RIYADH — Dr. Fahd Al Agran, president of the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), emphasized the significant potential for news agencies in light of the technological advancements that media outlets are currently experiencing. He noted that news agencies had anticipated and kept pace with this development. During a session titled “Digital Influencers: Media or Advertising” at the Saudi Media Forum 2 in Riyadh on Monday, Al Agran said that a goal for news agencies should be to change the negative stereotype associated with them, and to enhance their relationships with other media outlets, due to the rapid pace of change in the media sector. Al Agran reiterated that news agencies are the key source of news broadcast in various formats, with a significant opportunity for news agencies in the future to achieve their goals thanks to their geographical coverage and media molds. He also highlighted copyright issues as a challenge faced by news agencies. For his part, Abdullah Abdul Karim, acting executive director of the news content sector at the Emirates News Agency (WAM), stated that crises and rumors have helped news agencies regain their natural status, underlining the importance of news agencies identifying future goals that can facilitate the realization of set objectives. Meanwhile, Vasily Pushkov, director of international cooperation at Sputnik News, emphasized that news agencies use different forms to shape news items with credibility, ensuring they reach the audience without falsification or rumors. — Agencies