WAN-IFRA, along with 34 fellow IFEX members, regional and international legal and human rights organisations, have launched a joint appeal for charges to be dropped against prominent human rights activists Gamal Eid, director of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), Ahmad Saif al-Islam, founder of Hisham Mubarak Law Centre (HMLC), as well as blogger Amr Gharbeia. More
The Rory Peck Awards is the only awards competition that celebrates the work of freelance news and current affairs camera operators around the world. The closing date for this year's awards is Monday 6 September. More
The International Freedom of Expression Exchange Tunisia Monitoring Group (IFEX-TMG), a coalition of 20 IFEX members, strongly condemns the arrest of journalist Fahem Boukaddous, who is in poor health, and calls on Tunisia's partners to speak out to help save his life.More
An open letter from journalist Fahem Boukaddous, who is being treated at Farhat Hached Hospital in Sousse, Tunisia. His concern that the police could drag him at any moment from hospital to a filthy and life-threatening prison cell keeps rising.More
The International Freedom of Expression Exchange Tunisia Monitoring Group (IFEX-TMG), a coalition of 20 IFEX members including WAN-IFRA, strongly condemns the court ruling against journalist Fahem Boukaddous and urges the Tunisian authorities to put an end to the shameful use of the judiciary to stifle free expression.More
WAN-IFRA and the World Editor's Forum have condemned a six-month jail sentence handed down to Moroccan journalist and editor, Taoufik Bouachrine, and have called on Moroccan authorities to overturn the sentence. More
The second day of the Arab Free Press Forum got underway with another full programme of panel events welcoming international speakers and regional experts to a fascinating exchange of opinion.
Announcing its annual press freedom resolutions at a meeting in Düsseldorf, Germany, on 7 June, the Board of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) urged the President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to take all necessary steps to reverse the continuing repression of press freedom in the country. More
Welcoming journalists, editors, publishers and free expression advocates from across North Africa and the Middle East, WAN-IFRA's 4th Arab Free Press Forum opened in Beirut on Sunday 6 June with strong statements on the key challenges facing a free press in the region.
The European Commission has officially launched the 18th edition of the Lorenzo Natali Prize. Journalists committed to Development, Democracy and Human Rights are invited to take part.
UNESCO is calling for project proposals within the framework of The Power of Peace Network (PPN). Submitted projects should be related to the promotion of peace and dialogue, have realistic objectives, and be technically feasible. The deadline for submission is 22 June 2010. More
Children's TV in the Arab World, 4th June 2010 - This one-day conference at the University of Westminster, London, brings together executives, scholars and other experts from all parts of the children's television landscape, including broadcasters, producers, educationists, policy-makers, regulators and advisors. More
WAN-IFRA has welcomed the release of Tunisian journalist Taoufik Ben Brik, but reiterates its call for the Tunisian government to free all journalists held in detention because of their work and to respect international commitments to freedom of expression. More
While members of the Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG) welcome Taoufik Ben Brik's release from prison today, the press freedom coalition condemns the charges against journalist Fahem Boukadous as a political manoeuvre whose true aim is to silence criticism of Tunisian authorities. More
The Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG), a coalition of 20 members of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) - the global network of free expression campaigners, has received reports of further harassment of Tunisian journalists. More
Thirty-one IFEX members and22other organisations signed a joint letter to Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, about ongoing violations of freedom of expression in Bahrain.More
Journalists from across the Arab world are invited to apply for a six-week Arabic language online training course on covering labor issues. Deadline to apply: 15 April. More
To mark the occasion of 8 March 2010, International Women's Day, members of the Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG), and members of the IFEX Gender Working Group appealed to the UN to raise concerns about the on-going violations of women's rights in Tunisia. More
The Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG) has voiced new concern for the health of jailed Tunisian journalist Taoufik Ben Brik, one of President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali's firmest critics. More
WAN-IFRA has condemned the murder of journalist Shu'i Al-Rabu'I in Yemen and called on the government to quickly investigate and prosecute the case. More
WAN-IFRA has condemned the closure of the Moroccan newsmagazine Le Journal Hebdomadaire and the apparent use of the judicial system to silence an independent publication. More
Beirut, Lebanon, will host the 4th Arab Free Press Forum in the first of a series of exceptional events planned for the city this coming June. Organized by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), this year's edition of the Arab Free Press Forum will be held in the build up to the 63rd World Newspaper Congress and 17th World Editors Forum. More
In an open letter to His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh about the recent sentencing of two journalists, WAN-IFRA condemned the ongoing campaign of intimidation against the press in Yemen by reminding the president that imprisoning journalists for carrying out their professional duties constitutes a clear breach of the right to freedom of expression.More
The Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG), a coalition now counting 20 member organisations of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), welcomes the European Parliament's public debate on the situation in Tunisia on 20 January. TMG members hope the debate will send a strong message to the Tunisian government to end its unrelenting war on freedom of expression. More
Free Voice, a media freedom organization based in the Netherlands, seeks a general manager for its "Investing in the Future" program for the MENA region. "Investing in the Future" is a unique capacity building program for the media sector in six Arab countries (Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain and Yemen). Click here to access the vacancy posting. More
Asos Hardi, the editor-in-chief and founder of the Awene newspaper in Iraqi Kurdistan, has been awarded the 2009 Gebran Tueni Award, the annual prize of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) that honours an editor or publisher from the Arab region.More
Media managers are being offered free strategy consultations at the WAN-IFRA congress in India later this month. All are welcome to apply for a 30-minute media clinic, with priority being given to those from emerging markets.More
The 2010 Daniel Pearl Awards competition, which honors the world's best cross-border investigative journalism, has begun accepting entries. Submissions from Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East are especially encouraged.More
Internews has now announced the fifteen winners of the Earth Journalism Awards, two of which are from the Middle East, and opened the online public voting to find the winner of a sixteenth prize. The finalists were selected out of some 900 journalists, bloggers and young creatives from 148 countries, who registered to send in their best climate change reports from 2009 in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next month.More
In an open letter to Michel Suleiman about the recent charge of libel against a Lebanese journalist, WAN-IFRA reminded the Lebanese president that "questioning officials' actions and policies is part of the proper function of independent press and such criticism should be expected by senior political figures". Lebanon is set to host three WAN-IFRA events in 2010.More
Applaud our gains in web site traffic? Develop closer partnerships with Google and their competitors? Launch our own search engines and collective news portals? The Great Debate at the 62nd World Newspaper Congress in Hyderabad, India this December will examine these and other such questions.More
"We respectfully remind you that imprisoning journalists for writing and publishing critical comments constitutes a clear breach of the right to freedom of expression", says WAN-IFRA in a protest letter to the president of Yemen over the imprisonment of two journalists for libel. More
Journalists from across the Arab world, North America and Europe are invited to participate in an online training course entitled "Freedom of expression in the digital age," which will be held December 4, 2009 to January 22, 2010. Deadline to apply: November 27. More
The Arab Press Network, through the ANDP programme, will be publishing a series of articles about social media tools, and how they are being used currently by journalists. Digg is the fifth social networking tool to be introduced, as part of this series. It is an online network that allows people to share content from anywhere on the Internet and vote on their favourite web finds. It allows users to submit web content they are interested in and to digg (vote for) or burry (vote against) user-submitted content that they come across. The most dugg content appears on Digg's home page where it can be viewed by the most people.
The Dubai-based Emarat al-youm daily was taken out of circulation for 20 days in July, following a ruling by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal. The court ruled to suspend the newspaper following an article published in 2006 alleging "doping of a race horse" owned by two sons of the UAE's president. Managing editor Basel al-Rafiyeh tells APN that surprisingly the suspension had a positive effect. More
Launched as a platform to showcase the work of young aspiring journalists, the eighth annual Ibda'a Student Awards will be accepting applications from 16 August to 8 October 2009. The competition's tagline is "Let it out", and its stated aim "to recognize, nurture and promote young media talent." More
The independent satellite news channel al-Libya has resumed broadcast from London after the Libyan government announced in April 2009 that all media would be nationalized. Alongside the crackdown on freedom of the press arise questions regarding Libya's political future. More
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) is organising two study tours in September and October to the most successful European multimedia newsrooms, and to a new "hyperlocal" news initiative in the Czech Republic that is already drawing the attention of publishers everywhere. More
The Arab Press Network, through the ANDP programme, will be publishing a serie of articles about social media tools, and how they are being used currently by journalists. Delicious is the fourth social networking tool to be introduced, as part of this serie. it is a social bookmarking tool, which allows users to bookmark, tag and share websites that catch their interest as they go about browsing the Internet. More
The Arab Press Network, through the ANDP programme, will be publishing a serie of articles about social media tools, and how they are being used currently by journalists. MySpace is the third social networking tool to be introduced, as part of this serie. MySpace is a social networking site which allows users to create networks of friends, maintain a blog, join groups, and share pictures and video. MySpace users are able to personalize their pages using HTML coding, a feature that many other social networking website do not offer. More
The 2010 Daniel Pearl Awards competition, which honors the world's best cross-border investigative journalism, has begun accepting entries. The awards are granted by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a project of the Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C. More
The Arab Press Network, through the ANDP programme, will be publishing a serie of articles about social media tools, and how they are being used currently by journalists. Twitter is the second social networking tool to be introduced, as part of this serie. It is a social media and micro-blogging platform which allows users to send and read updates, known as 'tweets,' up to 140 characters in length. The success and popularity of this web apparatus has skyrocketed, and it has become one of the top three most used social networking tools, behind Facebook and MySpace. More
The Arab Press Network, through the ANDP programme, will be publishing a serie of articles about social media tools, and how they are being used currently by journalists. Facebook is the first social networking tool to be introduced, as part of this serie. It is a website which allows users to create profiles, join networks, befriend other users, create and join groups and post events, and become fans of nearly anything imaginable, among a long list of other possibilities. More
Three of the most respected independent Arab newspapers are the core partners of the Arab Newspaper Development Programme. The An-Nahar newspaper in Lebanon, El Watan in Algeria and Egyptian publisher Hisham Kassem have all embarked on projects to find innovative ways to renew their media outlets and the Arab media scene in general. In this special section of the APN website they share their experiences, challenges and lessons learnt. More
Here's how newspapers can ensure a future audience: create post-Internet print content combined with smart digital approaches, directly engage young people and those who influence their media loyalties, while at the same time avoid alienating older readers. That is the "Total Youth Think" approach that is being adopted by newspapers in many countries, and it will be the subject of a major session at the 8th World Young Reader Conference and Expo, to be held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 27 to 30 September next. More
The Rory Peck Awards is a competition that celebrates the work of freelance cameramen and camerawomen in TV news and current affairs worldwide. This annual event is the main fundraiser for The Rory Peck Trust. The money it raises helps the Trust to provide practical support to freelance newsgatherers and their families in times of need, and to promote their welfare and safety. More
Two posts are presently open for recruitment at UNESCO's Communication and Information Sector: Advisors for Communication and Information in Tehran (Iran), and Cairo (Egypt). More
Internews and MTV announce the launch of the MTV Positive Change Award on creative multimedia coverage of climate change. Any young person between the ages of 18 and 28, who is passionate about climate change, is invited to apply to a special category of the Earth Journalism Awards specifically designed by MTV and Internews for young creatives. More
The World Association of Newspapers and IFRA, the leading international associations for print and digital news publishing, have merged into a new organisation, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). The combined new organisation will represent more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3000 companies in more than 120 countries. WAN-IFRA is dedicated "to be the indispensable partner of newspapers and the entire news publishing industry worldwide, particularly our members, in the defense and promotion of press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity, and the development of prosperous businesses and technology." More
The recent parliamentary elections in Lebanon showed the inability of local media to be impartial in their news coverage according to a recent report. Media outlets contributed indirectly to provoking tension and transmitting news that might lead to strife, thereby violating the new Electoral Media Law that stipulates an obligation to ensure balanced coverage. More
In April 2008, Robert Menard became the Director-General of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, with the aim to support journalists in distress worldwide and increase press freedom in the region and beyond. This week, Ménard resigned from his position, stating: "The Centre has been suffocated. We no longer have either the freedom or the resources to do our work". More
The Doha Centre's chief purpose is to help journalists in danger, but for several weeks the Qatar authorities have not given it the resources to fulfil this role. The Centre condemns the determination of some members of the government to delay payment of the budget that would enable help to be given to threatened journalists and media. More
Mobile telephones are not only used for voice calls, SMS messages, e-mailing and internet access - in some markets they also serve as digital wallets, which are used to make purchases online. This flexibility and the enormous number of mobile telephones world-wide makes mobile a natural platform for newspapers to reach audiences with better, more tailored content - and it holds great potential to produce revenues from both advertising and micro-payments. A new report from the World Association of Newspapers' Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project, "Winning Mobile Strategies", examines the most promising strategies for mobile development world-wide. More
This annual award from the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) recognizes newspapers that do the most to develop young readership. WAN has added a special press freedom category for 2009 to honour newspapers that teach effectively about the fragility and importance of press freedom in a democratic society.
The Euroarab Foundation of Higher Studies is organizing for the second consecutive year a 35 hour course, from the 13th to the 17th of July, aimed for students and administrative staff of Euroarab institutions. More
For the 17th time, the European Commission is organizing the Lorenzo Natali Prize to reward journalists working to promote human rights, democracy and development. Journalists world-wide will have the opportunity to win prizes of a total value of 60.000 euros and to meet key leaders in the media sector. Last year's winner from the Maghreb and Middle East was Algerian journalist Nassima Oulebsir. More
The World Association of Newspapers is urging publications world-wide to show their support on World Press Freedom Day, 3 May, for journalists who put their lives in danger to get the news. "Day after day, journalists investigate and file reports on issues they know can lead to harassment, physical retaliation, arrest, prison and even death. On World Press Freedom Day, newspapers can help their readers better understand the contributions these journalists make to their societies, and the dangers they face in doing so," said Timothy Balding, the CEO of the Paris-based WAN. More
Arab newspapers now have the possibility to apply for a unique training programme that will allow them to gain from the experiences of some of the most prominent players on the media scene in the region. Through the Arab Newspaper Development Programme (ANDP), selected newspapers will learn about the latest commercial and editorial strategies of the three core partners of ANDP: the An-Nahar daily in Lebanon, the El Watan daily in Algeria and renowned Egyptian publisher Hisham Kassem. More
The World Association of Newspapers and World Editors Forum have condemned a resolution approved by the United Nations Human Rights Council on "defamation of religion," calling the measure an attack on the basic human right of freedom of expression. "This decision brings discredit on the UN Human Rights Council, which should not justify censorship and the stifling of dissenting voices," said the Paris-based WAN and WEF, the global organisations of the world's press. More
Newspaper industry strategists looking to finally exploit the potential of mobile advertising inevitably have to go to Japan - or they talk to Christopher Billich, who has joined the programme of the World Newspaper Advertising Conference and Expo, to be held in Barcelona, Spain, on 28 and 29 May next. More
During an exclusive study tour to some of the most important newspapers in the UK, Arab editors can get an insight into cost-effective integration strategies for the newsroom crisis. The study tour, which is organised by the World Editors Forum (WEF), takes place at the end of April and Arabic translation will be provided. More
ACAP (Automated Content Access Protocol), the new tool devised by the worldwide publishing community to help make copyright work on the web, is gaining more and more traction with an industry that feels it risks losing control of its main asset - its content. Over 800 sites in 43 countries worldwide have already implemented ACAP on their sites, 53% of which are in the US, as the clearest possible sign to the search engine community and other aggregators that publishers are reasserting their right to decide on the use of their intellectual property, a right which is currently ignored by many players on the Internet. More
Muntadhar Al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former US president George W. Bush during his surprise visit to Iraq in December 2008, has been sentenced to three years in prison by a Baghdad court. In an interview with APN, Farhad Awni, Director of the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate and member of the Iraqi Media Safety Group said: "Al-Zeidi's conviction was based on outdated laws which date back to the time when Iraq was still a kingdom!". Iraqi media groups are now asking the Baghdad court to review the length and severity of the sentence. More
In a letter to His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, King of Bahrain, the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have expressed their concern at the censorship of human rights materials published on the internet. The Bahraini government has reportedly blocked links to articles on the Facebook page of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). More
Now more than ever, newspapers must communicate the value and effectiveness of their advertising to the agencies that control much of the world's ad market. A new report from the World Association of Newspapers helps them do just that. More
Two of the key issues facing newspapers in the global financial crisis - how to maintain and enhance print and advertising revenues -- will be the subject of two back-to-back global press industry conferences to be held in Barcelona, Spain, in May. Although digital innovation is a primary area of newspaper industry development, print and advertising continue to fund these new ventures, as well as being the profit centers for the vast majority of newspaper companies, even in these tough times. More
The winners of the annual Inquirer Award, and investigative reporting award for journalists from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, have been announced. The competition, which is open to print and television reporters as well as photojournalists, awards those who excel in reporting on a significant issue of relevance to the region and it's people. More
Saudi Arabia recently decided to remove a two-year ban on the London-based Elaph online daily. According to reports, this move is due to a reshuffle in the Saudi government which took place a few days before the decision was made. More
Young Arabs are invited to apply for the Young Leaders Visitors Program (YLVP), an intercultural programme with the aim to lay a foundation for dialogue, mutual understanding, and knowledge-sharing among young opinion-makers from Sweden, the Middle East and North Africa. The focus of the programme is on social media as a tool for positive change. More
Following a series of incidents, the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have expressed their serious concern about the press freedom situation in Sudan. Recently, journalists have been detained for their reporting, human rights activists detained and beaten, and foreign journalists expelled from the country. In a letter to President Omar Al Bahir, WAN and WEF call on the Sudanese government to respect international standards of freedom of expression. More
The Hamas-run de facto government in Gaza released a new official newspaper called Al-Ra'i (The Opinion) on Thursday 5 March. The 12-page newspaper (four in colour, eight black and white) is now being produced once a week, but its publishers intend for it to be a daily. The first edition, distributed for free in Gaza, contains an exclusive interview with de facto Prime Minister Isma'il Haniyah and an article about Sa'id Siyam, the interior minister who was assassinated by Israel in January. The newspaper's administration says they have "several" correspondents gathering news and information in Gaza and the West Bank, in addition to editors and other employees. The director of the de facto government media office, Hasan Abu-Hashish, said that all government agencies and ministries will cooperate and support the new paper. More
The Supreme Executive Committee of the Wafd Parry decided in its meeting on the evening of 24 February to fire Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper al-Wafd, Abbas al-Tarabili, and to authorize Wafd Party President Dr Mahmud Abaza to negotiate with Editor-in-Chief of the al-Shurtah magazine, Sa'id Abd-al-Khaliq, to take ever the editorial post of al-Wafd newspaper. More
Repression of media in the Middle East and North Africa and its consequences are the focal points of a recent report by the Doha Centre for Media Freedom. "Today, these places remain generally opposed to the free flow of news," the Centre says, adding that this is despite some easing of press laws and a few signs of opening up for greater tolerance. More
Online journalists in Morocco have decided to create a new union that is able to regulate their work and defend their rights and freedoms, Magharebia.com reports. According to the Moroccan Union of Online Press, a committee is planning a national conference for online journalists, bloggers and internet writers to launch a new entity for that purpose. More
Following a series of incidents where journalists have been attacked by security forces, a first-ever event bringing together media and government representatives was held last month in Jordan. The aim of the seminar was to discuss the relationship between journalists and the security forces and the safety of journalists when covering different events. More
Seventy journalists and other media employees were killed world-wide because of their professional activities in 2008, with the conflict in Iraq continuing to be the most deadly assignment for journalists, the World Association of Newspapers said Wednesday. More
As journalists tried to cover stories of the provincial elections held in Iraq on 31 January, many of them faced humiliation and assault in the process, media sources say. "Several assaults, arrests, and arguments marred coverage of provincial elections in Iraq at the weekend," said Ziad al-Ajili, Head of Iraq's Journalistic Freedoms Observatory. Many journalists were prevented from covering the polls by both Iraqi security forces and the American army, while others were arrested in Baghdad and other provinces. More
The World Association of Newspapers has confirmed the new dates for its World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo, the global meetings of the world's press, which will now be held in Hyderabad, India, from 30 November to 3 December 2009. More
"The Israelis have deliberately targeted journalists. Their houses have been destroyed. Israel claims that this is not the case. But you will see streets full of apartment buildings where only those housing journalists were hit." These are the words of a local journalist who lived the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip in December and January. In a recently published report, International Media Support (IMS) assesses the attack on media during the Israel offensive, with the aim to establish an overview of the media situation and the challenges and dangers facing the journalists and photographers who covered the conflict. More
In these troubled economic times, staying informed of innovative ideas and best practices from other media groups around the world is key for editors-in-chief and senior news executives. Designed by the World Editors Forum, E-Consulting For Editors is an online, on-demand programme for editors-in-chief, online editors and managing editors who are already engaged in the process of integrating their newsroom, considering it, or simply curious to learn more about what it entails. More
A Cairo appeals court on 2 February upheld the September 2007 convictions for "publishing false information likely to disturb public order" against four Egyptian editors. The appeals court also upheld a 20,000 Egyptian pound fine but struck down a one-year jail sentence on the charges, which were brought for publishing articles criticising president Hosni Mubarak, his son Gamal and several high-level officials. In a letter to the president, the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have expressed serious concern at the upheld convictions. More
The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have expressed serious concern at the upholding of a six-year jail sentence against journalist Abdel Karim Al Khaiwani, despite a presidential pardon having been granted to him in September 2008. Mr Al Khaiwani was jailed in June 2008 on charges of belonging to a terrorist organisation and planning terrorist attacks but was granted a presidential pardon and released in September. The original charge brought against him in 2007 was for publishing information liable to undermine army morale. More
The independent Radio Kalima in Tunisia is under siege since 27 January, and has seen one of its journalists abducted and several of its collaborators harassed by plainclothes policemen since they surrounded the station offices on Tuesday. The members of the IFEX-Tunisia Monitoring Group (IFEX-TMG), a coalition of 18 member organisations of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) network, condemn the siege and call on the Tunisian authorities to immediately launch an investigation into the abduction and the harassment of the station's staff and contributors. More
The World Association of Newspapers has called on European leaders who are meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao this week to reaffirm their commitment to improving human rights and press freedom in China, after Germany's justice minister expressed "respect" for the Chinese approach to human rights and the rule of law. More
Mid-career journalists are invited to apply for a fellowship at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. The length of a fellowship varies from three to nine months, and its purpose is to allow journalists to tackle subjects in greater depth than is possible under deadline pressure. Deadline for applications is 11 February 2009. More
In a letter to Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls for an immediate lift of the continued ban on journalists to independently report on event in Gaza. The press freedom organisation also calls on the Israeli authorities to provide an explanation for the IDF's bombing of the Al-Johara and Al-Shuruq towers, which house dozens of international media organizations. More
The Arab media covered Obama Barack's inauguration to a large extent, but with less enthusiasm than their Western counterparts. Other news that competed with the instalment of the 44th American president were Israel's withdrawal from Gaza as well as the Arab economic summit, reports the Huffington Post. More
The World Association of Newspapers has decided to postpone its World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, India from 22 to 25 March, until December, due to the impact of the global financial downturn on newspaper companies. More
Journalists from 22 countries worldwide are welcome to apply for an annual seminar on Journalism and Democracy organised by the Institute for Further Education of Journalists (Fojo) in Sweden. One seminar takes place in May/June and another one in September. Both will take place in Kalmar and Stockholm, Sweden. More
Print and online integration has swept the newspaper industry. How major newspapers are adapting to the 24 hour newsroom is the subject of a major session at the World Editors Forum summit, to be held in Hyderabad, India, from 22 to 25 March next. The session at the Forum will examine new workflows, new storytelling opportunities and the new jobs and positions that have emerged as print and digital operations come together. More
The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have called on Israeli authorities to immediately lift the Defense Ministry's order banning foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip. The ban effectively prevents journalists from covering the ongoing military operations in Gaza and, to a certain extent, in southern Israel. More
A recent report found that Arab journalists consider their own governments to be the greatest threat to journalism in the region, with US involvement perceived as a lesser menace. In "The Mission of Arab Journalism: Creating Change in a Time of Turmoil," Lawrence Pintak and Jeremy Ginges report on a survey of 601 journalists in 13 Arab countries, uncovering how Arab journalists see themselves, their duties and their roles. Pintak shared with APN his personal thoughts on the survey results, suggestions for improving relations between Arab and Western journalists and what response he found most surprising. More
Some of the world's leading editors will gather in India in March at the annual World Editors Forum summit to share their strategies for producing quality editorial content in difficult financial times. As the global financial crisis is forcing newspaper companies world-wide to reduce staff and other resources, the annual Forum, to be held from 22 to 25 March in Hyderabad, India, will focus on the growing newsroom challenge of "Doing More with Less". More
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to open the World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo 2009, the global summit meetings of the world's press, to be held in Hyderabad, India, from 22 to 25 March next. The events, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and hosted by the Indian Newspaper Society, are expected to draw 2,000 newspaper publishers, managing directors, CEO, chief editors and other senior newspaper executives at a time when the global financial crisis is putting additional pressure on advertising-dependent media. More
More than 100 journalists and support workers died covering the news in 2008, according to data compiled by the International News Safety Institute (INSI). It counted 109 casualties in 36 countries, the great majority of them murdered apparently because of their work. An additional four deaths are still under investigation. More
The publication of a quarter page advertisement in the Egyptian pro-government daily Rosa Al Yousef defaming Tunisian press freedom and human rights activist Sihem Bensedrine has created an outcry among Egyptian rights organisations. "Publishing this Tunisian advertisement is another backward step for this newspaper, which has previously included stories celebrating fictional human rights achievements in the country. Yesterday's article however crossed the line in attacking a woman who is struggling with her colleagues against the brutal suppression machine of Tunisia," the groups said in a statement. More
While US media are playing down the Israeli attacks on Gaza, media elsewhere report in a far more balanced way, including in Israel where the highly respected Haaretz newspaper questions the ongoing attacks. Greg Mitchell, editor of Editor & Publisher, looks at the reporting in an opinion piece for The Huffington Post. More
The Doha Centre for Media Freedom has launched a petition in support of Muntazer Al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw a shoe on President Bush in early December. The press freedom organisation calls for a fair trial for Al-Zaidi and that his physical safety is guaranteed. Reports claim that the journalist has been beaten up while in custody, with a broken arm and ribs as well as injuries to his eye and leg. More
The World Association of Newspapers has condemned the expulsion of Egyptian free press advocate Gamal Eid from Jordan, where he was to take part in organisational meetings for a training course for journalists. Mr Eid, Executive Director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, was detained for six hours, prevented from entering Jordan, and deported to Egypt on 15 December. He arrived in Jordan from Beirut, Lebanon, after participating in WAN's Arab Free Press Forum. More
Najaam Sethi, editor-in-chief of Friday Times and Daily Times in Pakistan, has been awarded the 2009 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers. Mr Sethi, whose newspapers advocate liberal and secular ideas in a country too-often torn by religious extremism, was honoured for his outstanding defence and promotion of press freedom under difficult circumstances and constant personal danger. More
The World Association of Newspapers has condemned the absence of press freedom in much of the Arab world and has called on governments in North Africa, the Middle East and the Persian Gulf to end their repressive policies and release all imprisoned journalists, bloggers and freedom of expression advocates. More
"He was right next to me. I looked left, I looked right, and he vanished. It was like the magician David Copperfield. All that was left of him was his suitcase." Human rights lawyer Mohamed Abbou was standing next to Naziha Rjiba in the Tunis airport on Wednesday as they prepared to board a plane to Beirut for the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum. Suddenly, he was gone. Ms Rjiba, editor of the Kalima online magazine and vice president of the Observatory for Freedom of the Press, Publishing and Creation in Tunisia, spoke about the latest attack on press freedom in Tunisia at the conference, taking place on 12 and 13 December in Beirut, Lebanon. More
Egypt has 81 million people, but newspaper circulation is only 1 million daily. "This is really shameful, we should go up to three or four million at least. This is a national security issue as Egypt is rife with rumors. It must go up," said newspaper publisher Hisham Kassem when talking at the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum that took place on 12 and 13 December in Beirut, Lebanon.
"Hundreds of citizens call us every day asking us to publish their problems for which they don't find space in other newspapers," said Ahmed Nachatti, editor-in-chief of the Assada Almassala free daily in Morocco, who spoke at the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum on 12 and 13 December in Beirut. "So, through a new product, we try to reach everyone -- in bus stations, cafes, the small lanes, everywhere." More
"Governments throughout this region continue to resort to harassment, censorship, prosecution, fining and imprisonment of news media professionals in order to control information. The hostility toward independent and opposition media and critical voices continues to rise and the repression against these voices can be ruthless," said Timothy Balding, CEO of the World Association of Newspapers in his opening remarks to the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum, taking place on 12 and 13 December in Beirut. More
"I think that when we speak of 'oblique tactics', it is as if we're speaking of clever governments. I don't think this is true for Arab governments. I think Arab governments are stupid and repressive and they don't need to resort to oblique tactics. Our governments don't need to resort to oblique tactics because they are blunt," said Egyptian editor Ibrahim Essa when commenting on media freedom in the Arab world during the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum taking place in Beirut on 12 and 13 December. More
When Tunisian bloggers suspected that the presidential jet was being frequently used for personal business by friends and family of the president, they used airport records to track its travels and compared it to official government records. Only one of ten trips proved to be official. Using Google maps, the bloggers illustrated their findings by "following" the plane in a video that was posted on YouTube and could be viewed within Tunisia. This and many other testimonies of how bloggers distribute information in the Arab world were shared at the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum, taking place on 12 and 13 December in Beirut, Lebanon. More
Authorities in Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Syria have prevented four Arab journalists and human rights activists from attending the Arab Free Press Forum, an annual gathering in Beirut, Lebanon, that examines how independent media can be effective despite widespread repression in the region. The travel restrictions drew condemnation from the World Association of Newspapers, the organiser of the event. More
A good journalist's job is not to make friends over a cup of tea and refreshments, Doha Debates Chairman Tim Sebastian told a gathering of Arab journalists in Amman recently. "It is not your job to make friends over a cup of tea and a slice of cake. The general public does not get the chance to hold politicians accountable and in many cases your questions are their only weapons". More
Ibrahim Essa, editor-in-chief of the Al Dustour daily newspaper in Egypt, has been awarded the 2008 Gebran Tueni Award, the annual prize of the World Association of Newspapers that honours an editor or publisher in the Arab region. More
The unique role played by blogs in the Arab world are among the many topics that will be discussed during the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum taking place in Beirut on 12 and 13 December. Sudanese blogger Kizzie Shawkat will share her experiences together with Tunisian blogger Sami Ben Gharbia, Syrian blogger Mohammad Al-Abdallah and Fouad Al Farhan, a blogger from Saudi Arabia.The Forum is organised by the World Association of Newspapers in collaboration with the Lebanese An-Nahar daily. More
A citizen-journalism upload portal has been launched by Qatar-based Arabic satellite network Al Jazeera, "seeking eyewitness news reports from its vast international audience." According to an English translation of the project's website, posted by Yelvington's blog, Al Jazeera's aim is to "raise awareness" of issues of public interest and be a "bridge" between peoples and cultures by providing "unbiased coverage of events." More
The Knight Fellowships awards up to nine fellowships each year to journalists from around the world who have already done first-rate work and who have the potential of great impact in journalism in their home countries. Beginning this year, the program has revised its selection process to reflect a new emphasis on journalistic innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership, including an emphasis on developing and strengthening press freedoms around the world. Deadline is 15 December. More
Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), will hold its first regional conference in Amman from 28 to 30 November. The meeting will offer a rare opportunity for a new generation of Arab investigative reporters to share their experience with top international journalists and leading media professionals and academics. More
Which are the behind-the-scene manoeuvres that Arab government use to control the media? What are the obstacles faced by the independent press in countries such as Egypt, Syria and Yemen? These and other questions will be addressed by the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum, taking place in Beirut on 12 and 13 December. More
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has welcomed the King of Jordan's expression of support for press freedom after he said that journalists should not be jailed for their work. "His Majesty's statement reinforcing his opposition to the jailing of journalists is a very significant step for press freedom in the kingdom," said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. More
Algerian journalist Nassima Oulebsir's article 'These children not allowed to attend school' has won the first prize in the Maghreb and Middle East category of the annual Lorenzo Natali Journalism Prize. The article, which tells about children who are denied the right to school because their parents were previously members of underground armed groups, led to a major debate about children's rights in Algeria. More
Somali news cameraman Abdullahi Farah Duguf has won the 2008 Rory Peck Award for News. The award honours freelance coverage of on-the-day news, where the focus is on the immediacy of the story. The winning footage Two Weeks in Mogadishu was shot in September 2007 and describes the human misery in the war-torn capital. More
For the first time in its 54-year history, the Zurich-based Distripress has elected a President from the Middle East. Tony Jashanmal, Director of the Jashanmal Group headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, was voted as the president for a three-year term. The elections were held as part of the Annual Distripress Convention in Istanbul. More
What to consider when investing in a printing press and the importance of brand management are among the topics to be discussed at the upcoming IFRA Middle East Conference, taking place in Cairo from 25 to 26 November. This annual event brings together media experts from both within and beyond the region to discuss the latest news in the newspaper technology and business of relevance for the region. More
Journalists Al Rabih Ould Edum from Mauritania, Najah Alosaimi from Saudi Arabia and Simba Russeau from Lebanon are among the 30 winners of the Every Human Has Rights Media Awards, organised by Internews Europe. The public is now invited to vote for their favourite among the 30 winning stories. More
At the recent World Association of Newspapers' Young Reader seminar, specialists in media literacy programmes shared ideas on the importance of motivating students to examine the role of the media in a democratic context. New programmes on offer aim to develop viewpoints beyond scepticism, identify civic values, and understand the significance of free press. More
Until 27 November Internet users can elect their favourite blogs, podcasts and videoblogs for the Deutsche Welle Annual International Weblog Awards. Drawing attention to the significance of the blogosphere, Deutsche Welle (DW-WORLD) welcomes online votes for the best blogs of 2008. In its fifth year, the awards known as the BOBs, will acknowledge blogs in 11 languages. More
Last week, press freedom violations occurred in Algeria, Egypt, Israel/Palestinian territories, Jordan, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. More
The World Association of Newspapers hosts the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum in Beirut, Lebanon, on 12 and 13 December 2008. A joint initiative of the World Association of Newspapers and the Lebanese An-Nahar daily newspaper, the Forum will provide an overview of the latest press developments in the Arab world. More
Algerian journalist Noureddine Boukraa faces a three-month suspended prison term and a fine of approximately US$460 in relation to an investigative article on local police in Annaba. Sentenced on 26 October by a court in Annaba, Boukraa is accused of disclosing confidential information on a judicial case in November 2007. More
A hotline has been set up for journalists seeking protection in Iraq by the Ministry of Interior and the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory (a non-governmental, Reporters Without Borders partner organisation). Headed by Ziad al-Ajili, JFO undertakes reporters' cases by promptly passing it on to a special police squad committed to the safety of journalists. More
Tunisian journalist Om Zied (Naziha Rjiba) received a summons to appear before the public prosecutor on 27 October in relation to an article entitled: "They attacked Kalima", published in the 22 October issue of the newspaper Muwatinoun. OLPEC (Observatory for the Freedom of Press, Publishing and Creation) releases an alert as to the press freedom violations taking place in the country. More
In a letter to UN Special Rapporteur Frank La Rue in Geneva, the Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG) urges the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate a number of violations of rights to expression committed in Tunisia. The number of blocked news and human rights websites as well as blogs has risen over the past years, despite the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held in Tunis in November 2005. More
Under the patronage of Sheikha Mozah in Qatar, The Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF) was launched on 15 October. Robert Menard, DCMF Director-General and former president of Reporters Without Borders, heads the centre set up for journalists worldwide in difficulty, providing them with shelter and a recourse to their rights. Serving the cause of press freedom, DCMF consists of an Advisory Council and Board of Governors that includes former Mozambican Education Minister Gracia Machel (Mrs. Nelson Mandela), Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho, actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow, and French journalist Patrick Poivre d' Arvor. More
When newspaper executives talk about multimedia development, they often mean digital development. But that approach overlooks their biggest asset - their newspaper in print, which brings great value to multimedia delivery. More
UNESCO has initiated an interactive wiki platform to assist in teaching a model journalism curriculum in Arabic and French. Pointing to the connection between democracy and journalism, the Model Curricula for Journalism Education aims at creating quality training programmes in the countries where it is important to promote freedom of press and expression. More
The Abu Dhabi Media Zone project, Twofour54, was launched in the United Arab Emirates this week. The new multi-media centre will focus on training and development in journalism, broadcasting, film-making and publishing, inviting the attention of media professionals worldwide. More
"I think Facebook has the potential to be the next Google in terms of revenue potential," said Hans Peter Brondmo, CEO and Founder of Plum Software, USA at the WAN conference on World Digital Publishing in Amsterdam 15 and 16 October. More
Despite impressive gains in audience and advertisers, newspaper websites do not produce revenue comparable to that of print newspapers. Caroline Little, advisor to The Washington Post and The Guardian on their Internet strategies, comments on this at the WAN World Digital Publishing Conference, taking place in Amsterdam 15-16 October. More
The worldwide Blog Action Day, which takes place on 15 October, will together close to 9,000 blogs around the theme of poverty. The Australian initiative was launched last year, and this year the organisers count on reaching out to ten millions readers around the world. More
The Tunisian independent news website Kalima came under attack last week, destroying the entire website. Similar attacks on Tunisian websites have been carried out in the past. More
For the first time, over 100 Middle East print titles will be audited by BPA Worldwide, the global auditor of media. "One interesting aspect of this development is that we are seeing media owners in the region broaden their understanding of how an audit can help their brand which is leading to more interest in interactive and event audits, as well as conventional print auditing," commented Stuart Wilkinson, BPA's Managing Director for Europe, Middle East & Africa. More
While welcoming the pardon of Egyptian editor-in-chief Ibrahim Eissa, the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and the World Editors Forum (WEF) express their concern regarding the general press freedom situation the country. More
The Knight News Challenge will award US$ 5million for accomplishing ideas that will improve local online news, deepen community engagement, bring Web 2.0 tools to local neighborhoods, develop publishing platforms and standards to support local conversations or innovate how we visualize, experience or interact with information. Deadline for applications is 1 November. More
The United States Defense Department will award private American contractors US$300 million for military-led media operations to motivate the local population to support U.S. objectives in the country as well as the Iraqi government, according to an article in the Washington Post. The contractors will be paid to produce news stories, entertainment programs and public service to feature in the media in Iraq. More
The Journalism Certificate aims to help journalists upgrade their skills and learn new techniques, as well as to help professional media practitioners advance in their careers. A converged newsroom is meant to be the venue for the training of Arab journalists in print, broadcast and online media. The courses are hands-on, application-oriented modules with heavy reliance on case studies. Lab work, exercises and projects will take priority over theoretical pursuits. The course is organised by The Journalism Training Program (JTP), in cooperation with the Continuing Education Center (CEC) at the American University of Beirut (AUB). More
Even in the toughest times, newspapers in many countries find ways to increase readership. The World Association of Newspapers has gathered some of the most successful cases for its 11th Readership Conference in Amsterdam on 16 and 17 October next. More
The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) together with 36 other press freedom advocacy groups condemns the ongoing violations of press freedom in Egypt, and urges the authorities to drop all charges against journalists and reverse politically motivated prison sentences. More
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) founder and chief, Robert Menard, announced his resignation on Friday. Menard is said to want to explore other avenues and will be replaced by Jean-Francois Julliard, 35. Menard has had a significant impact at Reporters Without Borders and shot to fame earlier this year with calls for a boycott on the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and for his outspoken condemnation of China's crackdown on Tibetan protesters. More
Bilal Hussein, an Iraqi photographer for The Associated Press, is one of five journalists to win the annual International Press Freedom Awards, handed out by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Hussein risked his life covering Ramadi and Fallujah in the volatile Anbar province in western Iraq, and his 2004 photo of Iraqi insurgents firing on U.S. troops during the battle of Fallujah helped AP win a Pulitzer Prize in photography. This same photo may also have led to Hussain's detention by the U.S. military. Hussein was arrested by U.S. forces in April 2006 and held for two years without charge. His case illustrates the U.S. military's alarming tactic of open-ended detentions of Iraqi journalists. All of the detained journalists have ultimately been released without any charges ever being substantiated against them. More
The World Association of Newspapers has asked competition authorities in Europe and North America to block an advertising agreement between Google and Yahoo on anti-competitive grounds, saying the deal would have a negative impact on the advertising revenues that the search giants provide to newspaper and other websites, and on the cost of paid search advertising. More
In war-riddled Sudan, the recent suspensions of two English-language newspapers have shown how the operations of the private press have been held hostage to internecine conflicts. For 21 years, war splintered the country's northern and southern regions until the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) introduced a purported north-south coalition government, shared oil reserves and guaranteed press freedom. However, the country remains fractured, instability is rife and censorship was reinstated on 6 February 2008. More
The Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza has won the annual World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year award, the World Association of Newspapers announced today on International Literacy Day (8 September). More
Radio Netherlands Training Center (RNTC) is offering a course for journalists to improve their use of the Internet for research, publication and distribution. The six-week course will be held in Hilversum, the Netherlands, from 11 May to 19 June 2009. More
Journalists and researchers from developing and transitional countries are encouraged to apply to the 2008 Global Development Awards and Medals Competition. The competition and its organizer, The Global Development Network (GDN), aims to draw attention to environmental issues around the world. More
With a strong belief in the development of an independent, democratic, liberal and prosperous Lebanon, the New Opinion Workshop (NOW) Lebanon website debuted in April 2007. Michael Koram, Executive Director of NOW's English-language version, spoke with APN about the ongoing evolution of the web portal. More
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) encourages Arab journalists, with at least one year of professional experience, to apply for their online course on investigative reporting, running 26 September to 31 October. More
The past year has been a trying one for journalism in Palestine, with the Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (Mada) reporting 22 press freedom violations occurring in July 2008 alone. Mada Coordinator Mousa Rimawi shared with APN details of the grim situation of journalism in Palestine and why it is difficult to be optimistic in the midst of the ongoing political violence. More
A recent surge of social activism among Egyptians has alerted the government to a networking force that has thus far eluded their control: Facebook. Since the 6 April general strike, rumour has it that the social networking website has been front and centre on the Egyptian authorities' radar as they mull over the possibility of a block. More
Dutch press freedom advocacy group Free Voice welcomes media leaders from Islamic countries to attend a conference focusing on the strengthening of the legal position of journalists, the anchoring of the freedom of press and to the accessibility of news worthy information in the region. More
A new award is being initiated this year to recognize media stories that accurately depict the situation of children and young people in the Arab nations of the Middle East. The Arab Media Award on Child Rights will aim to honour the work of journalists annually. More
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) expressed its objection and firm condemnation of Al Ahram Press' refusal to print the second edition of the independent Al-Badeel daily on 20 August, following the newspaper's coverage of a fire that broke out in al-Shoura Council, including some highlights of experts, who claimed that the fire was not started accidentally. More
Border police at Tunis-Carthage International Airport barred journalist Sihem Bensedrine from leaving the country as she prepared to board a Vienna-bound flight on 19 August. After submitting to a thorough search of her handbag and a back pack containing her laptop, during which customs officials meticulously combed through personal documents, Bensedrine was told to follow the agents to an office. Finding no valid reason to do so, she refused, at which point several plainclothes men who did not identify themselves took over. More
William Powers, Media Critic for the US-based National Journal and author of "Hamlet's Blackberry: Why Paper is Eternal," has joined the programme of the 11th Readership Conference and Expo, to be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on 16 and 17 October next. More
The Arab Media Centre is currently inviting Arab journalists to reply to its call for papers for its next conference, taking place on 30-31 March 2009 at the University of Westminster in London. Titled "African and Arab media Audiences: Shared Agendas for Research," the conference is jointly organised by the Africa Media Series, Arab Media Centre and Audiences Group Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), and the University of Westminster and will focus on the growth and diversification of media audiences in the Arab world and Africa. More
Transparency International (TI), a global anti-corruption organisation, welcomes nominations for the 2008 Integrity Awards. Arab journalists and newspapers are encouraged to participate. More
What sources do Arab journalists value most? Which are most trusted? Which are wastes of time? With a focus primarily on the relationship between journalists in the Arab world and the communications industry, MediaSource and Insight surveyed members of the Arab media, presenting results that reach beyond the relevance of press releases and rank the news sources that the region's journalists love and loathe. More
In December 2008, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Internews and the Every Human Has Rights campaign, supported by The Elders, will celebrate a year of collaboration with leading human rights organisations through the Every Human Has Rights Media Awards.
In the wake of last week's coup in Mauritania, Magda Abu-Fadil, director of the Journalism Training Program at the American University of Beirut (AUB), shares her view on the impact of political vagaries on the press in the North African country where she conducted media workshops. More
The Arab world will see the launch of the International Federation of Journalists' (IFJ) Ethical Journalism Initiative (EJI) November in Dubai. The EJI launch will take place at a major regional conference hosted by the Association of Journalists of the United Arab Emirates. More
To accompany the French Presidency of the European Union, Coordination SUD invites young journalists and cartoonists to take part in a competition they have organized in partnership with RFI, TV5 World and Cartooning for Peace. More
In a new article published in The International Journal of Press/Politics, Arab media expert Lawrence Pintak and American professor Jeremy Ginges report on survey results uncovering how Arab journalists see themselves, their duties and their roles. The results uncover similarities between Arab journalists and their American counterparts and expose just how wrong U.S. perception of the industry professionals is. More
Sada Al Massaiya, the first free Arabic-language daily to appear in Morocco, was launched on June 16 by the Maroc Soir group. Morocco boasts a number of free circulation publications already but none are available in Arabic. More
The Rory Peck Awards 2008 is now open for entries. The award, which has been an annual fixture since 1995, recognizes and honours the work of freelance cameramen and camerawomen around the world, operating in regions where gathering news is a difficult and dangerous feat. More
For the first time, Middle Eastern and Arabic design will be the focus of a special session at the 30th annual Society for News Design (SND) Congress, being held in Las Vegas on 7-9 September. More
Web 2.0, audio and video editing, converged content and online media ethics were a few of the topics tackled in a five-day workshop on "Citizen/Online Journalism" that drew eager bloggers seeking to hone their skills in cyber publishing. More
Human Rights Watch has announced the recipients of the 2008 Hellman/Hammett Awards; grants given to writers who have endured political persecution in response to their work. Among this years recipients - all of whom have been harassed, assaulted, indicted, jailed on trumped-up charges, or tortured merely for providing information from non-governmental sources - are six writers from the Arab world; one Egyptian, two Somalis and three Iraqis. More
"The Levant still has good newspapers, but the economic life is very low," says Hafez al Barghouthi, editor-in-chief of the Palestinian daily Al Hayat al Jadida. "In Palestine there is nothing compared to the resources for journalists in the Gulf region." A panellist discussing the phenomena at the Arab Media Forum 2008, Al Barghouthi spoke with APN about journalism in the Levant and why the region's talent is draining into the Gulf. More
On 30 June a group of ineligible union members filed a lawsuit against the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) for what they believe to be discriminatory requirements for membership. APN spoke with Mohammed Al-Asaadi, Consultant and Media Strategist for Sana'a University and former editor-in-chief of the Yemen Observer, about the lawsuit and why some journalists are not pleased with the syndicate. More
Hamas blocked distribution of three main Palestinian newspapers on 28 July. Authorities of the political party confiscated shipments of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Al-Ayyam and Al-Quds upon arrival from Ramallah at the Gaza border, reportedly in retaliation to the papers' coverage of a bomb attack on a Hamas car on 25 July. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida editor-in-chief Hafez Al Barghouthi calls the distribution block "another effort to frighten the press." Al Barghouthi spoke with APN about this most recent hurdle for the Palestinian press. More
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is seeking applications for an exciting program that will pair U.S. and Muslim-World journalists for joint reporting projects on issues of importance to audiences in both places. More
Sabah Mohammad, editor-in-chief of the Al-Shahed daily in Kuwait, is going to court today. He is not going in relation to the jail term he was handed on 19 June, or in relation to one of the many other legal cases that have been launched against him during his relatively short career. He'll find out why he is there when he gets there. Mohammad spoke with APN about speaking out and dealing with reprisal in what is claimed to be the freest country of the Arab world. More
The World Association of Newspapers is now offering materials for publication in newspapers around the world that wish to commemorate International Literacy Day on 8 September. More
SlimBoukhdir has been released from Sfax Prison after serving eight months of a 1-year sentence in degrading and dangerous conditions. The Tunisian internet journalist was arrested in November 2007 and charged with insulting a public employee, violating "public decency," and refusing to provide identification to police. More
Media and marketing professionals worldwide are encouraged to attend the 2008 Media and Marketing Show in Dubai to meet and mix with the people who are shaping the future of the industry in the region and around the globe. The 4th annual exhibition will take place from 3 to 5 November at the Dubai International Convention Centre. More
Young journalists from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine are encouraged to apply to attend the Young Leaders Visitors Program, which will take place this fall in Sweden. More
The "Get the Facts About Newspapers" campaign from the World Association of Newspapers has released its third advertisement for use by publications around the world to help counter the negative myths and misinformation about the industry. More
For four years Zuhair Al-Abbad petitioned the courts to allow him to create a syndicate for journalists in Kuwait and for four years he was refused. The Kuwait Journalist Syndicate was finally established 7 July and Al-Abbad shared with APN his hopes that it will open a new realm of opportunities for journalists in Kuwait and abroad. More
The head of Morocco's main Islamist party has revealed he was asked by the government's second in command to protest in front of Le Journal Hebdomadaire's offices during the Danish cartoon affair. More
The Newspapers in Education program, which brings newspapers into the classroom as a teaching resource and additional textbook, has become a great success in Jordan since its launch in 2006, having expanded to three-dozen schools. It is a favourite of teachers and students alike, giving the girls at one Amman high school in particular an opportunity for hands-on learning and self-expression. More
A coalition of international press freedom organisations has asked French President Nicolas Sarkozy not to underestimate human rights violations in Tunisia as he seeks to create a Union for the Mediterranean at a summit meeting in Paris on Sunday, 13 July.
When Baha Boukhari was arrested for his political cartoon of Hamas leader Ismaïl Haniyeh in February 2008, the Palestinian people rose up and showed immense support for the cartoonist. In June, he received the 2008 Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award for his work. Boukhari shared with APN the spectrum of events he has experienced this year and his determination to continue cartooning. More
Themed "The News Channel of the Future," the International Newsmedia Marketing Association's (INMA) 36th annual conference will examine the relevance of newsmedia to society as well as address the reasons people purchase newspaper and how the news is viewed. The INMA Europe Conference will look at how, through providing multi-media news, newspapers can thrive in an increasingly digital world. More
In an effort to address feelings of misrepresentation and disenfranchisement among minority groups in the UK media industry, MediaGuardian, part of the Guardian Media Group, presents the Ethnic Media Summit to explore the role of minorities in the industry and how it is transforming the media landscape. More
Newspaper companies have been successful in generating audience and attention with their digital platforms. But the Holy Grail for newspaper companies is how to produce significant revenues online. More
King Abdullah of Jordan has launched a fund to ameliorate the professional skills of journalists through training aimed at the development of their theoretical and practical knowledge. In an interview about the state of journalism in Jordan the King noted, "It seems that some of our journalists forgot what journalism is all about. It is about reading, researching and investing in pursuit of the truth; not sitting behind a desk, making up silly stories." More
Arab women reporters are encouraged to attend a two-year programme focusing on women's health and development organised by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB). Applications must be sent by 1 August. More
The Journalism Training Program (JTP) at the American University of Beirut will conduct a workshop July 21-25, 2008 on "Citizen/Online Journalism " for Arab print, broadcast and online reporters. More
In a recently published report, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) highlights journalists worldwide who were forced to flee their home countries in the past year. More than half of them come from Iraq (22) and Somalia (21). APN spoke to Elisabeth Witchel who wrote the CPJ report along with Karen Phillips. More
An independent report has fund that no militant activity was taking place in the Gaza strip area where Fadel Shana, a Palestinian cameraman working for Reuters, was killed by Israeli gunfire on 16 April this year. APN spoke to Mark Thompson, managing editor of Reuters Europe, Middle East and Africa, about the findings of the report and how Israel has responded to the inquiries. More
Nearly 50 Somali journalists recently participated in two workshops on how to report safely in Somalia, one of the world's deadliest countries for media professionals. The training was provided by the The International News Safety Institute (INSI) and its Somali partner, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). More
Arab artists promoting human rights are encouraged to enter the ArtVenture Freedom to Create Prize. This US$100,000 prize will honour creative artists worldwide who use their talents to promote human rights and confront discrimination and oppression. More
Samir Kassir's Eyes, a regional press freedom watchdog, was launched in Beirut, Lebanon on 16 June. Inaugurated three years after the assassination of the An-Nahar columnist Samir Kassir, the organisation will to begin with operate in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine before extending its reach beyond the Levantine. More
Arab print and broadcast journalists are encouraged to apply for a seminar organised by the Dart center for Journalism and Trauma from 11 to 15 November in Chicago, USA.
The Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2008 will take place in Budapest, Hungary on 27-28 June 2008. Free speech online and the best way to counter censorship are among the topics that will be discussed at this international meeting.
What skills are needed in the multimedia newsroom? Do you reporters know what the term "mojo" means? How can the readers be integrated into the news cycle? The recently published annual Trends in Newsrooms report answers these questions and many others linked to the transformation taking place in newsrooms around the world. APN spoke to John Burke, the report's editor-in-chief, about this year's trends. More
In Egypt, five privately-owned newspapers received their printing licenses on 8 June. APN spoke to Ehab Elzelaky, the directing manager of Al-Masry Al-Youm, one of Egypt's most well-known independent dailies, and Atef Saadawy, the managing editor of the Al-Ahram Democracy Review, a political quarterly publication launched in 2001, who shared different views about the nature and impact of this event.
Yesterday, a Moroccan court ordered Al Jarida Al Oula, an Arabic-language daily launched in May, to stop publishing testimony given by victims of years of repression under late King Hassan II.
Somali media practitioners and the Eastern Africa Media Institute is appealing to the international media community to assist in providing medical help to journalist Abdikahim Omar Jumaleh, who was wounded in a shooting by unknown gunmen in Mogadishu on 11 August 2007. His left hand was severely injured and he remains in poor condition nearly one year after the attack.
Amnesty International has granted its 2008 « Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat » to Yemeni journalist Abdulkarimal-Khaiwani just a few days after he was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of "publishing information liable to undermine army morale".
The president of the Syrian Center for Media & Freedom of Expression Mazen Darwish is expected to receive his sentence in a presumed 18 June court hearing on a defamation case brought against him by the Syrian authorities.
In September, the Moroccan Ecomédias press group will open a new journalism school in Casablanca. Forty students will get to be trained in everything from journalistic writing to how to prepare a radio show and also learn about country's press laws at the ESJC (Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme et de Communication).
Palestinian journalist Naela Khalil has won this year's Samir Kassir Award for her article "Palestinians pay the price of hatred", published on 14 March 2008 on the Arab Media Internet Network. The article denounces human rights violations in the Palestinian territories and the total impunity of those who commit such acts.
War correspondents and photographers have until 16 June to submit works for the Bayeux-Calvados War Correspondents Prize. The best journalistic work on a conflict and its consequences for the civil population or an event concerning the defence of press freedom and democracy will be awarded.
For the seventh year, International Policy Network (IPN), a London-based think tank, is accepting submissions for its annual Bastiat Prize for Journalism. Arab journalists writing in English are encouraged to participate.
The Tunisia Monitoring Group (TMG), a coalition of 18 organisations concerned for the promotion of freedom of expression in the North-African country, considers that a recent report on human rights in Tunisia shows grave breaches.
Abdulkareem Al-Khaywani, a freelance journalist and former editor of the now closed weekly Al-Shoura, was yesterday sentenced to six years in prison on charges of "publishing information liable to undermine army morale".
The World Association of Newspapers and World Editors Forum has condemned the UN Human Rights Council's repeated efforts to undermine freedom of expression in the name of protecting religious sensibilities.
The World Association of Newspapers, which is currently holding its 61st World Newspaper Congress and 15th World Editors Forum in Göteborg, Sweden, strongly condemns the continuing legal harassment exerted against the renowned Algerian cartoonist Ali Dilem.
Bilal Hussein, an Iraqi photographer with Associated Press (AP) who spent more than two years in US military custody in Iraq on suspicion of being a security threat, was awarded a journalism prize by a Spanish foundation on 22 May.
A Chinese journalist who went to prison for reporting on a health threat before Chinese authorities announced it has been awarded the 2008 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers.
Cartoonists and journalists from the Arab world, Europe and the United States today defended, during the annual press freedom round-table organised by the World Association of Newspapers on the eve of the World Newspaper Congress, their right to offend, shock and disturb their audiences, and presented evidence that the Danish cartoon crisis was manipulated by repressive governments to further restrict freedom of expression.
Writer, broadcaster and Visiting Senior Fellow at the Department of Political, International and Policy Studies at the University of Surrey, Kenan Malik, talked about whether freedom of speech should be restricted or increased in today's plural society at the Press Freedom Round Table on the eve of the World Newspaper Congress.
Journalists' Unions and Associations representing thirteen different countries from throughout the Arab World and Iran meeting in Casablanca at a regional meeting of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called on 19 May upon the Yemeni authorities to drop charges against journalist Al Khaiwani and to take measures to guarantee his safety.
Arab Journalist who show great courage and commitment to reporting on controversial issues and wish to enter the 2008 Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism have a few days left to apply. The deadline is 1 June.
The Arabic-language Egyptian daily Al-Dustour, best known for the frank editorial stances of editor-in-chief Ibrahim Eissa and the numerous court actions that have been launched to silence him, now has its own website. The site, http://www.dostor.org, was launched on 16 May.
Reuters Foundation offers full bursaries for journalists from the Arab countries wishing to attend a course focusing on the writing of international news. Applications must be sent by 27 June.
The 2008 Newsroom Barometer, a global survey, reveals that many press executives around the world are optimistically grasping modern media trends while increasingly forgoing more traditional practices. At the same time there are important differences that stem from varying obstacles and advantages unique to the press in different regions of the world. Fifty-six representatives of the press from Africa and the Middle East responded to the survey, which was conducted by Zogby International and commissioned by the World Editors Forum and Reuters.
Arab freelance TV reporters are invited to enter the Rory Peck Awards, which is the only international competition to recognise the work of freelance cameramen and camerawomen in TV newsgathering. The Rory Peck contest offers support to freelancers who experience extreme difficulties in their work. It was established in recognition of freelance cameraman Rory Peck who was killed in October 1993 in crossfire while covering the October coup outside Moscow's Ostankino Television Centre.
The Jordan-based Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) organizes a job fair for the journalism and media students of Yarmouk University. The event will take place on 17 May 2008 at Al Hussein Youth City in Amman.
A competition sponsored by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) will award newspapers that have devised innovative projects or activities for young readers (under age 25). The deadline to apply is 31 July.
Arab digital journalists are encouraged to enter the 2008 Online Journalism Awards held by the US-based Online News Association. Entries must be submitted by 31 May.
"Offending, Shocking, Disturbing - A Free Press Right?" "The best strategies for growing audience, in print and online" "How best to exploit the multi-media opportunities?" These are among the numerous topics that will be discussed during the 61th World Newspaper Congress and 15th World Editors Forum that will take place from 1 to 4 June in Göteborg, Sweden.
"There is no respect for the media, which is not a surprise. Many of these institutions are outlets of political propaganda. It's logical that they would attack them," said Beirut-based reporter Wissam Charaf to APN following the numerous attacks on media outlets during last week's clashes in Lebanon. The majority of the targeted media organizations are pro-government agencies. A handful of journalists have reportedly been injured and numerous reporters claim they have been subject to harassment and threats for their work.
Arab journalists can now apply for the Visiting Arab Journalist Program, which includes spending three months at Washington D.C.'s Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where the journalists will carry out their own policy-oriented research and writing work.
The Tunisian weekly opposition newspaper Al-Mawkif is faced with the possibility of having to cease publication after 23 years. Post-publication censorship and charges of spreading false news and defamation have manifested in exorbitant fines and severe financial losses. An interview with managing editor Nejib Chebbi and editor Rachid Khechana.
Arab journalists who cover issues related to human rights, democracy and development are encouraged to apply for the annual Lorenzo Natali Prize. Last edition's winners included Talal El Atrache, Syrian correspondent for the Lebanese weekly L'Hebdo Magazine and Jordanian freelancer Mohammad Ben Hussein. 15 awards are available, of which the Natali Grand Prize carries a cash award of 10,000 Euros. The Prize is organised by the European Commission in partnership with Reporters Without Borders and the World Association of Newspapers.
How can the media contribute to the dialogue of values? What role should the media play in confronting the new technologies used by terrorists? This are among the topics that will be discussed during the first edition of the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum in June 2008.
"Journalism as a curriculum is generally a new phenomenon in the [Arab] region, although it has been prevalent in Jordan and Palestine. It is unfortunate that while at one time, people used to look towards Lebanon for its professional expertise and high literacy levels, the political instability has altered this trend; a reason why it has become difficult to hold on to talent," said Jamil Mroue, editor-in-chief of the Lebanese Daily Star, during a workshop of the Arab Media Forum, an annual two-day event which opened on 23 April in Dubai.
The National is the latest English-language daily to hit the Emirati newsstands. Launched on 16 April, the 80-page broadsheet is produced in Abu Dhabi by a team of around 200 journalists, including 30 foreign correspondents.
Photographers whose work confronts, interprets and reflects on their surroundings are encouraged to send their work to the foto8 contest, organised by a London-based website dedicated to photojournalism.
Following an agreement reached with the authorities on 16 April, Sudanese editors are no longer expected to submit their reports to the censor before publication. A development welcomed by the International Federation of Journalists.
The Iraqi Society for Photography is inviting photographers to participate in an exhibition to be held at the end of May 2008. Among the seven categories are: Iraqi Rebuilding, Daily Life as well as Tourism and Sports.
The Bayeux-Calvados War Correspondents Prize is currently welcoming submissions from reporters worldwide. The 7,600 Euro award, which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary, is presented in recognition of a report on a situation of conflict or its consequences for civilian populations, or on an item of news concerning the defence of liberties and democracy.
For the seventh year, International Policy Network (IPN), a London-based think tank, is accepting submissions for its annual Bastiat Prize for Journalism. The 15,000 US$ prize is open to writers anywhere in the world whose published articles eloquently and wittily explain, promote and defend the principles of the free society, including property rights, free markets, sound science, limited government and the rule of law.
An Arabic version of the annual Innovations in Newspapers World Report will be released for the first time on 22 April in Cairo. At the event, which is co-organised by the Media Development Program (MDP), the Innovation Consulting Group and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), will also include a specials session on how to attract young readers.
Two weeks ago, the freeyemenportal.org website was launched as an effort to circumvent the ongoing censorship of websites in Yemen. The site was launched by Walid Al-Saqaf, founder of the blocked YemenPortal, together with the Mideast Youth electronic network.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Committe to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have called on the authorities in Iraq and the United States and U.S. military respectively to bring clarity to journalist killings in Iraq. Five years after the U.S.-led invation, IFJ wants to put an end to the "shameful silence" over killed media professionals in Iraq while CPJ raises the question of the deadly Palestine Hotel and Al-Jazeera strikes, which remain unanswered five years later.
The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have protested to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon, against a UN decision to investigate the "abuse" of freedom of expression where it constitutes "religious discrimination."
On 8 March 2008, the Centre of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women(UNIFEM) launched the Tunis-based website http://www.arabwomanmedia.net, dedicated to Arab women and the media.
Mohamed Daw Serraj, secretary general of Morocco's National Press Union (SNPM) was attacked by an unknown assailant after leaving a union meeting on the night of 1 April 2008. Mr. Saraj is also a journalist with the public broadcaster Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision (SNRT).
Global Integrity, a U.S.-based international non-profit organization dedicated to tracking governance and corruption trends around the world, is seeking journalists to prepare its 2008 Report.
The World Association of Newspapers is asking newspapers world-wide to show their support for press freedom in China by publishing editorials, advertisements, political cartoons and other materials on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day.
The Al-Wasat weekly, an independent newspaper launched in 2004, saw its publishing license canceled on 5 April by Information Minister HassanAl-Lawzi. The decision, which comes in a context of increased pressure on independent media in Yemen, has stirred massive protests in the country.
Reader participation, user-generated content and social networks are having an impact on journalism, and that impact will grow in the future. But will Web 2.0 give birth to a new form of journalism? That question will be examined at the annual World Editors Forum, to be held in Sweden from 1 to 4 June next.
"The increasingly active role of the reader/user in the news process is an opportunity, not a threat, for professional journalists," says Abdul HamidAhmad, editor-in-chief of the Gulf News, in an interview about the future of newspapers. According to Ahmad, the Golden Age of investigative journalism is just beginning.
The Egyptian authorities have seized a special issue of the German magazine Der Spiegel. The special edition, published on 25 March, was deemed offensive to Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.
Journalists from all over the world will attend the second edition of the International Journalism Festival from 9 to 13 April in Perugia, Italy. A workshop will deal with the coverage of Middle East news, and a film from Gaza will be screened at the festival that consists of over 40 different events.
Journalists in the developing world who show great courage and commitment to reporting on controversial issues are encouraged to apply for the 2008 Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism.
Independent newspaper editor Ibrahim Eissa has been sentenced to six months in prison over a series of articles published by his newspaper regarding rumours about President Hosni Mubarak's health.
In a few weeks time, the international press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will open a centre in Doha, Qatar. "This centre is a first, and it seems important that it open in an Arab country, since it's a particularly challenging region. It is crucial for us to set foot in a capital of the Middle East, at the heart of one of the most dangerous areas in the world," said Robert Ménard, Secretary General of RSF during a press conference in Paris, where the organisation has its headquarters.
Last week, a high number of press freedom violations occurred throughout the Arab world, in: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
The International Federation of Journalists welcomed the formation of the Association of Journalists Unions in the North of Africa, which will act as the regional body of journalists' trade unions in the media industry in the region.
The Amsterdam-based organization Press Now, which supports independent media in regions of conflict and countries in transition, will open an independent media centre in Iraqi Kurdistan on 1 April. The centre will offer consultancy and training for media in all of the Kurdish region, and will support both independent and party-related media. Training will also be conducted for journalists from the rest of Iraq.
The online magazine Babelmed, which is devoted to cultural issues on both shores of the Mediterranean, was launched seven years ago in Rome. The magazine, which relies on a network of correspondents in countries bordering the Mediterranean, was published in English and French until two weeks ago, when an Arabic-language version was added. This has been a crucial goal for the editor, Nathalie Galesne, since the launch of the site. In an interview with APN, she explains why the Arabic language is now essential on the Web.
Where do Iraqi journalists go when they are forced to leave their home country? Why do they leave Iraq? And what jobs can they find in their countries of exile? On the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) publishes a report which looks into these and other questions linked to today's media profession in Iraq. The war has cost the lives of over 200 Iraqi media professionals and forced hundreds into exile.
How does the West perceive Islam as a religion and Muslims as people? And how does the Middle East, Islamic countries worldwide, perceive the West. How do the media contribute to these perceptions? These are among the subjects that will be discussed at an upcoming seminar titled "Role of the Media in Dialogue between Arabs and the West," to be held on 30 - 31 March in Kuwait City.
"The consumer determines the real value of news and information in the 21st Century, and value can be described as breaking, relevant, credible, tailored and applicable to readers' daily lives."
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) issued a report on 12 March 2008, which declared the country's new Media Law (passed 8 December 2007 by the Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia) short of meeting "International standards and principles of democratic media law."
Media Managers from the Arab World are invited to apply for a six-week US-based fellowship program next October and November. Fifteen selected fellows will attend this program exclusively for media managers from the Arab World.
The Euroarab Foundation, which supports activities and disseminates new ideas and trends in science and humanities, is hosting an international competition open to Arab journalists and intellectuals as part of its 2nd Annual Euroarab Fellowships Program.
Moroccan and American journalism students, as well as young media professionals are encouraged to apply to attend "Find Your Voice: A Cross-Cultural Forum on Political Participation and Civic Activism," a two-day conference with a focus on youth mobilization in the political process and empowering emerging leaders in political parties and civil society.
Nablus-based Gama TV is primarily run by station director Abeer Kilaney. She also serves as the president of the West Bank-wide Sada TV network and is a coordinator for Miftah, an NGO based in Jerusalem that promotes transparency, accountability, and the uninhibited flow of information in Palestinian society. In addition, she is a mother of six.
The winners of The Inquirer Award 2007, which rewards investigative reporting in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, were announced at a ceremony in Amman, Jordan under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Jordan, Nader Dahabi, on 29 February 2008.
More than 20 Jordanian media outlets have initiated a campaign titled 'The Messenger of God Unites Us' to protest against the republishing of the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed. None of the leading dailies in Jordan participate in the campaign. APN spoke to editor Zakaria Sheik, who launched the initiative.
On 3 March, Omar Mestiri and Sihem Bensedrine, respectively director and editor-in-chief of the Tunisian Kalima newspaper, were assaulted by the police upon their arrival in the port of Tunis.
The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have protested to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika against the jail sentences imposed against two leading journalists for a column criticising a local official.
The Goethe-Institute in Amman, Jordan invites young journalists from Mediterranean and EU member states to participate in the first Euro-Mediterranean Academy for young Journalists in Amman to be held from May 4-15. The last day to apply is March 15.
A delegation of Mauritanian women journalists met with Ahmedou Tidjane Bal, president of Mauritania's High Authority of the Press and Audio-visuals (HAPA), on 2 March. The journalists called upon HAPA to support them in promoting women's role in society.
The London-based Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT) has released a briefing paper entitled "New Crackdown Illustrates Fragility of Media Freedoms in Sudan". According to the report, Sudan has lately witnessed an increasing number of clampdowns on the press and free speech.
The New York Times has launched a new Baghdad-based blog, entitled "Baghdad Bureau: Iraq from the Inside." The blog will aim to complement the newspaper's coverage of the situation in Iraq.
Journalists from the Middle East and North Africa are encouraged to enter the "Expressions of Al-Nakba" competition which focuses on the fate of the Palestinian people.
The selection of Damascus as the Arab cultural capital 2008 by UNESCO is overshadowed by the imprisonment of dozens of members of the political opposition. While President Bashar Al-Assad states "Damascus is the capital of resistance culture by symbolizing Arab culture - the culture of freedom and defending freedom," an increasing number of journalists, writers, poets and artists enter Syrian prisons.
Investigative journalists from the Middle East and North Africa have the opportunity to apply for grants that will cover their travel and stay during the Global Investigative Journalism Conference which takes place in Lillehammer, Norway, in September 2008.
Moroccan journalist Mustapha Hormatallah of Al-Watan Al-An was sent back to jail last week after the Supreme Court - the nation's highest court - ruled 13 February to uphold an earlier judgment sentencing the journalist to seven months in prison on charges of possessing classified information.
The Journalism Training Program (JTP) at the American University of Beirut will conduct a workshop March 12-14, 2008 on "Public Health Coverage" for Arab print, broadcast and online reporters.
Soir Echos, a new French-language daily launched by the Al Massae group in mid-February, boasts some of the best francophone writers in Morocco. In an interview with APN, editor-in-chief Driss Bennani describes Soir Echos as being an independent paper affiliated with no particular group.
The World Editors Forum, Reuters and Zogby International began collecting data for the second annual Newsroom Barometer, a global survey of chief editors about their attitudes and strategies in the multimedia age.
Egypt on Tuesday banned the sale of four western newspapers for printing pictures it deems offensive to Islam and summoned the Danish ambassador, the latest backlash in a row over cartoons that have enraged the Muslim world.
The Arab Media Centre, Communication and Media Research Institute, University of Westminster is organising a conference entitled 'Journalism Testing Legal Boundaries: Media Laws and the Reporting of Arab News' next 20 June.
Only a few months after getting ousted, Moussa Ould Hamed, former managing director of the Agence Mauritanienne d'Informations (AMI - Mauritanian Information Agency), launched a daily newspaper. The first issue of Biladi hit the newsstands on 17 February with a cover price of 100 ouguiyas (0.3 euros).
Ministers of Information from 21 Arab countries agreed last week on the adoption of a new charter that aims to impose severe restrictions on satellite Radio and TV talk shows that serve as platforms for discussion of sensitive sociopolitical issues. APN reports on the background to this decision, and the consequences it could have for freedom of expression in the region.
The Danish Peace Foundation (Fredsfonden) has awarded Tunisian journalist and human rights defender Sihem Bensedrine with their 2008 Peace Award. Bensedrine is a co-founder and spokesperson for the Tunisian Human Rights organisation Conseil National Pour Les Libertés En Tunisie (founded in 1998), which works against corruption in the legal system, oppression of women, the use of torture, persecution and imprisonment of political opponents to the Ben Ali-regime.
Media professionels from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Somalia are encouraged to apply for a three-week seminar on journalism and democracy, taking place in Sweden in May 2008.
The 2008 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize will be awarded in Amsterdam on 18 September 2008 during the opening ceremony of the International Seminar on Neo-censorship as part of the Amsterdam World Book Capital 2008 program. Nominations to the 2008 Prize are welcome by 18 April this year. The Prize-Winner will be announced on 11 May 2008 in Seoul on the eve of the 28th IPA Publishers Congress.
The International Center for Journalists invites Arabic-speaking journalists to apply for an online training course entitled "How to create a news website." Last day to apply is March 3.
According to a press release issued by the Yemen Portal news site, three unidentified men attacked and shattered the front glass of a vehicle belonging to the company just before midnight on Sunday, 10 February. The attack follows the closure of a number of Yemeni websites in the past months.
A Saudi princess said she was offering prizes and scholarships worth 270,000 dollars a year to boost female journalists in a country where women are subjected to a host of restrictions.
Ninety-five journalists and other media workers were killed world-wide because of their professional activities in 2007, with Iraq and other conflict zones accounting for more than two-thirds of the deaths, the World Association of Newspapers said Thursday.
16/9EME is the newest publication to hit the newsstands in Morocco. Entirely devoted to film, the magazine was launched in December 2007, during the 7th annual Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM). "The magazine emerged from our passion for cinema," editor-in-chief Nadia Ramzi told APN. She launched 16/9EME together with her brother Karim, who is in charge of administrative tasks.
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford is looking for suitable candidates from the Middle East for the new Mona Megalli Fellowship to be offered within the Reuters Foundation Fellowship Programme at Oxford. The Fellowship is tenable for two academic terms (i.e. 6 months) during the 2008-2009 Academic year.
Newspapers around the globe are extending their reach through the internet and other media, yet print circulation generally remains the standard for measuring newspaper audience. New global initiatives to provide a more complete picture of newspaper audience through cross-media measurements are the subject of a major session at the upcoming World Newspaper Advertising Conference & Expo.
The Comorian monthly Kashkazi was missing from newsstands in January due to financial reasons. It will be back again in Feburary, but remains threatened by closure in a near future.
A number of renowned Syrian pro-democracy activists and signatories of the 'Damascus Declaration', an appeal advocating 'radical democratic reform' in Syria, were brought before a Damascus court on Monday 28 January 2008, and charged with 'publishing false information', 'membership of a secret organization aimed at destabilizing the state' and 'attacking the prestige of the state'. APN reports on the trial.
An annual report on press freedom violations in Iraq, published by the Iraqi Journalist Rights Defense Association (IJRDA), shows that media in the war-torn country continue to be under tremendous pressure. Murders, abductions, harassment and raids of premises are still part of the daily life of media professionals, leading to a climate where freedom of expression is increasingly difficult to exercise. The report also claims that the authorities take no action to prevent or stop the bloodshed and brain drainage taking place in the country.
Since the recent launch of ACAP, the new standard to protect the intellectual property of anyone publishing on the worldwide web, the blogosphere has been full of comments about it -- and not all of them have been polite.
Is newsroom integration really working? Editors at four of the world's most prestigious newspapers will examine this question at the 15th World Editors Forum, to be held in Sweden in June, the Forum announced on Tuesday.
The International News Safety Institute (INSI) has released the fourth issue of its quarterly newsletter, The Safety Zone, which deals with journalist safety issues. "The casualty figures appear to be declining, but kidnapping statistics are up," INSI Deputy Director Sarah de Jong told APN.
The creation of a new journalists' union in Tunisia raises hopes about the press freedom situation in a country known for its systematic harassment of dissident voices. But is the birth of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists a sign of real change?
The third Samir Kassir Award has been launched. For the first time, the award is this year open to journalists from altogether 17 countries in the Arab region, against 9 previously. At the award launch on 8 January in Beirut, Gisèle Khoury, widow of the killed journalist and herself a journalist at the pan-Arab TV channel Al-Arabiya, called on all journalists who are still being subjected to threats and intimidation to speak out. "If they do not, Samir Kassir will have been murdered twice over".
The Journalism Training Program (JTP) at the American University of Beirut, in cooperation with International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), will conduct a workshop in Arabic from 5 to 8 February 2008 on "Elections Coverage".
The International News Safety Institute has set up a global hostage crisis help centre for journalists and other news professionals kidnapped as a result of their work. The service is offered as an initial point of contact and free advice for news organisations and individual journalists confronted for the first time by a staff member or colleague being kidnapped and held hostage. "More journalists than ever are being kidnapped, drawing more news organisations and families into nightmare scenarios," said INSI Director Rodney Pinder.
"Do you support Al-Qaeda's attacks in Algeria?" This was the curious question that visitors to the Al Jazeera website were asked to respond to in mid-December. This strange poll created great indignation in Algeria where a double terrorist attack on 11 December killed 41 people and injured 177. Even worse than the question were the responses of the 30,000 people who chose to give their opinion: 57.7% came out in support of this type of action.
Newspaper companies are optimistic about their ability to capture the time and interest of a new generation of readers, no matter what media channel the young prefer, according to a new report from the World Association of Newspapers. The report examines the media habits of young people and provides case studies of how newspaper companies are different strategies to attract and retain young readers.
The December 2007 arrest of Saudi blogger Ahmad Fouad Al-Farhan has sparked reactions worldwide. Following a strong mobilisation among Saudi bloggers, media and blogs around the world have picked up the story about the 32-year-old blogger who was arrested on 10 December. On Sunday 6 January, blogs worldwide are asked to post a call for Al-Farhan's release.
In Syria, the year 2007 ended with a wave of arrests, the blocking of access to Facebook and the banning of activists from leaving the country, confirming the regime's intransigent attitude towards the exercise of free speech.
At the end of 2007, around twenty independent Mauritanian newspapers were threatening to cease publication following the announcement by the authorities of an increase in printing costs. The government has not turned a deaf ear to their demands.
Arab journalists can apply for a course in international news writing, organised by the Reuters Foundation. The course takes place in London from 18 to 29 February, and will focus on practical exercises and also help journalists recognise their good habits and provide them the time and space to work on their weak points, within a framework of international news.
What do Iraqis watch on TV? Why should Iraq's draft Law on Media and Telecommunications be passed? What role do bloggers play in the Iraqi media landscape? Media in Iraq and legislation that affects them are the main topics in a new publication by the Germany-based Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung in collaboration with Media in Cooperation & Transition.
Sentenced to one year in prison on 4 December 2007 on different charges, the Tunisian journalist Slim Boukhdir launched a second hunger strike on 13 December 2007.
E-tissal 2008, an international media forum, will be held on 6 - 8 February 2008 in Morocco. The forum will gather media and telecommunications professionals from the private and public sectors in countries around the world.
What are the existing structures for independent Arab media professionals and what kind of initiatives would truly benefit the Arab newspaper community? How can international organisations, both professional and freedom of expression, best assist publishers and journalists in the region? Those were among the issues explored during the 2nd Arab Free Press Forum held in Beirut, Lebanon, this week.
Delegates to the Arab Free Press Forum have condemned travel restrictions imposed by authorities in several Arab countries that prevented some speakers and participants from attending the event.
What role do blogs play in shaping the future of the Arab media landscape? How do they work compared to the traditional media - and how are they perceived by these? What do they offer that the traditional media do not? Those were among the topics explored during the 2nd Arab Free Press Forum, which drew independent journalists and media executives from across the Arab world to Beirut, Lebanon, this week.
Prominent Tunisian journalist Slim Boukhdir was sentenced to one year in prison on 4 December, revealing the unrestrained power of the Tunisian government to seek harsh and arbitrary punishments against opponents of the regime.
Independent newspapers in the Arab world are demonstrating they can be commercially successful while maintaining their editorial independence. Those were among the lessons from the 2nd Arab Free Press Forum, which drew independent journalists and media executives from across the Arab world to Beirut, Lebanon, this week to address the challenges and opportunities facing Arab media.
"Running an independent newspaper in an Arab country is like walking through a minefield," said Thomas Brunegard, Vice President of the World Association of Newspapers, in his welcome address to the 2nd Arab Free Press Forum. The event, which brings together over 100 newspaper publisher, editors and journalists from the Arab region, is taking place in Beirut on 9 and 10 December.
Michel Hajji Georgiou, a senior political analyst at the French-language daily L'Orient-Le Jour in Lebanon, has been awarded the 2007 Gebran Tueni Award, the annual prize from the World Association of Newspapers and the Lebanese An-Nahar newspaper that honours an editor or publisher in the Arab region.
Arab photojournalists and newspapers are encouraged to submit their best photographs to the World Press Photo Contest. World Press Photo is the largest annual press photography contest in the world. In the 2007 contest almost 70,000 pictures were submitted by more than 4,000 photographers from 123 countries.
Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer and the Journalistic Freedom Observatory in Iraq have been awarded the 16th Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France Prize. The awards each year reckognise a journalist, a media, a press freedom defender and a cyber-dissident.
More than 100 journalists have been killed in 2007, the World Association of Newspapers said in its half-year report on press freedom worldwide. In the Middle East and North Africa, the general media scene is plagued by strict government control and legal action taken against anyone who dares question those in power.
Publishers around the world are being asked to implement a new web publishing standard that allows them to better protect their intellectual property rights.
Reporters Without Borders is astounded and angry to discover that a journalist's claim that 11 of his close relatives were murdered last weekend is false. Amman-based Iraqi journalist Dia al-Kawwaz had claimed on 26 November 2007 that 11 members of his immediate family members were shot by gunmen the previous day in Baghdad. More
Independent media in Sudan still face severe challenges to pursue their right to express themselves freely. Although the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ending the 21 year long civil war between North and South Sudan, opened up space for a more democratic setup for media ownership and practice of journalism, issues such as censorship, harassment and persecution continue to challenge the media. More
The Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) in partnership with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is calling for entries for the second edition of the Wash Media Awards.
An Iraqi journalist said on Monday gunmen went on a killing spree in his Baghdad home, murdering seven children and four adult relatives in the latest assault on media staff in the war-scarred country.
Press freedom violations occurred in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, the Palestinian Territories, Somalia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen in the past ten days.
Arrests, physical violence and confiscation of materials are what Palestinian journalists have to live with on a daily basis. A report issued by the the Palestine Partners Center for Media Development (Shuraka') lists three arrests, six physical aggressions and four confiscations of materials in the month of October alone. The mission of Shuraka' is to support the independence and the development of Palestinian media. More
Conceived by the famous French cartoonist Plantu (Le Monde), 'Cartooning for Peace' is an exhibition created in 2006 with the aim to "unlearn intolerance". The fifth edition of 'Cartooning for Peace' is currently taking place in the United States.
Press freedom violations have occurred in Egypt, Iraq, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, the Palestinian Territories and the United Arab Emirates in the past two weeks. More
The World Association of Newspapers has joined an international appeal, calling for freedom of expression in Bahrain. The initiative was launched by the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.
The World Association of Newspapers, in collaboration with Lebanon's An-Nahar newspaper, is organising the 2nd Arab Free Press Forum in Beirut on 9 and 10 December next. The conference, which this year carries the title "Fighting Back: Challenges and Opportunities for the Arab Press", will explore the efforts of Arab media to win their independence and freedom and the strategies they apply to combine this editorial independence with commercial success.
Shehab Mohammed al-Hitti, a journalist with the English-language paper Baghdad News, was killed on 27 October 2007. His death brings to 206 the number of journalists and media assistants killed in Iraq since the start of the conflict in March 2003. More
In early October, Algeria's new Communication Minister, Abderrachid Boukerzaza, made a commitment to ensure the adoption of a law governing the status of journalists. An initiative which is bound to be well received by the profession. More
Five Arab countries are among the bottom twenty on the 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, published last week by the international press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The international human rights organisation ARTICLE 19, has issued a manual on Freedom of Information and Investigative Journalism in the Arab world. Available online in both English and Arabic, the manual aims to equip journalists with basic skills for writing investigative reports and campaigning for their right to access information.
Bashir Nor Gedi, the acting manager of the Somali Shabelle Media Network, was assassinated on 19 October 2007. The murder brings the number of journalists killed in Somalia this year to the staggering number of eight.
It has been said that journalism schools have been lagging behind in their adaptation to new media and the rapid evolution of journalism. This is starting to change though - or is it? What should tomorrow's journalists be learning? Jeff Jarvis, Roy Greenslade, and Keith Woods and Al Tompkins from the Poynter Institute describe their own experiences.
"Our editorial policy is based on the assumption that Morocco and the Maghreb are moving towards modernity. Following this credo, we strive to contribute to this struggle by offering a forum for analysis and debate," Hassan Benaddi, editor of the newly launched Moroccan Le Mensuel magazine, told APN. More
Salih Saif Aldin, 32, Iraqi reporter employed by the Washington Post bureau in Baghdad, and journalist Eyad Tariq Al-Takriti, 32, were killed last week. More
An editorial entitled "The Tunisian Exception", published in Al Mawkef, the newspaper of the opposition Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) has sparked vivid debate in Tunisia.
Egyptian and European journalism trainers can apply for a workshop on how to design courses on reporting diversity, scheduled for 12 and 13 November 2007 in Cairo.
In Egypt, twenty-three independent and opposition newspapers and two news websites did not publish on 7 October 2007, in a protest action against the ongoing government crackdown on the county's independent media. More
Editors of leading Arabic and English newspapers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed the Charter of Honour and Code of Ethics, which outlines a broad range of ethical requirements for journalism.
The High State Security Court trial of Ibrahim Eissa, editor of the Egyptian daily Al-Dustour, initially due on 1 October 2007, has been postponed to 24 October. More
In the past days Tunisia has once again been the scene of press freedom violations. On 1 October a Tunis court ordered the eviction of the opposition weekly Al Mawkif from the offices it had been using for 13 years.
An ambitious project to digitise two centuries worth of the French-language Egyptian press has been launched in Alexandria. The aim: to preserve a heritage, by definition ephemeral, for the benefit of researchers.
Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, editor of the opposition newspaper El Mawkef, has gone on hunger strike to protest against the suppression of dissident voices in Tunisia.
In a conversation with Magharebia news website, al-Watan al-An Editor-in-Chief Abderrahim Ariri expressed his dissatisfaction with a Casablanca appeals court's decision on 18 September 2007 to uphold convictions - although with reduced sentences - against him and journalist Moustapha Hormatallah.
WAN today, 18 September 2007, sent a letter to Egyptian President Mubarak, expressing concern at what appears to be a government campaign to silence dissident voices in the country. To read the full letter click on "More".
The International Center for Journalists has just released a free and interactive training module, both for journalists and amateurs, designed to introduce user to the basics of citizen journalism and blogs. More
As most newspaper stories contain figures and numerical facts, it would make sense to train journalists how to read correctly through numbers and reduce mistakes - especially considering that journalists aren't typically adamant about math. More
How lucrative is your website and your digital services? If like the great majority of Arab newspapers your online services consist of a website which is not generating any revenue, it is high time you invert the trend. To learn all about the latest news in the field, attend the 2nd World Digital Publishing Conference, organised by the World Association of Newspapers in Amsterdam on 17 and 18 October 2007.
Press freedom violations are not a new phenomenon in the Palestinian territories but the situation is getting worse since the division of the country between Fatah and Hamas in June 2007. How are the recent developments impacting the daily work of media professionals in the territories?
Last week, press freedom violations occurred in Egypt, Iraq, Mauritania, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Somalia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
Two new private dailies, Oea and Cyrene, hit the Libyan newsstands on 20 August 2007. Does this, together with the recent launch of the private Libyan television channel Al-Libyah, herald the beginning of a change on the country's media scene?
The independent Egyptian editor Eissa Ibrahim was charged on 6 September 2007 for reporting rumours about president Mubarak's health faces prison sentence.
The World Association of Newspapers has launched a new weblog to report on and discuss the latest in newspaper strategies and other developments in the global newspaper industry.
In response to the decline in press freedom on the eve of the legislative elections of 7 September 2007, the international press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) held a news conference in Casablanca on 5 September. During the event, a letter from RSF's Secretary-General Robert Ménard to King Mohammed VI was released, holding him responsible for this worsening press freedom situation in the country. Click here to read the whole letter.
Egyptian editor Ibrahim Eissa might once again face prosecution for insulting President Husni Mubarak. In 2006, he was fined 20,000 Egyptian pounds for accusing the President of corruption.
Editor and Publisher, who calls itself "America's oldest journal covering the newspaper industry," is inviting photojournalists worldwide to enter the eighth annual Photo of the Year competition.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has taken legal action against three independent Nigerian newspapers: the weeklies Le Canard Déchaîné and L'Evénement, as well as the bi-monthly Action. The publications accused Libya of supporting the "Mouvement des Nigériens pour la Justice" (MNJ), an armed group operating in the northern part of Niger. To read (in French) the articles that provoked Gaddafi wrath, click on Le Canard Déchaînéand Action.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has taken legal action against three independent Nigerian newspapers. This is not the first time the Libyan leader attacks newspapers abroad.
Most Arab newspaper websites are a mere mirror of their print edition. Learn how to build a successful website in the below article first published by the American journal covering the newspaper industry Editor & Publisher (E&P). More
The US-based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) has named Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas as one of the two 2007 Knight International Journalism Award winners.
The London-based pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat was indefinitely banned in Saudi Arabia on 27 August 2007. The reasons for the ban are not clear at this stage. The Ministry of Information has said they will comment on the ban in the coming days.
The World Association of Newspapers has condemned the increasing harassment of journalists in the Palestinian Territories stemming from the conflict between the Fatah and Hamas factions.
The US-based press freedom organisation Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the abduction and brutal beating of Abdel Karim al-Khaiwani, editor of the Yemeni online newspaper Al-Shoura, in Sana'a.
The Arab Press Network, through the ANDP programme, will be publishing a serie of articles about social media tools, and how they are being used currently by journalists. Delicious is the fourth social networking tool to be introduced, as part of this serie. it is a social bookmarking tool, which allows users to bookmark, tag and share websites that catch their interest as they go about browsing the Internet. More
The Arab Press Network, through the ANDP programme, will be publishing a serie of articles about social media tools, and how they are being used currently by journalists. MySpace is the third social networking tool to be introduced, as part of this serie. MySpace is a social networking site which allows users to create networks of friends, maintain a blog, join groups, and share pictures and video. MySpace users are able to personalize their pages using HTML coding, a feature that many other social networking website do not offer. More
The Arab Press Network, through the ANDP programme, will be publishing a serie of articles about social media tools, and how they are being used currently by journalists. Twitter is the second social networking tool to be introduced, as part of this serie. It is a social media and micro-blogging platform which allows users to send and read updates, known as 'tweets,' up to 140 characters in length. The success and popularity of this web apparatus has skyrocketed, and it has become one of the top three most used social networking tools, behind Facebook and MySpace. More
The Arab Press Network, through the ANDP programme, will be publishing a serie of articles about social media tools, and how they are being used currently by journalists. Facebook is the first social networking tool to be introduced, as part of this serie. It is a website which allows users to create profiles, join networks, befriend other users, create and join groups and post events, and become fans of nearly anything imaginable, among a long list of other possibilities. More
More
Michel Hajji Georgiou, a senior political analyst at the French-language daily L'Orient-Le Jour in Lebanon, has been awarded the 2007 Gebran Tueni Award, the annual prize from the World Association of Newspapers and the Lebanese An-Nahar newspaper that honours an editor or publisher in the Arab region. 
Publishers around the world are being asked to implement a new web publishing standard that allows them to better protect their intellectual property rights.
Independent media in Sudan still face severe challenges to pursue their right to express themselves freely. Although the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ending the 21 year long civil war between North and South Sudan, opened up space for a more democratic setup for media ownership and practice of journalism, issues such as censorship, harassment and persecution continue to challenge the media. 
