Natural disaster reporting a complex task
There is no ‘news’ on the fact that the temperature is getting higher; that climate change is affecting economies, health, communities, and a myriad of other factors. Droughts will intensify, heat...
Journobots: where are we going to fit in the future?
A media student and I were talking about artificial intelligence, on thinking out of the box, and talking computers. He was showing me one of his bot projects. A bot is a software application...
Spammers play tricks: watch out... !
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - Spam phone calls are a nuisance. It is time-consuming, it is annoying and it is a massive threat to privacy. Besides, it can be dangerous. Why do we...
Silver screen: A peep into local cinema culture
Cameras are rolling in several parts of Oman: from Mutrah, Barka, to Sur, Musandam and Jebel Akhdar. Oman is officially positioning itself as a top filming destination — not just for Hollywood but...
The internet of money and social media
Just received a gift: a small piece of paper that can be used for digital money transactions. On the back of the paper — which looks like a torn-off part of a page of a newspaper — are...
Unpack your thoughts, it’s time for self-examination
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - When 2017 started, it was like a new notebook. Empty. The pages were to be filled with whatever we had in mind. One could write stories, poems, and draw...
Unauthorised: the world through pink lenses
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - Hard to know what is real or fake these days. Not long ago, the real fake was limited to unauthorised copies of brand merchandise such as handbags, clothes...
Social media re-defines values in the society
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - It is time to face that information technology and social media are affecting ethics and etiquette. Social and moral behaviour are in turmoil. Though ethics...
Snaps: the diminutive capsules of news
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - Young journalists and digital publishing are the future. They are here to stay, and there is no escape or turn around. New communication practices are...
New social health experience: online peers’ influence
SONIA AMBROSIO - soniambrosio@gmail.com - I have looked on the Internet on how to treat ingrown nails. As I was searching for it, I got distracted with an advert on how to use vitamin C to reduce...
The role of media in economic development
As most political anniversaries, every achievement — small or big — is a step forward. This is a time when patriotic reporting strength the sense of nation cohesion and identity. As part of the...
Why this obsession with the social media?
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - Have you been feeling a decreased level of patience? Low attention span? Road rage? These are some of the most common effects of social media addiction. Ok,...
A call for media education in school curriculum
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - I am a strong advocate of education. It is not just about learning how to write and read, but to develop knowledge and skills in order to have a...
Need for honest dialogue as fake news gains ground
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - The spread of fake news brings an extra concern to the already loaded press freedom dialogue. Even though it is not a new phenomenon, it is now spreading...
Fixing the boundaries of journalism ethics
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - To set the standards for journalism practice in a changing media environment is not an easy task. More than to discuss attitudes within the profession on...
News distribution: not a shoulder-shrugging topic
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - It is on Facebook, I saw it.” Oh well, if it is on FB it has to be true, or at least partially true. News has become a strong part of Facebook lately....
Technology creating trends in society, shaping future
Sonia Ambrosio - soniambrosio@gmail.com - The hundreds of small changes in technology are having a big impact on our lives. Image recognition, voice recognition and driverless technologies are all...
World becoming increasingly complex, fragile
Year 2016 is leaving behind a legacy of uncertainties. Hope still hangs on but the thread attached to it is getting thinner. Insensibility is taking place in people’s heart. We are becoming...