ABU DHABI: Caroline Faraj, vice president and editor-in-chief of CNN Arabic, advocated for a more open-minded approach within the media, and for the creative autonomy of the next generation of professionals, as she emphasized the unifying power of the industry.
In an interview with Arab News on the sidelines of the Global Media Congress in Abu Dhabi this week, she also highlighted the influential role of youth in shaping the modern media landscape, and the strides being taken by women in the industry.
“This is a very good opportunity for all media people to come from all over the world and gather here and speak one language, which is media,” she said of this week’s event in the Emirati capital.
It serves a crucial purpose in bringing together specialists to focus on truth and the common goals of the media, Faraj added, as she stressed the value of shared objectives irrespective of linguistic or organizational differences.
“Whether you speak the language of another network or entity or not, you have the same goal in front of you,” she said.

Welcoming the participation of youth, she said the event provides young people with a platform for expressing their ideas, as well as valuable opportunities for cross-generational learning.

Internationally recognized for her own contributions to the empowerment of women and youth, Faraj shared some insights into effective initiatives she has spearheaded.
Reflecting on CNN Arabic’s 20th anniversary last year, she highlighted the decision to celebrate the landmark in a meaningful way by focusing on equipping young Arab women with the tools to tell their stories. The “Her Story” project, for example, involved collaborations with nongovernmental organizations dedicated to helping Arab women and youth.
“We trained them how to tell their stories with the storytelling pillars, and we kept helping, supporting and advising them until they produced their stories,” Faraj explained.
While acknowledging the representation of women in the media industry in the Arab world has come a long way in recent years, she said there is still a lot of work to be done.
She contended that the adoption of an open-minded approach, and respect for the creative autonomy of the next generation, will be crucial for future leaders in the industry.
“In the Arab world, 70 percent of the population is under the age of 30,” Faraj said. “They are the ones who should be taking the decisions.”
Making mistakes is part of the journey, she said, adding: “They should learn from their mistakes but they should continue because that would definitely change the whole map of the media.”
The Global Media Congress began on Tuesday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center and concludes on Thursday.