About the conference

Al Jazeera Centre for Studies and the Mass Communications Department at Qatar University are organising an international conference under the title, “Social Media Networks and Ideological Polarization: Power Relations and Socio-Cultural Impact,” on 1 and 2 March 2023. The conference aims to touch on a number of issues that make social media networks ideological platforms that are involved in political crises, conflicts and wars and champion certain narratives. An elite group of academics, experts, researchers and specialists will be participating in the conference, enriching its dialogue sessions and research output.

Key Topics

    • Future of Video Storytelling on Social Media Platforms
    • Journalistic applications for Virtual/Augmented Reality and 360 Filming Technologies
    • Slow Journalism vs. Instant Journalism; creating the perfect balance
    • Investigative Journalism in the Digital Age
    • Data Journalism in the Arab World

Conference objectives

    • To examine the ideological functions of social media platforms, the conflict of narratives and hegemony over public discourse
    • To investigate audience engineering in light of algorithmic hegemony and the control of artificial intelligence
    • To look into the monopoly of information technology companies of social media networks and its impact on the media industry
    • To present new visions for the legislations and ethics of social media networks as well as the rules governing their use
    • To delve into the reality of Arabic social media platforms and its challenges

Conference Committees

Conference Chair

Organizing Committee

Scientific Committee

Social Media

Speakers

Day 1

Manuel Castells

Guy Berger

Day 2

Nabil Dajani

Victor Pickard

Speakers

Winston Mano
Mohamed Erraji
Mohammed El Bouzidi
Noureddine Miladi
Anwar Alorfe
Abdulrahman Al-Shami
Mutasim Babiker
Mohamed El-Fateh Hamdi
Hichem Akoubache
Fatiha Zmamouch
Yamine Boudhane
Hicham El Makki
Nacer Eddine Layadi
Bruce Mutsvairo
Mutasim Babiker
Nigel Nyamutumbu
Fatma Elzahraa Elsayed
Imed Ben Labidi

Why the conference

The Program

Day One: 1 March 2023

9:00-9:40    Opening session

Moderator: Osman Ayfarah

9:00-9:10   Hassan Rashid Al-Derham, President of Qatar University

9:10-9:20   Mostefa Souag, Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network

9:20-9:30   Mohammed Mukhtar Al Khalil, Director of Al Jazeera Centre for Studies

9:30-9:40   Basyouni Hamada, Head of the Department of Mass Communication, Qatar University

9:40-11:10    Keynote speaker

9:40-10:40   Manuel Castells, Social Media and Political Polarization

10:40-11:10   Discussion

Session One: International Balances of Power and their Impact on the Structure and Performance of Social Media Networks
  • Moderator: Hala Guta
  • 11:40-11:55   Bruce Mutsvairo, Decoding Digital Participation through the Promotion of Equitable Social Practices
  • 11:55-12:10   Mohamed Erraji, The Strategies of Social Media Networks in Producing Ideologies and Rhetorical Dominance: A Study of Israeli Discourse on Twitter and Facebook
  • 12:10-12:25   Nigel Nyamutumbu, Accountability and Transparency in Social Media and the Fight against Fake News
  • 12:25-12:40   Mohammed El Bouzidi, Framing the Issue of Ukrainian and Middle Eastern Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the Tweets of French Press
  • 12:40-1:10    Discussion
  • 1:10-2:10      Lunch
Session Two: The Economic Interests and Cultural Wars of Social Media Network
  • Moderator: Ahmed Taha
  • 2:10-2:25   Guy Berger, Social Media Monopoly, Hate Speech and Cultural Wars
  • 2:25-2:40   Fatma Elzahraa Elsayed, The Aspects of Ideological Polarization between Muslims and Hindus on TikTok
  • 2:40-2:55   Winston Mano, The Scramble of Big Techs for the Global South and its Ramifications
  • 2:55-3:10  Noureddine Miladi, Anwar Alorfe, The War on the Palestinian Narrative: Obstructing Palestinian Content on Social Media Platforms
  • 3:10-3:40    Discussion
  • 3:40-4:10    Launch of Al Jazeera for Communications and Media Studies Journal
Day Two: 2 March 2023

Moderator: Saadia Malik

9:00-10:00   Nabil Dajani, The Ethical and Legal Structure for a Just Social media Public Sphere

10:00-10:30    Discussion

10:30-11:00    Break

Session Three: The Legislations and Ethics of Social Media Networks: Current Problems and Future Aspirations
  • Moderator: Mohamed Mezimez
  • 11:00-11:15   Victor Pickard, Uncovering the Structural Roots of Misinformation: Is Another Media System Possible?
  • 11:15-11:30   Imed Ben Labidi, Narrating the Occupation: Digital Media and Palestinian Resistance
  • 11:30-11:45   Hicham El Makki, The Ethics of Social Media Networks from the Ethics of Content to Ethical Design: Facebook as a Model
  • 11:45-12:00   Abdulrahman Al-Shami, The Role of Arabic Platforms for News Verification in Fighting Disinformation: An Analytical Study
  • 12:00-12:30    Discussion
  • 12:30-1:30       Lunch
Session Four: Social Media Networks in the Arab World: The Globalisation of the Medium and the Distinctiveness of the Context
  • Moderator: Nejude Al -Ibrahim
  • 1:30-1:45     Nacer-Eddine Layadi, Social Media and Public Spheres in the Arab World: Theses and Antitheses for Reflection and Research
  • 1:45-2:00    Mutasim Babiker, The Impact of Social Media Networks on the Growth of Populist Discourse and its Ideologies:
  •                   Sudan as  Case Study
  • 2:00-2:15     Mohammed El-Fatih Hamdi, Hichem Akoubache and Fatiha Zmamouch, The Use of Social Media Platforms and its Relationship to                              Ideological Polarization in the Arab Region: A Meta-Analytical Reading of a Sample of Previous Studies
  • 2:15-2:30     Yamine Boudhane, Fake News, their Effect on Confidence in  Digital Content and their Implications for the Professional Identities of Media Institutes
  • 2:30-3:00     Discussion
  • 3:00-3:30     Award ceremony for the members of the conference organising committee

Venue