Amid the rapid global evolution of the media landscape, along with Qatar’s endeavours to upgrade its media infrastructure in alignment with its National Vision 2030, the Qatar Press Center (QPC) stands out as one of the nation’s institutional cornerstones dedicated to advancing journalism and empowering journalists.
QPC is one of the leading press institutions serving the press sector in Qatar and has forged exceptional relationships with numerous press institutions and unions at both the regional and global levels. The Center is supported by its founders, drawn from the pioneering pillars of journalistic and media work in Qatar.
In addition, QPC strives to fulfil its mandate with the requisite professionalism and efficiency, sustaining its trajectory while advancing the national journalistic experience, in addition to extending services to the various facets of the media and press professions.
Director General of QPC, Sadiq Mohammed al-Amari, told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the Center was established in December 2017 as a private institution of public interest pursuant to Law No 21 of 2006. Since its inception, it has sought to serve as an inclusive umbrella for journalists at home, enriching their professional experience through specialised training courses, seminars, and open lectures, whether on journalistic issues or broader societal concerns.
The Center continues to advance journalistic culture and reinforce the media’s role in national development.
Al-Amari elaborated on QPC’s departments and training activities, stating that it comprises multiple divisions, including training courses, syndicate liaison, research and publications, as well as membership and events.
The Center regularly organises courses in key areas such as political analysis, news anchoring, media institution management, television correspondence,
and mobile journalism. During the past month of Ramadan alone, QPC held several interactive workshops that received significant approbation from participants, al-Amari said.
He added that upon its establishment, QPC has been committed to dedicating its halls to bearing the names of outstanding figures in Qatari journalism,
indicating that the move was taken in recognition of the legacies of those press entrepreneurs in Qatar.
Al-Amari highlighted that they include Abdullah Hussein al-Naama Hall, named after the founder and first editor-in-chief of Al Arab, Qatar’s first daily newspaper; Nasser Mohammed al-Othman Hall, commemorating the veteran journalist and former editor-in-chief of Arrayah, who was also honoured with the Arab Media Personality Award; Abdulrahman al-Muadhadi Hall, named after the former director of Qatar Radio; as well as Dr Rabia bin Sabah al-Kuwari Hall, paying tribute to the renowned media professor at Qatar University and founding member of Al Sharq newspaper.
These halls are fully outfitted with cutting-edge training technologies, allowing the Center to independently host all events without reliance on external venues, he said.
Al-Amari further explained that QPC’s board of directors comprises a phalanx of Qatari media figures chaired by Saad bin Mohammed al-Rumaihi, with the members including Jaber Salem al-Harami, Dr Khalid Mubarak al-Shafi, Mohammed Hajji, Abdullah Talib al-Marri, Abdulrahman al-Qahtani, Dr Rabia bin Sabah al-Kuwari, and Abdulaziz Mohammed al-Abdulghani.
In addition, al-Amari highlighted that the board is vested with the task of crafting the Center’s general policies and work plans, while keeping pace with global developments in this profession, as the Center has dedicated a section to membership affairs, registering 300 journalists from a wide diversity of the nation’s media institutions.
He added that those members are endowed with ID cards that streamline professional duties and provide access to various service benefits.
Overall, al-Amari stated that the Center performs an incredible role in supporting young journalists on social media platforms, in recognition of the significance of their inclusion in this career, particularly the fresh entrants. He emphasised that essential training is provided to prepare them for the labour market.
The Center accords special priority to content creators who share beneficial material on social media platforms. They are rehabilitated by inculcating in them the principles of comprehensive journalism, al-Amari noted, affirming that journalism is no longer confined to institutions alone, as long as any individual equipped with the right tools and professional awareness can emerge as a powerful media voice.
Regarding the memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently signed with the Qatar Media Corporation (QMC), al-Amari says this memorandum intends to bolster institutional relationships within the national media sector and launch joint training and professional seminars that contribute to honing the skills of media practitioners.
The MoU includes collaboration with radio and TV channels to produce films and documentary programmes chronicling the trajectory of Qatari journalism, in addition to forging partnerships with the Al Jazeera Media Institute and Joaan bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies, al-Amari highlighted.
He noted the foremost priority the Center gives to espousing the issues of journalists regionally and globally, emphasising that the Center has always been the first media entity that condemned the Israeli assaults on Palestinian journalists since the flare-up of the aggression on 7 October 2023.
QPC documented the killing of 214 Palestinian journalists, hosted several of them, communicated with journalists in Gaza, and issued official letters to international organisations such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and Human Rights Watch (HRW), al-Amari continued.
He stressed that the aim was to call for protecting the journalists and holding the aggressors to account, stating that the Center declared its solidarity with the Sudanese, Yemeni, and Syrian journalists who had been subjected to gross violations.
With the rapid technological advancements and the new techniques currently being leveraged in all aspects of journalism and media, particularly in terms of artificial intelligence, AI has undoubtedly become a reality that can’t be ignored. However, it cannot replace the human mind — neither in crafting news, nor in analysing or interpreting it, al-Amari highlighted.
Al-Amari clarified that AI may serve as a supportive tool, but the human element remains the guarantor of professionalism, accuracy, and sound editorial judgement. Full reliance on machines would be inherently limited; what is required is a strategic fusion of technology with human expertise.
On the future of media institutions amid the increasing pressures and financial challenges, al-Amari elucidated that financial challenges are the prime hitches facing the media today, particularly following the significant downturn in the advertising market since 2014.
This decline, he said, was further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, as advertisers pivoted towards digital platforms and influencers, putting conventional channels in a precarious position.
Hence, there is a relative improvement in the post-pandemic era, but this is not enough, as long as media institutions need new resources to survive; otherwise, some mammoth media entities might be shuttered in the years ahead, al-Amari noted.
On the Center’s external relations, al-Amari stated that QPC maintains collaborative ties with several Arab journalist unions, including those in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, as the Center is a member of the Federation of Arab Journalists and the Gulf Federation of Journalists, and strives to join the International Federation of Journalists soon enough, in pursuit of enhancing communication among journalists globally, sharing expertise, and expanding the network of joint engagement.
Domestically, QPC contributes to promoting journalistic performance through leveraging the latest global technologies in this area, in addition to connecting the journalists at home with their peers abroad.
Concluding his remarks, al-Amari sent a message to journalists and media institutions in Qatar, confirming that QPC will always be open to all national and foreign talents and those with a genuine passion for media work. He underlined that the media future in Qatar is burgeoning, on the condition that professionalism and knowledge should be maintained to keep up with the updates without dispensing with the core precepts of journalism. (QNA)
