More related content on the BRIDGE
- Media Panel 9 December 3:55 - 4:25PM
Longform’s Next Act
In a media environment dominated by sensationalism and short-form content, longform journalism has struggled to keep its grip. According to the 2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report, 62 percent of online news consumers now prefer bite-sized updates. Yet platforms like YouTube and Substack show renewed demand for depth, with Substack alone reporting a fivefold rise in paid subscriptions since 2020. The question is no longer whether audiences have the attention for longform, but whether the industry is delivering it in ways that resonate. Publishers and creators are now reimagining longform for a global, digital-first audience, using new distribution models and partnerships to balance reach with resonance, and to define the next era of credible, enduring media.
Forum StageSpeakers
- Media Speech 10 December 11:00 - 11:10AM
Participation and Inclusion in the Media Tech Ecosystem
Today, 3.4 billion are not just offline, they’re invisible in the systems that will define our collective future. When entire communities are left out of the digital conversation, we lose more than potential customers - we lose ideas, solutions, and perspectives that could unlock the next leap in human innovation. Join Lara Dewar, CMO of the GSMA, the global mobile industry association, as she explores how expanding meaningful connectivity isn’t just a moral imperative, it’s the fastest route to unleashing new markets, new creators, and new forms of value.
Central Stage - Technology Workshop 10 December 1:30 - 3:00PM
Sports Photography: Pushing technological advancementw
Covers genre, plot structure, collaboration, and common adaptation challenges, with practical exercises to turn participants’ ideas into visual narratives.
Workshop Room 1 - Media Panel 9 December 2:00 - 2:30PM
Designing a Global Media Dealbook
As the media landscape fragments and legacy funding models fall short, creators and investors seek smarter ways to align. Despite broader access to tools and audiences, many high-potential ventures go overlooked. A 2024 World Economic Forum–McKinsey report found global venture funding for fintech, media, and creator platforms fell 67%, from $92 billion in 2021 to $30 billion in 2023, highlighting the absence of forward-looking, coordinated capital. Could a curated platform connecting mission-driven media with values-aligned investment unlock new innovation and a more resilient media future?
Forum StageSpeakers
- Media Panel 8 December 2:25 - 2:45PM
How the Gulf and Africa Are Rewriting the Media Map
Africa and the Gulf are fast becoming two of the world’s most influential media hubs, building newsrooms, creator ecosystems, and digital platforms that reach hundreds of millions and increasingly shape global narratives. This session explores how broadcasters and digital-first operators across both regions scale coverage, expand cross-border bureaus, build culturally resonant formats, and grow loyal audiences in markets often misunderstood by global capital. We examine where international partners fit, how geopolitical context shapes storytelling, and how these rising hubs are redefining the media operating system of the Global South.
Impact StageSpeakers
- Marketing Presentation 9 December 9:55 - 10:05AM
Gaming Beyond Reality
Gaming is evolving from a separate virtual realm into the operating system for how new generations live, learn, and create. As on-device AI and world models deepen machines’ spatial understanding, gaming becomes a persistent layer blending digital and physical worlds. This session explores how spatial computing, XR, intelligent agents, and world-building tools are reshaping interaction and identity—especially for the UAE, where major investments signal a new era of presence, participation, and programmable reality.
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