Some key points:
-Ownership and sectarian divisions often dictate objectivity, or lack thereof. Ali al-Jabri, an Iraqi journalist working for Abu Dhabi TV, said he had fled his country after being subjected to death threats to prevent him from voicing his opinions. Neutrality and independence are impossible in journalism in Iraq today, he said.

Further, the discussion turned to the focus in both the Western and Arab media on the Sunni Shi’i divide as having a negative impact on objectivity.

-Arab media tend to lack youth focus. Rania Salemi, a blogger from Saudi Arabia, told the Forum that, "Young Arabs like to be proactive and interactive in Internet chat rooms. But there is still not enough communication."

Buthayna Masr, a delegate from Saudi Arabia, argued that Arab youth are now exposed to too many other cultures on TV, threatening their Islamic identity. However, Octavia Nasr, senior editor for Arab affairs with CNN, disagreed, saying that this controlling attitude is a large problem in the Arab media and that they need to focus on what readers and viewers want, not try to control them. This leads into the challenge of involving users in content.

-Some mainstream Arab media outlets have begun using online discussions, radio debates, and viewer photos to enhance the user experience. However, one speaker commented, "Blogs and internet forums are breaking down the old taboos in the Arab world. So why do traditional media still adhere to these taboos?"

Source: BBC Monitoring