CNN Academy director on first breaking-news simulation and future of journalism in a tech-driven world

CNN Academy director on first breaking-news simulation and future of journalism in a tech-driven world
CNN Academy simulation week group
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Updated 29 December 2022

CNN Academy director on first breaking-news simulation and future of journalism in a tech-driven world

CNN Academy director on first breaking-news simulation and future of journalism in a tech-driven world
  • The simulation saw 88 students from the network’s various academy programs participate to refine and use their skills at the twofour54 Yas Creative Hub in Abu Dhabi
  • Participants worked in teams to explore a fictional scenario that allowed them to act as reporters, news writers and content producers

DUBAI: Earlier this month, CNN added a simulation to its academy training program for the first time.
Held over five days, the simulation saw 88 students from the network’s various academy programs participate to refine and use their skills at the twofour54 Yas Creative Hub in Abu Dhabi.
Arab News spoke to CNN Academy director Alireza Hajihosseini to learn more about the initiative and how this and other CNN Academy programs are designed to prepare students for journalism in an increasingly tech-driven environment.
“At CNN Academy, we’re always thinking of new ways to enable our students to apply the journalism skills we empower them within a real-life setting,” Hajihosseini said.




Alireza Hajihosseini CNN Academy Director. (Supplied)


In the past, the academy has sent out students with CNN photojournalists to shoot and edit a story or allowed a select few to shadow CNN teams as they put a news broadcast together.
“This year, we wanted to take that experience one step further and tapped into CNN’s legacy of innovation to create an industry-first opportunity that allows every single one of our program participants to refine and test their skills as journalists and storytellers,” he said.
During the five days, participants worked in teams to explore a fictional scenario that allowed them to act as reporters, news writers and content producers.
They were required to verify sources, attend mock press conferences, conduct mock interviews, respond to email updates, and decipher documents.

There were multiple factors to be considered when designing the fictional simulation to ensure that the scenario “was rich enough and complex enough to provide participants with multiple alternative angles they could pursue,” Hajihosseini said.




CNN Academy Logo. (Supplied)

It was also critical that the mock press conferences, interviews, etc were inter-connected to fill out the story as it developed.
“Above all, we had to recreate the pressures of a real-life breaking news environment while building in ethical and storytelling challenges with the narrative to achieve our pedagogical objectives,” he said.
To ensure this, CNN journalists partnered with Prof. Rex Brynen, from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and Jim Wallman, director of game design company Stone Paper Scissors.
Both are “thought leaders in their field and have worked with global organizations and governments across the world to design and deliver simulations that help players map out strategies and get a real-life sense of the impact of their decision-making,” Hajihosseini said.
But for him, there was also a personal reason, having studied at McGill University where he took some of Brynen’s courses. He remembers one in particular, peacebuilding simulation, which was one of the “most memorable and intense learning experiences” of his academic career.
“So, when we started thinking about designing an industry-first journalism simulation I knew I had to reach out to Rex and see if we could collaborate together, as I wanted to recreate that experience for CNN Academy participants,” he said.
The program is aimed at helping students walk away with journalism as well as life experiences, but also developing soft skills that only come with experience. The best-performing teams, said Hajihosseini, weren’t necessarily the ones with the sharpest journalistic members, but they “knew how to read an interviewee and the way in which they should conduct themselves in the field or in a press conference to unlock more information.”




CNN Academy simulation week masterclass. (Supplied)


“Those are skills that you can only pick up when you do something and cannot be developed by simply sitting in a workshop or in a lecture theater,” he said.
Participants also had to navigate a custom-made social media platform, which was updated throughout and included evidence, bots, decoys and news.
Hajihosseini explained: “When news breaks today, it often breaks on social media and platforms like Twitter. So, we wanted to recreate a platform that emulates that, and which combines text and multimedia content.”
Prior to the simulation, CNN had created fictional characters on its social media platform, with backstories and a pre-set series of posts. Some of these were helpful to the overall scenario and some were just noise.
The platform also featured accounts for the role players the participants met in real-life as well as troll accounts that were designed to flood the space with noise in a breaking news setting.
“Throughout the five days, the social media (platform) was updated with pre-written posts as well as posts that we wrote and content we produced to feed the scenario as it developed,” he said.




CNN Academy simulation group working. (Supplied)


The inclusion of the custom social media platform is critical at a time when social media is the primary news source for many people.
“The past 15 years have seen a profound change in the way newsrooms operate, and social media has played a central role in that,” Hajihosseini said.
Much has changed in that period, from the rise of citizen journalism to the establishment of social discovery teams, to forensic open-source analysis that plays a key role in many investigations now, he said.
What has not changed is the need for accuracy, especially when social media is pervaded by false news and misinformation.
False or misleading stories have become “an enormously problematic aspect of not only the media but also society in general,” which is worsened by the social media platforms encouraging the spread of such stories and creating echo chambers, Hajihosseini said.
“The difficulty in this area for journalists and news organizations is not only to push back on these false narratives, but also to break through to people who receive their news from unreliable or deliberately misleading sources,” he said.
“Fake news,” on the other hand, is used by certain people or organizations, particularly governments and politicians, to try and discredit reporting that is true but which they don’t like, Hajihosseini said.
“This is particularly dangerous and challenging; it undermines the vitally important role of journalism in holding the powerful to account and can even present safety issues for journalists who are going about important work legitimately,” he said.
His vision for CNN Academy is to help “seed professional skills and ethics in more new journalists, all of whom we hope will ultimately help to address this issue in the real world.”
 


NEOM, Telfaz11 sign deal to produce 9 film, TV projects

NEOM, Telfaz11 sign deal to produce 9 film, TV projects
Updated 02 June 2023

NEOM, Telfaz11 sign deal to produce 9 film, TV projects

NEOM, Telfaz11 sign deal to produce 9 film, TV projects
  • 2 movies, TV series already in development, partners say
  • Telfaz11 to open offices at NEOM media hub this year

LONDON: The Kingdom’s media production hub NEOM has signed a deal with studio Telfaz11 to cooperate on at least nine TV and film productions over the next three years.

Two movies and one TV series are already in development, the two sides said after the deal was agreed on Thursday.

Wayne Borg, managing director of media industries, entertainment and culture at NEOM, said: “Our mission is to create a new world-class media hub at NEOM, one that supports the region’s industry to compete and succeed globally.

“This partnership with Telfaz11 complements and accelerates. This partnership, coupled with our evolving infrastructure, crew depth, industry learning programs, and highly competitive incentive scheme shows we are well on our way to achieving these goals.”

Telfaz11’s CEO Alaa Faden said: “We couldn’t be more honored to be at the center of NEOM’s next generation media and entertainment ecosystem.

“Telfaz11 has consistently operated on the leading edge of innovation, from launching the first Netflix partnership in the region to leveraging our powerful social media presence. And this new partnership with NEOM is yet another milestone in that effort.”

As part of the new deal, Telfaz11 will also open offices at NEOM later this year.

One of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 megaprojects, NEOM is a high-tech smart city and global media hub. More than 30 productions have been shot there over the past 18 months, including “Desert Warrior,” “Dunki” and “Rise of the Witches.”


Etisalat removes beIN channels from eLife TV

Etisalat removes beIN channels from eLife TV
Updated 02 June 2023

Etisalat removes beIN channels from eLife TV

Etisalat removes beIN channels from eLife TV
  • Du expected to continue to broadcast beIN until at least end of month
  • BeIN, however, said the partnership ended because the two companies could not reach an agreement

DUBAI: UAE-based Etisalat has removed Qatar’s beIN channels from its platform. The move came into play on Thursday.
“While beIN content will no longer be available on eLife TV, we will continue to invest in sports content to deliver to our customers an extensive range of popular sports both directly and via our partners,” Etisalat said.
BeIN, however, said the partnership ended because the two companies could not reach an agreement.
“After lengthy discussions where beIN has tirelessly sought to extend our decade-long partnership with Etisalat, we are disappointed not to be able to renew this relationship at this time,” it said.
BeIN holds the regional rights for the English Premier League and other major sports events, including last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Etisalat and du, also based in the UAE, are the two major broadcasters showing beIN channels. According to local media reports, du said it would continue to air beIN channels but could not confirm if they would be available after July 1.


EU envoy to Gulf has Twitter account suspended within 24 hours

EU envoy to Gulf has Twitter account suspended within 24 hours
Updated 02 June 2023

EU envoy to Gulf has Twitter account suspended within 24 hours

EU envoy to Gulf has Twitter account suspended within 24 hours
  • Luigi Di Maio’s official feed said to have violated platform rules

LONDON: The new EU Special Representative for the Gulf had his official Twitter account suspended within 24 hours of its creation for what the platform said was a violation of its rules.

It remains unclear what rules Luigi Di Maio’s profile broke, just a day after it was created by the former Italian Foreign Minister created to share updates on his new role.

The suspension was lifted within hours.

Di Maio launched the institutional account — @EUSR_Gulf — on June 1, coinciding with his official start. He shared his enthusiasm for the new role in a tweet published in Arabic, Persian, English and Italian.

“First day in office as the EU Special Representative for the Gulf. Ready and fully committed to engaging with the member states and institutions of the EU, as well as each of our partners in the region,” he said in the post.

“There is so much at stake and so much to be done through genuine dialogue and mutual respect. For our common security and prosperity.”

However, before a second tweet could be shared, Twitter suspended the account. 

Di Maio’s new role represents a fresh start after he left Five Star following setbacks in last year’s Italian elections.

His appointment was however criticized at home and in Europe due to a series of faux pas he made while foreign minister.

In 2019, he caused the first diplomatic crisis between Italy and France since World War Two, leading to the withdrawal of the French ambassador from Rome, after he publicly supported the Yellow vests movement as members were demolishing the entrance of a government building in Paris.

He had previously stated that Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was Venezuelan and that Russia was a country in the Mediterranean.


Ben Roberts-Smith resigns from Seven after losing war crimes defamation case

Ben Roberts-Smith resigns from Seven after losing war crimes defamation case
Updated 02 June 2023

Ben Roberts-Smith resigns from Seven after losing war crimes defamation case

Ben Roberts-Smith resigns from Seven after losing war crimes defamation case
  • Judge found that allegations against Australian top soldier who committed war crimes in Afghanistan were ‘substantially true’
  • Roberts-Smith was appointed general manager of network in 2015

LONDON: Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith resigned as vice president of Seven West Media a day after losing a defamation court battle related to war crimes during his service in Afghanistan, The Guardian reported.

The ruling came about in a civil case where multiple newspapers defended a defamation lawsuit brought by Roberts-Smith, asserting that their reporting on the former soldier was accurate.

On Friday, Seven’s Managing Director and CEO James Warburton informed staff that Roberts-Smith had submitted his resignation.

In an email seen by Guardian Australia, Warburton stated: “As you’re all aware, the judgment in the defamation case was handed down yesterday.

“Ben has been on leave whilst the case was running, and today has offered his resignation, which we have accepted. We thank Ben for his commitment to Seven and wish him all the best.”

Roberts-Smith took a leave of absence from his Queensland position in 2021 to concentrate on the high-profile trial, backed financially and publicly by Kerry Stokes, the billionaire chairman of Seven who appointed Roberts-Smith general manager of Seven Queensland in 2015.

“The judgment does not accord with the man I know,” Stokes said after the verdict.

“I know this will be particularly hard for Ben, who has always maintained his innocence.”

In a groundbreaking civil trial that marked the first time a court examined allegations of war crimes by Australian forces, the judge found four out of six murder accusations were “substantially true,” despite Roberts-Smith’s denial.

The allegations consist of handcuffing and torturing civilians, ordering initiation murders for new soldiers, and shooting a Taliban fighter over 10 times in the back, taking his prosthetic leg as a trophy, and repurposing it as a drinking vessel.

The court also determined that allegations against the most decorated living Australian soldier, including the unlawful assault of captives and bullying of fellow soldiers, were true.

Roberts-Smith, who left the Australian Defence Force in 2013, has not been charged with any of the alleged war crimes in a criminal court, where the burden of proof is higher.

After the decision, a Taliban spokesman pointed to the case as evidence of the “uncountable crimes” committed by foreign forces in Afghanistan. However, they expressed skepticism about the global justice system’s ability to address these issues.

Australian troops were deployed to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, spanning two decades of conflict. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles declined to comment on the case, saying it was a civil matter.


MIT Sloan Management Review to launch MidEast edition

MIT Sloan Management Review to launch MidEast edition
Updated 02 June 2023

MIT Sloan Management Review to launch MidEast edition

MIT Sloan Management Review to launch MidEast edition
  • The regional edition will be published by Vibe Media Group

DUBAI: MIT Sloan Management Review has announced the regional edition of the online and print magazine in partnership with local media company Vibe Media Group, which publishes titles like Fast Company.

“ICT investments in the Middle East are projected to grow almost 4 percent annually to surpass $230 billion in 2023,” Ravi Raman, publisher of Vibe Media Group, told Arab News.

“We see MIT Sloan Management with its authoritative content on managing technology to aid leaders understand and harness the potential,” he added.

Published in English only, the regional edition will cover business and tech strategy topics, organizational culture, innovation, and digital transformation, continued Raman.

Many publications around the world have cut down their print issues as the medium struggles to survive in a digital-led world. MIT Sloan Management Review will, therefore, be digital-first with quarterly print editions, which Raman believes will have “relevance” since the magazine is a “tech journal with excellent reference value.”

Major economies in the region, like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are heavily investing in technology and related fields, which is having “a strong trickle-down effect,” he said.

“Investments in technology are no longer departmental decisions; they are now strategic, impacting the business’ very existence and survival,” he added.

As technology pervades all areas of life and business, leaders need to be well adept at “understanding how technology fits in with their overall goals, and one of the unique features of MIT Sloan Management Review is its focus on bridging the gap between theory and practice,” Raman said.

In addition to digital and print content, the new magazine will hold its NextTech summit this September focused on new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence, digital currencies and the virtual world.

The editorial team is led by Raman and Pamella Ann De Leon, based in Dubai, UAE, who will serve as the editor, and will include correspondents who are based in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt.

The launch will be celebrated at a thought leadership event on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 6.