Tunisia Elected as Vice-President of Copeam
From May 7 to 9, 2026, Tunis will host the 33rd Annual Conference of Copeam, bringing together decision-makers, experts, and media actors from the Mediterranean region to discuss the major challenges facing the sector in a context marked by profound changes in audiovisual and digital media.
A Symbolic Edition
This edition holds a special symbolic significance, marking the 60th anniversary of Tunisia's public television and 30 years of Copeam. A double milestone that invites us to draw up a balance sheet of the historical role of audiovisual media while projecting their future in a rapidly changing environment.
The Conference Theme
Placed under the theme "Audiovisual Media and Societies: Outstanding Achievements and Future Challenges," the conference highlights the essential contribution of media to the structuring of Mediterranean societies. The discussions focus primarily on the mission of public service media in supporting social development and reinforcing cohesion in a context marked by rapid changes in usage. One of the central issues concerns the link with audiences: faced with a growing migration towards digital platforms and social networks, traditional media must adapt their strategies to regain the attention of young generations, particularly Generations Z and Alpha.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Media Industry
The impact of artificial intelligence on the media industry was also at the heart of the exchanges. While AI opens up unprecedented perspectives in terms of production, diffusion, and interaction with audiences, it raises crucial questions inherent to the ethical integration of AI in editorial processes, the protection of content against global platforms, and the preservation of journalistic integrity.
The Strategic Role of Media and the Challenges of Audiovisual
The highlight of the conference took place yesterday, May 8, with a plenary session bringing together leading figures from both sides of the Mediterranean. Panels, debates, and project presentations illustrated the diversity of initiatives carried out by the Copeam network.
Opening Ceremony
During the opening ceremony, the President-Director General of Tunisian Television, Chokri Ben Nessir, emphasized the symbolic importance of the event organized this year in Tunisia, coinciding with two major anniversaries of Tunisian Television and Mediterranean audiovisual cooperation. He recalled the historical role of these institutions in "consolidating media action" and paid tribute to the pioneers of the sector.
Claudio Cappon's Address
Claudio Cappon, Secretary General of Copeam, declared in his address that the return of the international meeting to the Mediterranean South after almost ten years "constitutes a strong and encouraging symbolic sign for us all, especially in this troubled period that the region is going through." He expressed his satisfaction at being reunited in a framework of international dialogue, highlighting "a spirit of friendship and cooperation" between media from diverse contexts, which he considers "an important sign of hope and mutual trust."
Sadok Hammami's Intervention
Sadok Hammami, Director of the Institute of Press and Information Sciences (Ipsi), presented a worrying diagnosis of the global media environment, marked by a double rupture: "the return of violence in international relations" and "a new information revolution, that of artificial intelligence." He evoked the risk of an "infocalypse," defined as "the collapse of systems that have allowed human societies to inform themselves in a rational way," highlighting that an increasingly large majority of citizens can no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood. This phenomenon is part of a deeper dynamic than a simple crisis: "a permanent and irreversible state of disorder," which he qualifies as "disruption."
Conclusion
Through this conference, Copeam aims to reaffirm the strategic role of audiovisual media in building Mediterranean societies and to outline a common vision to address the challenges of the digital era.
Copeam is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting dialogue and cultural cooperation in the Mediterranean basin. It brings together the main actors in the audiovisual sector, including public radio and television stations from 27 countries, including Tunisia, as well as professional and cultural associations, institutions, local authorities, training structures, and independent producers from the entire region.
