Organizing a Training Session with the Tunisian Blog Expert Sami Bin Gharbieh
On June 29th 2010, in cooperation with the Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) and the Department of Journalism and Mass Media, the University organized a training session with the Tunisian blogger, Smai Bin Gharbieh, who works for the Global Voice organization; an international community of bloggers who report on blogs and citizen media. A number of professors and students from the Journalism Department attended the meeting.
Discussions were raised between the participants and Mr. Gharbieh on topics related to blogs, citizen media, and transforming blogs into a tool that can influence the society and the decision makers through the use of modern technology. Mr. Gharbieh also presented a number of electronic models of blogs that included topics that attracted the public opinion across the world and triggered a lot of debates around several issues.
Mr. Gharbieh, as an international expert in the field of blogs, has been nominated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to provide training for Palestinian students in the field of blogs and blogging in particular regards to its importance, especially in the modern time of telecommunication and communication revolution.
Blogs have become a very important tool that people around the world use to discuss many issues and have arguments about sensitive topics that are not likely to be covered by traditional media. It is a way to express one's opinions regarding issues that are of great concern for the public such as social problems and crises.
Mr. Gharbieh further spoke about the obstacles and challenges that hinder work in blogs such as governmental control, language barrier, blocking and others which make it difficult for many people to express their views and discuss issues freely without the watching eye of the governments.
The aim of the meeting was to educate students about the advantages of blogging and how it can help people communicate and discuss many issues that interest them which are not usually covered by traditional media.
