The campaign to secure the release of Peter Greste, Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Abdullah Elshamy has won a major PR Award. The SABRE Awards EMEA, organized by leading PR publication The Holmes Report, gave the #FreeAJStaff campaign a Gold Award for issues management at their annual ceremony in London.
There were 2,000 entries in this year’s competition, which “recognises Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation and Engagement.” The campaigns were evaluated by a jury of more than 40 industry leaders.
The win comes shortly after the PRWeek Global Awards gave Al Jazeera ‘Highly Commended’ recognition in their Crisis & Issues category for the same campaign.
Both judging panels looked at how the situation went from being a story about journalists arrested in Egypt, to being the biggest press freedom campaign in the history of the news media. The campaign was also nominated by the Middle East PR Association earlier this year.
Mostefa Souag, acting director general of Al Jazeera Media Network expressed his gratitude:
“This recognition from the PR industry is extremely humbling. We were faced with a grave situation and this campaign rose to the challenge. This campaign has had everything: the cultivation of a hashtag that went viral; scores of events in all the continents of the world; extremely nimble and effective crisis communications; the gathering together of the entire news industry; and support from world leaders. All of this was in the noble cause of supporting press freedom.”
Abdulla AlNajjar, Executive Director of Global Brand and Communications, thanked everyone involved in the campaign:
“Congratulations are due to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been involved in #FreeAJStaff from right around the world. What’s kept us going is the vision of securing freedom for our guys who sacrificed much for the sake of journalism and fulfilling the public’s right to know. A lot of stamina has been needed to keep this going. We will not stop until the right verdict has been reached and justice has also been served for those convicted in absentia.”
Elshamy was arrested by Egyptian forces in August 2013. He was released in June 2014 after he went on hunger strike to protest his imprisonment without charge.
Greste, Mohamed and Fahmy were arrested on 29th December 2013, and were incarcerated for more than 400 days. They were convicted in June 2014 after a trial that prompted outrage across the world. The verdict was thrown out on appeal, with Mohamed and Fahmy released on bail in February 2015 before a retrial which is ongoing. Greste was deported that same month on presidential order. The campaign for their release prompted Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to say he wished that the whole thing had not happened, and he promised to release the journalists if the courts didn’t.
The public can explore the worlds of journalism, news, current affairs and documentaries at Al Jazeera’s first café opened in May in Doha, capital of Qatar, home to Al Jazeera Media Network.
Located in Katara, at Building 4 on Shakespeare Street, the innovative new concept is at the centre of Doha’s fast developing cultural area. The cafe gives visitors an exclusive look inside broadcast media while they can also enjoy a range of fresh organic dishes.
As well as boasting a suitably international menu for one of the world’s leading media organisations, the cafe features an interactive studio where members of the public can take away videos of themselves reading from a teleprompter on an Al Jazeera set.
AIB CEO Simon Spanswick tried out the studio (pictured left) during a visit to Doha and Al Jazeera Media Network at the beginning of June. “This is a great initiative,” says Spanswick. “It brings Al Jazeera closer to its audience with a truly hands-on experience. Visitors have travelled from across the Gulf region to visit the Cafe during its first couple of weeks of operation, trying their hand at news reading and weather presenting, as well as sampling the cuisine.”
At the entrance to the cafe is a selection of historic artefacts from the Qatar-based Network, including some of its first broadcasting equipment from 1996 and equipment damaged in attacks on the Kabul and Baghdad bureaux in 2001 and 2003 (picture, right).
The cafe itself boasts a smart contemporary design for its multiple zones. Menus are loaded on tablets while a range of flat screens show the network’s TV channels and digital properties, keeping patrons up to date with news from around the world.
Abdulla Alnajjar, Executive Director for Global Brand and Communications at Al Jazeera said:
“What we’re offering here is an experience that makes people feel part of Al Jazeera, the Al Jazeera team and the Al Jazeera environment. The cafe is a hub for conversation, debate and sharing of ideas and opinions. People have always felt part of Al Jazeera, and most recently this has chiefly meant engaging with us online. The cafe fuses together our modern connections with the traditional idea of the coffee house as a centre of community. “A lot of thought has gone into the design, the interaction, and the menu. We hope that the public will like it, and we look forward to the conversation.”
Al Jazeera Cafe is open to the public and can be followed on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at #aljazeeracafe
AIB is pleased to support Project Everyone, launched by filmmaker Richard Curtis who also founded the Comic Relief charity.
In September 2015, the United Nations are launching global goals, a series of ambitious targets to end extreme poverty and tackle climate change for everyone by 2030.
If the goals are met, they ensure the health, safety and future of the planet for everyone on it. And their best chance of being met is if everyone on the planet is aware of them.
So the simple but mighty ambition of Project Everyone – is to share the global goals with 7 billion people in 7 days.
Project Everyone is harnessing the power of global media – TV, radio and online – to tell the world about the Sustainable Development Goals. A number of AIB Members have already signed up to this important innovative initiative. Now’s your chance to take part and help make the world a better place.
Broadcasters responded rapidly to the devastating earthquake in Nepal that is believed to have killed more than 10,000 people and made hundreds of thousands homeless.
BBC World Service is now broadcasting additional programming on shortwave in both Nepalese and in English while BBC Media Action – the BBC’s international development charity – is working with the Nepali Service on BBC World Service (radio and online) and local partner radio stations to broadcast ‘Lifeline’ programming.
Liliane Landor, Controller of World Service Languages, says: “Information is vital and we are doing all we can to make sure that our audiences in the affected areas receive their local and regional news as well as ‘Lifeline’ programming designed to give practical information to help deal with the aftermath of the earthquake.”
The Nepali language programme is available on shortwave as follows:
Nepali dawn transmission (01:30-01:45 GMT) on 11995 kHz (25 metre band) and 15510 kHz (19 metre band)
Nepali evening transmission (15:00-16:00 GMT) on 9650 kHz (31 metre band) and 5895 kHz (49 metre band)
The availability of World Service English on short wave to Northern India and Nepal has been extended with the service now starting one hour earlier than normal at 23.00 GMT.
Additional frequencies for World Service in English (to S Asia) from 23:00 GMT to 24:00GMT: 5895 kHz (49 metre band) and 9540 kHz (31 metre band)
From 00:00GMT the broadcasts continue as normal on 12,095kHz, 9,410kHz and 5970kHz.
For broadcasters covering the disaster, Reuters-TIMA are operational from the Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu offering
HD/SD live stand-up positions
Multi format playout facilities
Editorial support
International point-to-point delivery via the Reuters-TIMA network
The External Services Division (ESD) of All India Radio reacted quickly to the situation.
As soon as the News of devastating Earthquake ravaging large part of Nepal started trickling in, as an immediate measure, SOS announcements advising people not to panic and take precautionary safety measures against the possible aftershocks were made. Thereafter, the service got in touch with the MEA officials and by 7 pm, the helpline numbers of MEA, the Indian Mission in Kathmandu were repeatedly announced. People were advised to take all precautionary measures, as per the guidelines provided by the NDMA. Appeal of ADG, NDMA was also recorded over telephone and broadcast.
Since all lines of communication had broken down, the Nepali Service being broadcast on short-wave remained the only available communication link to reach out to the distressed people in Kathmandu valley and the hinterland Nepal.
Normal programming of the whole evening transmission was changed and programmes relating to the Earthquake were broadcast continuously.
Vizrt Ltd. announced today a deal worth USD 406,000 for services and BG software licenses with a European broadcaster. The system is to be used for news productions, particularly for large broadcast events. The products are further extensions to their existing setup and will largely be supplemental for particular events.
The broadcaster has been a customer for many years, and has chosen Vizrt due to a successful long-time relationship, a trust in Vizrt´s products and the reliable service and support.
About Vizrt:
Vizrt provides real-time 3D graphics, studio automation, sports analysis and asset management tools for the broadcast industry – interactive and virtual solutions, animations, maps, weather, video editing and compositing tools. Vizrt’s products are used by the world’s leading broadcasters, including: CNN, CBS, Fox, the BBC, BSkyB, Al Jazeera, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, Network 18, TV Today, CCTV, and NHK. Furthermore, many world-class production houses and corporate institutions such as the Stock Exchanges in New York and London use Vizrt systems.
SES S.A.has announced that the ASTRA 2G satellite is ready for its scheduled launch on board an ILS Proton booster from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on December 28 at 03:37:49 Baikonur Time (December 27 at 22:37:49 CET and 16:37:49 EST).
Designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space, ASTRA 2G is based on the highly reliable Eurostar E3000 platform. It will have a launch mass of 6 tons, a wingspan of 40m once its solar arrays are deployed in orbit, and a spacecraft power of 13kW until the end of its 15-year design life.
ASTRA 2G will be deployed in geostationary orbit at the 28.2/28.5 degrees East neighbourhood to provide next generation broadcast and broadband services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The spacecraft carries 62 Ku-band transponders and 4 Ka-band transponders.
ASTRA 2G will be the twenty-fourth SES satellite to be launched by ILS Proton, and the ninth Eurostar satellite in the SES fleet. Three more E3000s are currently in production for SES. The Proton booster itself will mark its 401st launch with ASTRA 2G.
A live broadcast of the launch in high definition quality will be available via Astra at the orbital position of 19.2 degrees East, channel 1.037, downlink frequency 11023.25 MHz, horizontal polarization, Symbol rate 22.0 MSym/s, FEC 5/6, service ID 5221, service name ASTRA 2G Launch.
A webcast will also be available via http://astra2g.imgondemand.com/. The video transmission of the launch of ASTRA 2G will begin approximately 30 minutes before liftoff. (Source: SES press release)
The public can explore the worlds of journalism, news, current affairs and documentaries at Al Jazeera’s first café opened in May in Doha, capital of Qatar, home to Al Jazeera Media Network.
AIB CEO Simon Spanswick tried out the studio (pictured left) during a visit to Doha and Al Jazeera Media Network at the beginning of June. “This is a great initiative,” says Spanswick. “It brings Al Jazeera closer to its audience with a truly hands-on experience. Visitors have travelled from across the Gulf region to visit the Cafe during its first couple of weeks of operation, trying their hand at news reading and weather presenting, as well as sampling the cuisine.”
At the entrance
Broadcasters responded rapidly to the devastating earthquake in Nepal that is believed to have killed more than 10,000 people and made hundreds of thousands homeless.