AUCKLAND, 20th July, 2023 (WAM) — A delegation from the Emirates News Agency (WAM), headed by Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director-General of WAM, has visited New Zealand to discuss ways of enhancing its news exchange and media cooperation with officials from various local media and press entities. They also talked about the participation of the New Zealand media outlets in the upcoming edition of the Global Media Congress in November. The WAM delegation visited several media institutions in New Zealand as part of its commitment to establishing distinguished partnerships and collaborations with local media outlets. The delegation reviewed the recommendations and outcomes of the inaugural Global Media Congress held in 2022 and discussed the media’s international role in addressing climate change while covering the COP28 climate conference, which will take place at Expo City Dubai in November. The WAM delegation visited the headquarters of Television New Zealand (TVNZ) and met with Phil O’Sullivan, Executive Editor of News and Current Affairs at TVNZ, to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation and news exchange between the two sides. The delegation also learnt about the nature of TVNZ’s work, its various departments, and its editorial policies. The delegation then met with the senior management of Sky New Zealand (Sky NZ), including Sophie Moloney, Chief Executive Officer of Sky NZ, to discuss the media’s roles in addressing future challenges and exploring opportunities for cooperation in exchanging news and information and training media professionals. The delegation also visited the headquarters of TV3, which is part of the Newshub, a New Zealand news service, and met with Sarah Bristow, Director of News at Newshub, to learn about the nature of the television work and discuss opportunities for cooperation and news exchange. The delegation toured the headquarters of NZME, which has an online platform, a publishing house and several radio stations, and met with Michael Boggs, CEO of NZME. He briefed the delegation on the organisation’s work, the media services it provides to the public, and the journalism practices and professional standards it has applied across its various departments. The discussions focussed on strengthening their cooperation to serve their common interests. The WAM delegation also met with academics and officials from the Faculty of Communication and Media at the Auckland University of Technology, where they met with Professor Dafydd Sills-Jones, Deputy Head of School of Communication Studies, and Dr. Yvonne Chan Cashmore, Associate Dean and Director of Engagement for the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies, to discuss the media’s role in advancing societies as a tool for awareness and addressing shared challenges such as climate change. They explored relevant individual and national responsibilities that support social progress and the media’s role in promoting the values of tolerance, coexistence and acceptance, to create a peaceful and harmonious world. “The WAM delegation’s visit to New Zealand witnessed meetings with media officials and specialists to discuss the outcomes of the first edition of the Global Media Congress held in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and invited New Zealand’s media to participate in its second edition this year,” Al Rayssi said. The ongoing preparations for the congress and the topics to be discussed are expected to attract widespread international interest, he added, describing the event as an ideal platform for media professionals and experts from around the world to exchange news among media outlets. He then highlighted WAM’s commitment to strengthening its partnerships with media institutions in New Zealand to build constructive and beneficial international relations with various global media outlets, noting that New Zealand has distinguished media entities with remarkable records of outstanding journalistic work. In response, the New Zealand media officials, experts and academics warmly welcomed WAM’s invitation to participate in the second edition of the Global Media Congress and commended the outcomes of the first edition and its positive impact on the media industry. They then affirmed their readiness to cooperate with WAM in promoting communication and media exchange between the UAE and New Zealand, which will benefit both countries and their people.
Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)