The Media Majlis at Northwestern University in Qatar reopened its doors on Sunday, Sept. 13 with a new exhibition titled, “Breaking News? how the smartphone changed journalism.” 

As the title suggests, this new exhibition will focus on the impact of smartphones on journalism in an increasingly digitized world. “The exhibition encourages you to interrogate and engage–as consumers of news, journalism professionals, students–and provide your thoughts on journalism and its role as an evolving expression of the human desire for knowledge and truth,” the Media Majlis notes on their exhibition webpage.

“We hope that our visitors will see our reopening as a move towards normalcy, even though we may currently have multiple safety parameters in effect,” said Pamela Erskine-Loftus, director of the Media Majlis at Northwestern University in Qatar. “We have been closed since March 10 and so are very happy to be reopening.”

In addition to in-person visits, the Media Majlis will also operate virtually. The new exhibition features interviews with journalism professionals on the explore content page on its website; the majlis will be holding online sessions and lectures on Oct. 13, Oct. 20, and Nov. 10, which can be accessed on its exhibitions and programs webpage.

“This has been a very smooth transition, as all the systems we use for in-person programs already function through online platforms,” said Erskine-Loftus. “We just hope that audiences are as engaged with the speakers as they are when we do programs in-person.”

Visitors can make reservations for private visits during the months of September and October via the Media Majlis website. Interested people should make a booking at least 24 hours in advance, either for an individual visitor for a group visit of up to 10 people. The majlis has restricted visiting hours to one hour per person or group from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday. It will only accept one booking per hour in order to limit crowds and maintain social distancing protocols.

Only visitors with temperatures below 38 C and a green status on the Ehteraz app will be allowed to enter. Visitors must wear face masks at all times inside the building. 

“The Media Majlis is definitely bringing the community back together and regardless of the challenging times we’re all going through, the museum has followed all safety precautions to make sure that all our visitors are safe and have an enjoyable visit,” said Dana Abu Shanab, visitor services coordinator for the majlis.

The exhibition will close on Dec. 19.