Missing the buzz of life on campus
Embracing the changes in education is not a transition to or a temporary arrangement. Online studying is not even the way to go; it is the way already. Disappointments and uncertainties are almost...
COVID: Infobesity and sarcasm
For every action, there is an equal or opposite reaction. We don't need to delve into Newton's third law, one of the principles of physics, to see it in everyday life. One example is the coronavirus...
Riding out of the storm
As the coronavirus inflicted changes continue, we spend time on the sofa, watching videos, or playing video games. There is a catch here – someone is making money out of our boredom. Earning...
Go Home!
Go with the flow. It is stress-free. It reaches its purpose. That is the positive thinking to avoid anxiety and therefore health issues: developing the capacity to act effectively to bring about...
Online journalism: our professionals can do it!
A blessing in disguise raised the Omani media performance to high levels. The corona pandemic brought several challenges on many fronts, including for the media. The quick adjustment to new technical...
Talking to the walls – please, don't answer back!
After more than 60 days on lockdown, the routine becomes heavy. The level of self-motivation diminishes. Listening to friends' anxieties, fears, and initiatives in finding happiness in technology,...
To our heroes in Oman, our thanks and appreciation
During this challenging time, so many essential workers are at the front line for our safety: the health care workers, the drivers, the rubbish collectors, the food deliverymen, the soldier, and so...
The epidemic of fear can be worse than the virus
naction, irresponsibility or lack of credibility are loaded words used to describe reactions to the coronavirus initial stage and beyond. Consumer spending is falling — now, people have more...
‘Out of stock’; so what...?
Not finding the needed medication for an overactive thyroid or a prescribed antibiotic following a dental procedure in the pharmacies is annoying. Going from one pharmacy to another hunting for...
Social media has changed the way we mourn
The loss of a loved one is an experience that transcends social, cultural and religious barriers. As a universal and unavoidable human experience, the impact of grief has been studied since Freud’s...
New driving habits pose big challenge
Just the other day, a nicely dressed young lady was risking her life to cross a 120 km speed-limit dual carriageway. Wearing prescribed glasses, medium heels shoes, and having her purse tightly...
Public trust in journalism: the real crisis
Reading, watching or listening, repeatedly, to the same news articles is hard to swallow. The same style, the same tone, the same people interviewed, the same structure. It is a heartbreaking approach...
Census: Why are you asking ‘that’ question?
In a Royal address, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos encouraged Omanis to provide the required information and to cooperate with the census staff to make the exercise a success. It was the first data...
Rescuing journalism from a vegetative state
From an emotional point of view, journalism is a passion. Journalism is to be in love with the art of storytelling. It is to touch people’s heart with information, sharing an opinion, analysing...
Education, skills and employability...
Change is a process, not an event, so I heard. Essentially, there is a need to understand people’s expectations, but also the need to consider what a change will mean for people in the future or how...
Diplomacy in social media: Changes in political communication
One gets distressed and vents it on social media. One gets happy, jubilees it on social media. One gets a funny or insulting me and without second thoughts share it. These are some of the impulsive...
Social media and religion: faith and the web
Religion and the Internet have rung a bell into my curiosity. In fact, it is media and religion that have hit the first signs of inquiry due to the number of broadcasting material popping up —...
Child abuse: eradicating social stigma; tackling the issue
The local media is reporting more openly on child abuse. It has been a no-no issue for a long time; not that it didn’t happen. The matter has been a kind of taboo. The topic becomes even more...
The worlds of journalism, culture and politics
Challenges to journalism do not come just from one area or the other. It comes from multidimensional and simultaneous areas, most notably public trust. It is easier to identify challenges and discuss...
Together for a better Internet...
Is there a need to make social media safer for teens and young adults? Are we going paranoia with the broad variety of content that can be harmful? The discussion is getting louder after a series of...