RIYADH: “We don’t shape narratives, they shape us,” Vincent Peyregne, former CEO of World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, told a panel at the Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh on Monday.
Moderated by Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal Al-Abbas, the session titled “How do alliances shape global public opinion?” explored how media organizations navigate public opinion, commercial pressures, and the shift away from traditional revenue models. It challenged the notion that media outlets can control audience perception.
“In some part, we document the public opinion,” Peyregne added. “But I don’t see any reasonable publishers in our network saying, ‘I’m shaping the public opinion.’”
Al-Abbas described the idea of media shaping public opinion as an illusion when responding to questions about a “secret formula of success,” saying: “The perception that anybody can dominate public opinion is an illusion,” he said.
The session explored the evolving global media landscape, comparing traditional publishers with newer digital players and examining how alliances and platforms influence reach and sustainability.
