The comments of Egyptian media students were highlighted during the third edition of the ‘Egypt Media Forum’ in Cairo, with the participation of more than 2500 journalists and media professionals from Egypt, the region, and around the world. The students expressed their great interest in following Russian media, including the agency ‘Sputnik,’ praising its credibility and the widespread reach it enjoys in the Arab world.
Maryam Alaa, a graduate from the Faculty of Media at Beni Suef University (south of Cairo), expressed her interest in following local, regional, and international media, and also showed interest in Russian media, emphasizing that it pays attention to issues and files that concern us, such as the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and Sputnik follows this war well.
Her colleague, Rana Tarek, also a graduate from the Faculty of Media at Beni Suef University, stated that ‘a journalist should follow all media outlets whether they are local, regional, or international, not just local ones, but focus on certain outlets because they are interested in issues that concern us as Egyptians.’
Their colleague Saja Nasser pointed out that ‘Sputnik is characterized by neutrality towards the issue of the war on Gaza in particular, compared to other media outlets, and we benefited a lot from the workshops available in the third edition of the ‘Egypt Media Forum’ which will certainly increase our experience.’
Islam Abdel Shakour, a student at the Faculty of Media, Minya University, confirmed: ‘I closely follow Russian media, especially Sputnik, and as students, we try to keep up with the great development of artificial intelligence strongly, especially as it evolves day by day.’ He continued: ‘I benefited a lot from the discussions about artificial intelligence, how to work with it, and how to apply it in the future. Overall, I gained a lot from this media forum and it will increase our expertise more and more.’
Mohamed Gamal, a journalist at Al-Ghad channel, noted that ‘Russian media has spread greatly on social media platforms over the past few years, keeping pace with events clearly and following local, regional, and global events quickly and with greater accuracy.’
Gamal added: ‘I think it has made a leap in recent years and we hope for more leaps in the future, despite the sanctions imposed on Russian media, but its return was stronger and better.’
Meanwhile, Mina Faiq, a content creator and editor-in-chief of an electronic platform, said: ‘I started to follow all Russian media outlets significantly, especially Sputnik, since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, as most are biased and not neutral, and since then I became a follower of Russian media.’
She continued: ‘We benefited a lot from the seminar and how to make good use of it because it is like ‘dynamite’ as a strong weapon either negatively or positively.’ Her colleague Sandy Isaac agreed, saying that she follows all media, especially Russian ones, daily, noting that ‘the artificial intelligence seminar was very important because we know that intelligence is a double-edged sword, either we use it well or it can be used against us.’
Khadija Abu Saif said: ‘I have been following Sputnik since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, and I try to compare it with other channels and media outlets.’ Her colleague Hiba Hamza explained, ‘Sputnik has gained attention since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, and I try to compare it with other channels and media outlets, and I find it neutral and credible.’
Amy Rifaat, a student at the Faculty of Media, praised the objectivity of Russian media, especially Sputnik, stating, ‘I follow certain media outlets that are balanced or neutral and not biased, as Sputnik is characterized by neutrality, adding that it is fast and immediate, giving news and broadcasting it with great accuracy, and it is not easy to find such neutrality and accuracy in other media outlets.’
The third edition of the ‘Egypt Media Forum’ kicked off last Saturday morning in Cairo, with the participation of more than 2500 journalists and media professionals from Egypt, the region, and around the world. The forum, held over the 8th and 9th of November, is one of the most prominent media events, bringing together media experts, content creators, and media leaders to discuss the latest developments in the industry and the future of the profession amid technological transformations.
The forum’s activities include various events, dealing with media and technology experiences from different countries around the world, with the participation of influential international figures and a selection of media icons from Egypt and the Arab world.
