7 MAIN CHALLENGES FACING RADIO JOURNALISM IN THE UAE.

In a country where expats of different nationalities occupy 88.54% of the UAE's general population, journalists face the challenge of defining what is news-worthy. Issues affecting the country are always granted priority. However, when it comes to covering international news and specific topics that maybe of interest to the international audience, the challenge arises in identifying what is news worthy as there is a vast amount of culture and interests.

According to Twofour54 Abu-Dhabi, the radio industry in the UAE and North Africa (MENA) has witnessed growth and developed with the launch of many stations since 2011, especially in the private sector. However, the question still remains if they are sustainable enough to acquire enough listeners and produce revenue. Having spoken to several radio journalists in the region on the main challenges facing the industry and their profession, these are the main issues they highlighted.

1. Restrictions from Laws and Regulations

As a journalist working in the UAE, one has to take caution on what to report on and how to present certain issues to the public, Dubai Eye presenter Richard Dean, explains. Respect for the ruling family members and the UAE government must be adhered to. The news content also has to take “the values, culture and norms of living in a Muslim country” into consideration before publishing any stories.

2. Fake news

In recent times, the issue of fake news has been brought to light by various media outlets. It massively spread due to the access of social media and information technology. Radio journalists, not just in the UAE, face the challenge of ensuring that the news reported is credible and that the facts have been checked a number of times before being published. The sources of the news as well are also verified to ensure that the information being reported is reliable. Danny Norton, a senior news presenter at ARN also adds that the news reported is also fair and that there no hidden agendas in the coverage of the news.

3. Attaining credible sources.

In reporting on certain topics, Maria Boutros, a news presenter at ARN, states that attaining the right people and specialists to give a quote that will provide insight to a particular story can be a challenge in the UAE. This is due to the hesitance of people speaking out on certain topics. This in turn affects the structure of the news especially in framing the lead line which she terms “the line that grabs attention to the listeners”.

4. Delayed response from sources

Brandy Scott, a Dubai Eye presenter, states that her main challenge of being a journalist in the region is “the expectation around response”. Having worked overseas in countries such as New Zealand and the UK, she explains that response from sources to a story were most of the time quicker overseas compared to the UAE. This leads to frustrations in lining up guests to speak on certain topics and attaining quotes especially if one wants to be on top of the news. Scott believes that the culture may have contributed to this factor and termed this as her biggest shift as a journalist when she first started working in Dubai. Despite this, she adds that there are still a number of different organizations who are always ready to speak and that the culture is still evolving in this regard.

5. A 24 hour clock job.

Being a presenter and journalist in the UAE comes with the pressure of being a “constant fountain of information” Priti Malik, a Virgin radio presenter states. Unlike most jobs, whereby the working hours are set and one can sign off when completed, being a presenter or journalist demands 24 hours of constant attention as it requires intensive amount of research and updates. A journalist has to be one step ahead in attaining information which mostly involves constant checking on news sites and social media. Journalists always have to be alert in case of any important news updates that require coverage.

6. Adapting to the digital world

Being one of the most digitally developed cities in the world, another major challenge facing radio journalism is adapting to the current technological advancements. Radio stations are employing the concept of news convergence whereby the content is spread on various platforms such as social media, websites, online podcasts and so on. The ARN studios in particular, have installed video cameras to record interviews which are then later shared on other platforms.

7. Lack of competition

The UAE in general has a limited amount of radio stations which leads to less competition in terms of producing radio content. Boutros, identifies this as challenges as the listeners do not have a variety of perspectives which limits insight on information provided. Journalists also have limited work opportunities as there are not many job vacancies in the stations. Boutros states that, “competition creates opportunities” which allows journalists to have a wide range of selection in getting employment.