Goals

The spirit of inquiry and open dialogue is at the heart of the mission of the Arab Thought Foundation. With that spirit, this event will convene a collection of global media leaders for a unique opportunity to gain a deepened understanding of the complexity of today's Arab culture and politics, with a specific focus on the role that emerging media is playing.

To that end, we will present speakers and delegates with first-hand practical knowledge of our major areas of concentration. Nearly all of the sessions -- plenary as well as breakouts -- will emphasize discussion and thoughtful debate.

Journalists from around the globe can expect to leave the event having gained the following benefits:

Access to individuals who know what is really going on in the Arab countries. This includes leading politicians as well as an elite network of local, regional and global journalists.
First-hand evaluation of influential and news-making opinion leaders.
An opportunity to see new perspectives and validate assumptions to create a deeper understanding of the region.
Participation in candid and substantive discussions of some of the biggest media issues of today.

In pursuit of the goal of exchange, conference staff is writing a blog that identifies different coverage patterns of Arab news, highlights media criticism and provides a forum for the discussion of the more relevant issues to this conference. We strongly encourage participation in the blog -- please add your comments at the bottom of each story by clicking on the red 'comments' link. Read more about the blog.