. EPP
banned from publishing for 20 days, and
CEO Mohamed Al Shirawi
that the paper’s editor-in-chief and Al
took home silver in the
Sayegh had been fined Dhs 20,000 each, a
brochure category and
supposed punishment for printing a story
bronze in the magazine
on horse-doping in 2006.
category.
Al Sayegh does confirm his lawyers have
The win is a coup for
been trying to discover the results of a hearing
EPP as the only Middle
on Tuesday, November 18, related to the story.
East printer nominated for the awards. It is the largest printer
He says he has been told of no ruling, as of
of magazines, books, catalogues, brochures, annual reports
press time, so will not base any decision on
and directories in the UAE (including Media Week). It prints
Al Ittihad’s report. The unruffled AMG chief
in excess of 200 million pages per month.
clearly states he will continue publishing.
www.mediaweekme.com
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