Media as seen by youths

How do media students perceive today’s media landscape?

The media is caught between obstacles and hopes; this topic has been tabled and discussed numerous times in order to find a point of convergence that combines realities and expectations. We are accustomed to viewing media from the top... including media institutions, notable media experts, international press…etc, but what if we start from the bottom of the ladder?

In an interview with Mashari bin Kanan, a pre-graduate student at King Saud University College of Media

His specific major is audiovisual media which he chose because he likes the field and wants to contribute to the creation of artistic content to enrich the current media landscape. This is due to his passion for film montage and visual production, and he strives to create valuable works that reflect his thoughts and hopes

He chose to join the media club at the beginning of his college career, believing in the relevance of college clubs in scientific and social enrichment. He is now the production committee›s vice president. In the spirit of his experience, he advises students to always check out various clubs and make the most of them

Moreover, he started working while still in college, rejecting all the hype about how difficult it is to balance school and job. So… Has his job had a negative impact on his education?

Translated by: Shoug Alrajhi

Mashari does not deny that it was difficult, but it was worthwhile. He considers it as one of his unique experiences that taught him about the nature of work outside of the educational setting. Yet, it provided him with experience that allowed him to overcome obstacles in his major that he would not have understood without prior experience and competence.

No one can deny that there are many people who have thrived in the trendsetting field, even though their specialties were not related to the media or its branches, but they are unusual cases. The reasons for this vary greatly; some are a gift he has had since a young age, while others discovered a supportive atmosphere that allowed them to be creative in this field

Nonetheless, this does not mean that media work does not necessitate specialist scientific knowledge. «Definitely, my university studies in this major added a lot to me,» Mashari says. “I am currently working on projects and have an academic background in what is good and wrong»

Advice for individuals interested in the media field

Media is a renewed profession that necessitates ongoing awareness of big world happenings. Every passing instant, there will be news that should be published, a tale that should be told, or an image that will change the course of an event if it is shown, and the successful journalist does not overlook any of these aspects. So, what is Mashari›s plan for keeping up with events?

He responded by stating that he informs many various audiovisual production projects since they improve his visual and auditory senses and increase his sense of creativity. He advises everyone, especially media students, to be open during the viewing process so that they do not confine themselves to a field or a concept and have a thorough understanding of all that is going on around them.