Over 20 specialist mentors are leading the sessions and they are allocated to each team, working together through Zoom JEDDAH: Stage five of a “Mediathon” began on Sunday, with two days of specialist and business-led workshops to develop the ideas and projects of competitors. Earlier this year, the Acting Minister of Media Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi announced the launch of the Mediathon to encourage and foster creative thinking in media. Stage five comprises virtual workshops and mentoring, with 10 hours of thorough presentations to give participants the necessary knowledge and guidance. The workshops are being offered in cooperation with DMZ, a leading digital media startup incubator at Toronto Metropolitan University. Over 20 specialist mentors are leading the sessions and they are allocated to each team, working together through Zoom. This stage aims to qualify the competing teams for the in-person marathon, which will be announced through official channels. One of Sunday’s four workshops was about idea development. It was presented by the manager of the Thakaa Center, which specializes in the Internet of Things and cybersecurity, Thunayyan Al-Thunayyan. Al-Qasabi said the Mediathon promoted competition between media and business professionals to present creative solutions for media challenges through projects and initiatives. “We are all eager to receive the ideas of creators from citizens of this country, to achieve a better media future that meets the aspirations,” he added. There are several qualifying idea categories for the Mediathon: traditional media presentation, data collection, monitoring and analysis of media, the advancement of international communication, and bridging the gap between academic knowledge and professional practice. The Mediathon also serves as a collaborative platform for creative solutions that tackle modern-day media and related technology challenges in the Kingdom. The winning teams will be linked with the relevant government bodies to facilitate the implementation of their projects.