Arab News launches 2020 vision, new identity at Arab Media Forum
Newspaper and website to be “The Voice of a Changing Region”; Former editor Khaled Almaeena honored by chairman of SRMG. Middle East’s largest English Language newspaper launches ambitious plan to expand its audience reach
Arab News has unveiled on April 4, 2018 a new identity and a “2020 vision” to cement its positioning as the leading Middle East English language daily.
The newspaper, which is based in Saudi Arabia with bureaus across the world, also has a new tagline: “The Voice of a Changing Region.”
The changes were unveiled at Arab News’ second International Media Gala held on the first day of the Arab Media Forum.
The new design — both in the printed newspaper and online at www.arabnews.com — reflects a new approach to stories that is better suited to the Internet age.
Stories will be supplemented with the contextual analysis and elegant graphics and background facts giving richness to the newspaper’s stories. Many now come in two forms; a full version, and a “speed read” that can be more easily digested. They are also accompanied by panels of instant facts and statistics that can be quickly and easily understood.
The changes were unveiled by Faisal J. Abbas, the editor in chief of Arab News, to a packed audience at The St. Regis Dubai hotel in Al Habtoor City.
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The newspaper, the Middle East’s leading English-language newspaper which is based in Saudi Arabia with bureaus across the world, also has a new tagline: “The Voice of a Changing Region.”
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Abbas used the speech to call on technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter and traditional news publishers to work together for the sake of combating fake news and preserving editorial integrity.
He said that this starts with the digital monetization model for media — and called for a fairer model for the content creators.
“Producing fake news is cheap, but producing quality, fact-checked, fair and balanced reporting is costly,” Abbas said.
“The only way forward is ensure sufficient monetization of our digital platforms. The truth is none of us are able to compete with the rates that the likes of Google, Facebook and Twitter themselves can offer — nor we can afford to cut down on quality at the expense of the truth.
“What I suggest is that it is time we all stood together and discuss a sustainable future which ensures fairer revenues from digital platforms, a future we can build together to protect us, our children and our children’s children from fake news.”
The International Media Gala also saw a special honorary trophy presented to former Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena, presented to him by Faisal Abbas on behalf of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al-Saud, chairman of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), the publisher of Arab News.
Mr. Al Maeena was also the winner of The international media gala second annual lifetime achievement award. This was presented to him by Mona al-Marri, the Director General of the Dubai Government Media Office, who was the guest of honor at the gala.
Khaled Almaeena served as editor in chief of Arab News twice — between 1982 and 1993, and again between 1998 and 2011 — and in November 2016 was given the honorary title of “editor emeritus.”
ABOUT ARAB NEWS
Established in 1975, Arab News is the Middle East’s leading English-language daily. As “The Voice of a Changing Region,” the newspaper is renowned for providing the Arab perspective on international affairs via its network of reporters, opinion writers and analysts. It is considered the newspaper of record on major Arab affairs for a large number of global media outlets, governments and academic institutions. The newspaper is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with a network on international bureaus. It can be read online at www.arabnews.com.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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