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Dubai Editor charged in murder case

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Francis Matthew, Editor at Large of Gulf News has been charged with the murder of his wife, Jane Matthew. Francis, a respected journalist who worked for The Economist prior to his move to Dubai in 1990, held the role of Gulf News Editor from 1995 – 2005. The 60-year-old British national played a considerable role in the development of UAE publishing since moving to the UAE, but will now be sentenced after admitting to an assault on his wife last Tuesday, which led to her death.
“We are shocked and saddened at this tragedy,” says Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief and Executive Director Publications, Gulf News. “We pray to the Almighty that her soul rests in peace and that the family is given the strength and patience to overcome this very difficult situation. Gulf News’s thoughts and prayers are with the family. We request that the family be given the privacy they need to cope with their grief.”

Gulf News launches getthat.com

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Gulf News, the flagship news brand of GN Media, has launched a new platform, getthat.com. As a leading title in the region, Gulf News combines its expertise and resources to launch a one stop shop for finding, buying and selling of property, motors, careers and classifieds. The launch is also supported by a multi-channel marketing campaign to create awareness of the brand’s presence and to introduce ‘Sami the Octopus’ to the region.

“We have developed getthat.com to make finding, buying and selling simpler, faster and easier than ever before,” says Matthew Moore, Marketing Manager, GN Media. “We found from talking to our audiences that there was a demand for a product that brings those important searches we make into one place, but crucially whether it is listing something to sell or looking for something to buy, the demand is for fast and accurate results. People are busier than ever and it takes up valuable time having to go to different sites, and then frustrating when your experience and the results are not what you expected. getthat.com is fast, effective and provides a great user experience.”

In The Hot Seat – Matthew Moore

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Matthew Moore, Group Marketing Manager at GN Media, tells TMN about the media industry and how it tends to make an impact in the Middle East…

Name: Matthew Moore 

Age: 37

From: UK  

Current Job Title: Group Marketing Manager, Gulf News

When did you first arrive in Dubai?

At the end of January 2016, straight from the UK.

Where did you work prior?

Before coming to Dubai, I was Head of Marketing at Johnston Press, one of the UK’s leading media organisations and before that I was at DMGT, working mainly on The Daily Mail.

What were your first impressions of the media industry in the Middle East?

I have been really impressed, it is diverse and evolving at a really fast pace so it’s an exciting time to be involved.

Has your opinion changed much?

A little, there are certainly differences compared to the UK. Some trends are less prominent whilst others are more advanced than I had imagined. I’ve been really surprised at how relevant mobile adoption and usage is here. As a marketer that’s a great platform for engaging, rich content.

Tell us about your current role…

I drive the marketing strategy for Gulf News Media (Al Nisr Publishing LLC), we publish the Gulf News and a wide range of magazines. It’s marketing’s job to grow our audiences across all of our brands, to increase customer engagement and from a revenue perspective, monetise our audiences as well.

What challenges do you face?

There has never been more choice for audiences in terms of where they get their news, and any other content that’s interesting and relevant to them. So the main challenge is ensuring our brands, their content and our marketing – cuts through – and is attractive, engaging as well as relevant to our audiences, so they continue to choose our brands. On the flip side for b2b, it’s about using insights and data we have to connect brands with our audiences through clever, creative solutions.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Seeing a campaign come to life and consumers engaging with it. We now have a wealth of data and analytics, so we can see in real-time how a campaign or content piece is working. It’s also great for the team that works so hard to see their efforts pay off.

How would you rather be contacted at work?

I suppose email is the most convenient, and we all use it but I’d prefer to have a conversation!

Describe yourself in five words…

Competitive, committed, driven, friendly and happy

What’s your most overused saying?

Trust me, it will be fine?!

Five things you can’t live without?

My family, friends, sports (I will watch anything! Rodeo from Texas was on TV last night and I was hooked) good coffee and I hate to say it but I guess my phone.

If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing?

I’ve always quite liked the idea of being a chef, a professional golfer or a tennis player also appeals.

What is your favourite form of media (i.e; TV, radio, print)?

Wow – difficult. I really enjoy them all for different reasons. Great radio is really absorbing and engaging; and I’m a fan of rolling TV news, whilst digital, mobile and social media continue to grow rapidly – so I’ll say print. There is still something really nice about holding a physical newspaper or magazine, I think there is a nostalgic element to print which people relate to.

GN Media closes broadcasting division

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Following strategic review of internal operations, Gulf News Media has today announced that it will be closing its broadcasting division effective September 30, 2016. Having come to an agreement, all operations will be managed by Umm Al Quwain Broadcasting including Josh on Frequency 97.8 and Hayat on Frequency 95.6.

Gulf News Media welcomes Group Marketing Manager

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Gulf News Media (GNM) has welcomed Matthew Moore to the role of Group Marketing Manager. Having recently arrived in Dubai from the UK, Matthew has over 18 years of marketing experience, 15 of which are in the media and publishing sector. He most recently worked for Johnston Press as Head of Marketing and Communications, where he focused on driving total audience growth and customer engagement. In his new role, Matthew will be looking to implement marketing strategies across the GNM portfolio and drive audience growth and commercial revenues across print, radio and digital.

“I’m delighted to be joining GNM at this exciting time in the UAE media sector,” says Matthew. “Our brands are key components of the media landscape in the UAE and I am looking forward to working with the talented teams here. We have some great marketing campaigns and brand plans lined up for 2016 and these will not only help with our audience growth but will also mean we engage and interact with our customers more than we ever have. Gaining a deeper insight into our customers means we can deliver more relevant, personalised content to our audiences when they want it.”