On Day 2 of the Arab Media Summit, a session titled \u201cArab Media in Foreign Languages\u201d, held as part of the Arab Media Forum 2025, explored pressing questions around narrative ownership, editorial integrity, and the evolving role of Arab media professionals in a multilingual, AI-driven world.
\nFrom navigating algorithms to maintaining context in translation, speakers shed light on how Arab journalists are not only telling their own stories\u2014but doing so with authority, precision, and impact across global platforms.
\nModerated by Yousef Abdul Bari, TV Presenter at Dubai Media Incorporated, the session featured Caroline Faraj, Vice President of CNN Arabic Services; Maha Eldahan, Gulf Bureau Chief at Reuters; and Faisal Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News.
\nSpeakers agreed that Arab media working in foreign languages is not about simplification or literal translation. It\u2019s about conveying the region\u2019s reality through informed, professional voices who understand its context and complexities.
\nAddressing the question of whether Arab stories lose their essence when told in foreign languages or risk being reshaped or diluted to fit global expectations, Faraj said, \u201cTruth does not change with language. When it\u2019s conveyed by those who know the region\u2014its people, its context, its challenges\u2014it retains its integrity, whether in Arabic, English, or French. We bring nuance and lived experience to global audiences. We no longer need outsiders to interpret our stories; we are fully capable of telling them ourselves\u2014accurately and authentically.\u201d
\nThe speakers agreed that preserving authenticity, truth, and a human editorial lens remains central. \u201cLanguage doesn\u2019t dilute truth\u2014when the story is told by those who understand it deeply, its essence is preserved,\u201d Faraj noted.
\nFaisal Abbas spoke about the shifting dynamics of editorial control in an era dominated by algorithms. \u201cIf content is king, then context is queen\u2014and algorithms are the palace floor,\u201d he said. \u201cAlgorithms don\u2019t tell the story, but they help deliver it. Mastering them today is like mastering newspaper distribution in the past.\u201d He noted that media professionals must now understand how platform-driven visibility works in order to preserve both reach and relevance.
\nHe also reflected on Arab News\u2019 multilingual editions\u2014in French, Japanese, and Urdu\u2014as examples of successful editorial models built on collaborative integration. \u201cFor every edition, we ensure there\u2019s a partnership between Arab journalists and native speakers of the language. This ensures nothing gets lost in translation\u2014and more importantly, that the added context makes sense to both Arab and local readers.\u201d
\nMaha Eldahan reflected on the professional growth of Arab journalists in global newsrooms, noting that many have moved beyond being fixers or just regional commentators. \u201cArab media professionals are no longer limited to covering Arab affairs\u2014we\u2019ve become trusted experts on global issues,\u201d she said.
\nShe added that this recognition has led major international media outlets to increasingly hire regional talent, acknowledging that journalists from the region are best placed to tell its stories with nuance and authority.
\nThe session also explored the role of artificial intelligence in journalism. Abbas described AI as a powerful tool that should not be feared, noting that at Arab News, its proper use had reduced translation time by 90 percent and eliminated podcast production costs. He emphasised that AI\u2019s true value lies in how humans choose to apply it.
\n\u201cAI isn\u2019t the issue\u2014the real challenge is when human decision-making doesn\u2019t keep up,\u201d he said. Faraj added that CNN Arabic is testing AI internally but continues to adopt a cautious approach.
\nMaha Eldahan stressed that despite growing experimentation with AI tools in the newsroom, the human element remains irreplaceable: \u201cYou can\u2019t publish a translated story or an AI-generated piece without human input. That final layer of judgement and nuance\u2014what we call the human touch\u2014is still crucial. At the end of the day, we are the original intelligence.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Day 2 of the Arab Media Summit, a session titled \u201cArab Media in Foreign Languages\u201d, held as part of the Arab Media Forum 2025, explored pressing questions around narrative ownership, editorial integrity, and the evolving role of Arab media professionals in a multilingual, AI-driven world. From navigating algorithms to maintaining context in translation, speakers …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":81711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81699"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81713,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81699\/revisions\/81713"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}