Journalists, Intellectuals to QNA: Enhancing Role of Cultural Journalism in Qatar

Doha: It is well known to those following cultural affairs in Qatar that specialized pages in local Qatari newspapers and magazines play a crucial role in enlightening the local, Arab, and global public about the cultural and artistic activities in the country. However, with the decline in the number of avid readers in recent years, it became necessary to ask if cultural journalism in Qatar is still relevant. In statements to Qatar News Agency , journalists and writers all agreed that cultural journalism is experiencing a decline, focusing mainly on daily news without any deep exploration of essential topics. Nevertheless, they remain optimistic, noting that cultural journalism is fighting to survive despite the dominance of image-based culture over the culture of words. They call for support to ensure it fulfills its role and does not perish. In this context, Editor-in-Chief of the Qatari newspaper Al-Arab Faleh Hussein Al Hajri explained to QNA, that through his work in media and cultural field over the p ast two decades -currently as the Editor-in-Chief of Al-Arab and previously as the Editor-in-Chief of Doha Magazine (2016-2021)- he believes that cultural journalism has many followers, readers, and enthusiasts both within and outside Qatar, as culture is a significant part of the national identity of the State. He pointed out that there are newspapers, magazines, and institutions concerned with cultural affairs, including notable ones like Qatar Media Corporation, Qatar TV, Al Rayyan TV, Al Jazeera, Al-Arab newspaper, and others, adding that these platforms publish analyses and articles related to literature, arts, music, history, and sports. Additionally, they organize cultural events, exhibitions, and intellectual and media seminars, which receive extensive media coverage, reflecting the public's interest in cultural topics. Faleh Al Hajri noted that cultural journalism in Qatar played a crucial role in enhancing cultural and historical identity, preserving national heritage, values, ethics, and general norms. It covers events such as the Doha Cultural Festival and the Doha International Book Fair, and contributes to raising cultural awareness and promoting reading. It also highlights various artistic initiatives and national cultural events. The Editor-in-Chief of Al-Arab believes that cultural journalism promotes rapprochement among people of different backgrounds and fosters mutual respect by embracing and respecting other cultures. For his part, Mohsen Al Ateeqi, former writer and Editor-in-Chief of Doha Magazine, said in a similar comment to QNA that cultural journalism in the Arab world today suffers from a lack of producers of analytical and critical cultural content that keeps up with current events, compared to political or even sports analysis, which has taken over the space allocated to culture. He considered this a natural development, recalling the opinion of Moroccan thinker Mohammed Abed Al Jabri, who argued that culture is not a concern for the general public like football. He said that th e diagnosis of the state of cultural journalism also takes into account its geographic extension from the ocean to the Gulf, due to the shared linguistic and value-based context. This was reflected by Doha Magazine, for example, when it set out in its first issue in 1969 to become a bridge between readers from the Arabian Gulf and the broader Arab world. Source: Qatar News Agency