Sharjah: Deliberations are underway to select the winners of the Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA), which will be presented during the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), scheduled for September 26 to 27 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Recently a SGCA jury committee meeting was convened to discuss and analyse the entries received for the eighth edition of SGCA.
Winners of the award will be announced during the 10th edition of IGCF, held under the theme ‘Historic lessons, Future ambitions’. The event is organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau.
Qualitative nominations
The award has received 403 submissions for the eighth edition. Jurors shortlisted 212 nominees in the award’s 14 categories, including 38 entries from Sharjah, 145 from other emirates and a total of 29 entries from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, Pakistan, Kuwait, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, and other countries across the Gulf region.
Power of media
On the sidelines of the jury meeting, Ali Jaber, a member of the SGCA jury committee and director-general of MBC Group, said the media has the power to provoke wars or sustain peace. He added that the media is one of the fastest-evolving sec-tors and any organisation that does not keep pace is bound to fail.
Jaber, who also serves as Dean of Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Communication at the American University of Dubai, said: “The UAE, alongside New Zealand, were among the few countries who managed to communicate effectively with the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as a majority of [countries] revealed that they had problems with this type of communication. The UAE was able to reduce panic among its residents and encourage them to get vaccinated.”
Traits of media personalities
The characteristics of a media personality, Arabic online visual content platforms, as well as the impact of social media on youth, were among the topics discussed by the jury. “Successful media personalities must have charisma, as well as the time and the ability to express, understand and interact with their audience. These qualities, along with continuous research and updation of knowledge and expertise will keep them on the path of success and development,” said Jaber.
