Deakin University Iftar Dinner 2022

On  the 12th of April 2022, the AIS in partnership with Deakin University hosted the 11th Deakin University Iftar at Deakin Downtown, where guests from a cross-section of society came to share in a meal in an atmosphere of respect and understanding.

The MC was Prof Fethi Mansouri who controlled the evening’s proceedings. The host for the evening was the Vice Chancellor, Prof Ian Martin, who highlighted the importance of such events in bringing people together to share collegiality, friendship and conversation so we could build a resilient society. The Adhan and Quran recitation was read so eloquently by Deakin alumni Ahmed Ghowsi.

The panel discussion comprising George Donikian (former TV news anchor), Sumeyya Ilanbey (The Age newspaper) and Dan Ziffer (ABC news) discussed the evolution of the changing media landscape and how more is requested from fewer resources these days. George covered this extensively as he recalls being the first newsreader of SBS news and one of a few media professionals who had a non-Anglo Saxon background. He mentioned the newsroom is diversifying but is still not where it should be and with reducing revenue streams, it is making it difficult to have a broad representation of society in the production and coverage of news. Sumeyya shared her experience reporting the pandemic which included a deep dive into the Hume constituency, highlighting the importance of being able to share the experiences of those that aren’t generally represented in the media. She felt having a personal experience helps tell better stories. Dan talked about the reality of financial strains are having on the media organisations as the rivers of gold are no longer there, with technology being a game changer for the industry. He believes there will eventually be a model that will allow a sustainable business to operate. The event was concluded with a short Vote of Thanks from Ahmet Keskin.

For more photo please visit our Facebook Page