On April 7, 2026, ARIJ held a webinar bringing together 65 journalists and media professionals from across the Arab world to collectively shape the agenda of its 19th Annual Forum, scheduled for December 4–6, 2026, at the Dead Sea, Jordan. The session was led by ARIJ Director General Rawan Damen and Communications Manager Samya Ayesh.

The webinar was designed as an open, participatory session that placed journalists and media professionals at the center of the planning process. Rather than presenting a ready-made agenda, ARIJ invited participants to actively contribute their ideas, priorities, and expertise across three main areas: identifying potential speakers and panelists, proposing topics for training sessions and workshops, and discussing the most pressing topics and challenges facing journalism today.

Participants engaged actively throughout the session, raising a wide range of topics they considered essential for the upcoming forum. Discussions touched on emerging challenges in investigative journalism, the growing impact of artificial intelligence on media production and verification, digital safety for journalists, and the need for stronger cross-border collaboration across the Arab region.

Training needs were also a central theme, with participants expressing strong interest in workshops covering data journalism, open-source investigation tools, audience engagement strategies, and trauma-informed reporting practices.

The webinar reaffirmed ARIJ’s commitment to building its annual forum as a community-driven platform — one shaped by the real needs and priorities of journalists in the region, rather than a ready-made agenda.