MUMBAI: Al Jazeera Network DG Wadah Khanfar will give the Worldview Address at this year’s MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, which takes place from 22 - 24 August 2008.

In his Worldview Address, which offers a global view of the television business, Khanfar will discuss the international news media and its increased obsession with superficial and ‘immediate’ reporting, looking at whether the profession is in need of a serious overhaul.

Khanfar believes there is a “growing disinterest in the news and its analysis” and will offer a prescription for how international journalism needs to be overhauled, in particular the need to consider the social, cultural and historical dynamics of societies when reporting conflict.

The Al Jazeera Network includes the flagship Al Jazeera Arabic Channel, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Sports, Al Jazeera Mubasher, Al Jazeera Documentary as well as Al Jazeera.net. During his tenure, Khanfar has seen Al Jazeera Arabic's audience grow to over 50 million peak viewers and also oversaw the launch of Al Jazeera English, which now reaches over 110 million households globally.

The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival offers delegates a programme of topical debates, masterclasses, keynote lectures and networking opportunities from leading UK and international media figures. The Festival programme is developed by an Advisory Committee made up of individuals from across the industry such as Left Bank MD Andy Harries, Brighter Pictures MD David Flynn, Outline Productions Joint Managing Director Helen Veale and Magic Lantern Creative Director Russell Stopford. The committee is chaired by C4 Head of Factual Entertainment Andrew Mackenzie.

The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is a delegate entry event which annually attracts over 2000 delegates from all sectors and levels of the industry including a range of terrestrial broadcasters, cable, satellite and digital companies and independent producers.