Workshop on Media Content Creation Explores the Power and Impact of Digital Content

The Training and Development Center for Community Programs, in collaboration with the College of Media at the Islamic University of Minnesota, organized a workshop titled "Media Content Creation" on January 6, 2024. The workshop was delivered by Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Wahati, an Egyptian journalist and academic who specializes in journalism, digital media, and art criticism.

The workshop discussed the concept of media content creation and its various types. It also highlighted the essential skills for media content creators and the basics of digital content creation.

Dr. Al Wahati emphasized that content creation is a vast subject that requires extensive training to achieve professionalism. However, he assured participants that they can begin their journey in just one month. He referred to Bill Gates' famous quote from 1996, "Content is King," in which Gates predicted the tremendous value of content on the Internet. This prediction has indeed come true over the past 25 years, as the world has shifted towards digital content published on web pages and various digital media formats, integrating text, audio, video, and graphics.

The workshop presented statistics that highlight the value of content. Every day, 80 million images are uploaded on Instagram, 300 million on Facebook, 500 million tweets are sent on Twitter, 40 million posts are published on WordPress.com, 500,000 hours of video are uploaded on YouTube, 145 billion emails are sent, and 3.5 billion searches are conducted on 1.9 billion websites.

Dr. Al Wahati defined digital content as a message that utilizes various methods to reach the audience, including words, symbols, ideas, and visuals. Digital content encompasses written texts, images, videos, infographics, e-books, and audio files. He described digital media as a powerful and influential force that shapes the mental image of the public. This can only be achieved by focusing on the creation of high-quality content supported by credible evidence and the principles that define meaningful media content.

Furthermore, Dr. Al Wahati emphasized that promoting content on social media platforms should not be done randomly or without strategy. The content that garners thousands of comments, shares, and millions of views is based on a conscious plan to reach a larger audience.