2 August 2019
The Voice of America’s Bangla language service has launched a five-day-a-week radio show in Rohingya, the language spoken by Muslim refugees who have fled Myanmar. More than 800,000 people have taken refuge at the Kutupalong camp, one of the world’s largest refugee camps at the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.
Titled Lifeline, the 30-minute radio show is transmitted via short and medium wave. The programme focuses on the lives and needs of the refugees, providing them with valuable information on security, family reunification, food rations, available shelter, education and health including vaccinations and water purification. In addition, a daily segment of the programme offers the refugees the opportunity to share their stories, extend greetings to their families and learn about the hazards of joining extremists groups. One overarching objective of the broadcast is to counter Muslim extremists’ narratives and recruitment efforts in the camps and inform the Rohingya about the US and the international community’s involvement in the crisis.
“After visiting Cox’s Bazaar and the Kutupalong refugee camp last year, it became obvious to me that we needed to address the informational needs of these people caught in the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world today,” said VOA Director Amanda Bennett. “Providing them with a reliable and authoritative source of news, as well as practical information that will improve their lives, is what the Voice of America does well in various hotspots around the world.”
Prior to launching the Rohingya language programme, a VOA Learning English team travelled to the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in March of this year at the invitation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The VOA instructors offered six days of intensive training on teaching techniques and methods for 100 selected English teachers. The teachers, in turn, will use their new skills to train a further 5,000 of their colleagues in the camps.
31 July 2019
- ‘Inheritance’ will be produced in Abu Dhabi and is expected to air in 2020
- Long-running British show ‘EastEnders’ former writer and showrunner Tony Jordan attached as creator of ’Inheritance’
- ‘Inheritance’ is latest milestone in twofour54’s longstanding partnership with MBC Studios and Image Nation Abu Dhabi
twofour54 Abu Dhabi, MBC Studios and Image Nation Abu Dhabi today announced a new partnership to produce the world’s first Arabic-language soap opera ‘Inheritance’.
Under the agreement, a dedicated studio will be built for the show in Abu Dhabi which will serve as the main location for filming. twofour54 will invest directly in the production, and MBC is set to benefit from the Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30% rebate on production spend in the Emirate. Both parties will work closely with Image Nation Abu Dhabi on talent and script development for the project.
The show’s unique format sets it apart from other Arabic shows in the region. By definition, a soap opera is an open-ended narrative that continues with multiple story lines for years – in some cases, decades. At present, while there are many Arabic drama series, none are scheduled to run indefinitely.
Anchoring a long-term production in the UAE will have a significant positive impact on Abu Dhabi’s thriving media and production industry. The soap opera is slated to shoot for more than 250 days of the year, and the production team estimate the show will generate over 200 jobs in the first year alone. ‘Inheritance’ is expected to act as a magnet, creating the demand and work that will attract new companies to Abu Dhabi to support the development of a landmark production.
H.E. Maryam Eid AlMheiri, Vice Chair of twofour54, said: “Partnering with MBC Studios and Image Nation to produce the world’s first Arab soap opera is truly a landmark moment in Arab entertainment industry and cultural history. Over recent years, twofour54 has worked tirelessly to enhance the film and TV industry and attract talented filmmakers, writers, and actors to consider Abu Dhabi as a filming location. It’s imperative that these talents are supported by world-class infrastructure, regulations, and services. This is what we have aimed to do at twofour54, and our work with some of the biggest global content producers – from Disney to Netflix – is testament to our thriving ecosystem. The creation of ‘Inheritance’ is an indication of our region’s rapidly growing media and entertainment industry and will serve as a catalyst to inspire the next generation of storytellers to create more original Arabic content.”
Peter Smith, Managing Director – MBC Studios said: “twofour54 has overseen numerous productions from all parts of the world, offering producers a unique support system and production infrastructure while also excelling in Arabic-language content. We are thrilled to have agreed to a long-term production deal – the first of its kind in the Arab world – with Her Excellency Maryam AlMheiri and her team. We appreciate Image Nation’s support and resources to nurture the regions talent. These soaps are very labour intensive and collectively we view this agreement as a long-term opportunity to rapidly develop aspiring production professional through extensive training of local cast, crew and writers. When it comes to producing key long-running shows in Abu Dhabi, this is only the beginning.
Ben Ross, Chief Content Officer of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, said: “This major production demonstrates the scale and ambition that Abu Dhabi’s entertainment industry has achieved. Even more importantly, a show of this scale will fuel the market’s ongoing growth by providing consistent and significant openings for talent – both in front of and behind the camera. We are honoured to be working with our longstanding partners at MBC Studios and twofour54 to bring this landmark project to life.
‘Inheritance’ was created for MBC Studios by renowned British writer and showrunner Tony Jordan. During his time on BBC 1’s long running soap EastEnders, Tony was responsible for creating some of the show’s best loved characters and planning some of the most iconic storylines in the shows history.
Tony Jordan said, “One of my long-held ambitions has been to create and help develop major drama projects outside the UK, this project is truly ground-breaking and I think we’ve created something really special”.
The development of ‘Inheritance’ is the latest milestone in twofour54’s longstanding partnership with MBC. In 2015, both parties signed a three-year agreement to grow the number of quality Arabic drama productions in Abu Dhabi and the region. This has resulted in a broad range of Arabic content, including ‘Haret El Sheikh’, ‘Hob Bila Hudood’, season one of ‘Boxing Girls’, as well as the first two seasons of critically acclaimed series ‘Al Asouf’.
Principal photography on ‘Inheritance’ will begin in December, with the first episode expected to air in the first quarter of 2020.
(Source: MBC press release)
30 July 2019
The Association for International Broadcasting has responded to the Australian parliamentary enquiry into law enforcement & intelligence powers on media freedom. Working with Doughty Street Chambers, the AIB has highlighted issues surrounding Australia’s legislation and the way it has been framed to potentially prevent or restrict journalists from covering stories of significant public interest. Following the raids on the ABC and on journalists working for NewsCorp publications and associated international outcry, the Australian Parliament has convened this inquiry. Submissions will be accepted up until 6 August 2019.
“The raids on the ABC and on journalists in Australia marked a low point in media freedom in Australia,” comments Simon Spanswick, AIB chief executive. “We are glad that this inquiry has been established. It is time for legislators in Australia to recognise that restrictions on journalists working in the country must not be continued or increased. Australia has a vital role to place in the Indo-Pacific region in promoting rule of law and media freedom.”
Read the submission here.
25 July 2019
Ruptly, the award-winning global multimedia agency, has announced the launch of a dedicated Spanish version of its content platform.
Speaking about the launch, Dinara Toktosunova, CEO of Ruptly, said: “Ruptly’s new Spanish-language platform is another step forward as we strive to best meet the needs of our clients. This is the latest in our long list of product and service innovations, including the introduction of live streams accessible in just three clicks, and transformative pricing plans that are democratising content for media and individuals. We will continue to evolve our offering to reflect our growing international client base.”
This announcement follows another in March, made during a panel session at Cabsat Content Congress, that Ruptly will also be launching an Arabic version of its platform later this summer.
Carolina Velasco, Ruptly’s Iberia and LATAM Territory Manager, said:
“This is a fully-localised, Spanish website and live platform that will enable us to be more accessible to our Spanish language client base, as well as enabling us to provide more stories that are specific to the Iberian and LATAM regions.”
Amongst the clients to benefit from Ruptly’s Spanish platform are Jorge del Villar, Chief Content Officer at Cultura Colectiva, who looks to the agency for: “stories with value to stand out in a saturated media landscape”, and Sebastián Morales, Director of Digital at Publimetro, who said: “Ruptly has become an important partner within our ecosystem, providing ready-to-use material and increasing our video production.”
Mauro Torres, Ruptly’s Deputy Head of Planning and Head of Sports, discussed the new Spanish-language service, as part of a panel exploring how to engage users and audiences in a saturated media landscape at SIPConnect, an annual digital media and services conference in Miami, Florida. The panel was moderated by multimedia journalist, TV personality and author, Cathy Areu.
17 July 2019
Two years since Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine confirmed they were holding Ukrainian blogger and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) contributor Stanislav Aseyev prisoner, RFE/RL is redoubling efforts to secure his release.
“Stanislav has been held virtually incommunicado for two years because of his unflinching reporting from his native Donetsk,” said RFE/RL Acting President Daisy Sindelar. “I know I speak on behalf of a growing number of rights advocates, government officials, lawmakers, and journalists in deploring his detention and demanding his freedom.”
Aseyev, who also wrote for the Ukrainian publications Mirror of the Week and The Ukrainian Week, began blogging for RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service in 2014 under the pen name Stanislav Vasin, contributing dozens of posts about the effects of the conflict on daily life, schooling, politics, and culture until his detention in the summer of 2017. Separatists have reportedly accused him of espionage and threatened him with up to 14 years in custody, although RFE/RL has no knowledge of him being formally charged by any recognized authority of any crime.
In August 2017, the Ukrainian government included his name among those officially listed for a possible prisoner exchange under the supervision of the Trilateral Contact Group, which oversees negotiations among the sides to the conflict. The bipartisan U.S. Congressional Freedom of the Press Caucus has condemned his detention, championing him as “one of the few independent journalists to remain in the region under separatist control to provide objective reporting.” In November 2018, the U.S. Mission to the OSCE urged “the Russian Federation to secure the release of Stanislav Aseyev.” In recent weeks, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Marco Rubio and U.S. Congressman Eliot Engel have called for his freedom.
The One Free Press Coalition, a group of 33 prominent media organizations from around the world, recognized Aseyev this month among its “10 Most Urgent” cases of journalists under attack for pursuing the truth.
Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich has added her voice to efforts on Aseyev’s behalf, writing, “It goes without saying, I am with you in your struggle on behalf of Stanislav Aseyev.”
RFE/RL has also urged the release of Ukrainian Service contributor Oleh Halaziuk, who has been held by Russia-backed separatists in Donetsk since August 2017. Crimean contributor Mykola Semena was convicted of separatism by a Russian court in 2017 and is banned from practicing journalism and leaving the peninsula.
In Isolation: Posts From Donbas is a collection of English-language translations of Aseyev’s reports from the conflict zone for RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service.
RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, known locally as Radio Svoboda, together with its subsidiary Donbas.Realities and Crimea.Realities regional units, averaged 5 million monthly visits to its website in 2018, and sets a standard in the Ukrainian media market for independence, innovation, and professionalism.
[Source: RFE/RL press release]
12 July 2019
- TRT World Citizen launched first international edition of “Journalism for Juniors – J4J” program to help empower Afghan high school students to tell their own stories. Basic journalism workshops were held in the Afghan capital Kabul, in cooperation with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) in the TİKA Education Center on July 8nd – 11th
- More than 100 students from various high schools in Kabul participated in introductory workshops to mobile journalism and story-telling, designed and run by TRT World staff.
- Launched two years ago, the J4J program has so far reached 1,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey as well as local students
Afghanistan has one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the world – with approximately 63 percent of the population (27.5 million Afghans) below 25 years of age and 46 percent (11.7 million children) under 15 years of age according to the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA).
TRT World launched its “World Citizen” initiative — the first of its kind by a global media network whose employees are on the ground – alongside grassroots humanitarian-based groups.
TRT World has institutionalized its commitment to inspiring humanity’s collective conscience with the launch of “World Citizen” and under the World Citizen umbrella introduced “Journalism for Juniors – J4J” program in October 2017.
Journalism for Juniors workshop series have taken place in Gaziantep, Kilis, Istanbul, Ankara, Kahramanmaraş and many other cities across Turkey.
In partnership with TİKA Turkish Cooperate and Coordination Agency, TRT World Citizen launched its first international edition of “Journalism for Juniors – J4J” program to help empower Afghan high school students to tell their own stories.
TİKA Turkish Cooperate and Coordination Agency has implemented 1,056 projects including education accessibility for 100,000 children in Afghanistan. TİKA also carries out its activities in 59 countries with 61 offices. With TİKA’s offices in Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Herat, Afghanistan is the only country where TİKA has three offices.
With more than 100 participants, an intensive two-day introductory workshop to mobile journalism and story-telling, designed and run by TRT World staff, was provided to young students as an opportunity to learn the basics of journalism while empowering them to take control of their own narratives. After lessons in creative story-boarding, digital news-making, responsible social media usage, and verifying news credibility, the students were asked to write, film, and edit original stories of their own. Over time they will gain the confidence to tell their own stories and share their voice with the world.
Participant Bilal from Kabul, Afghanistan said: “I cannot express my feelings in a few words, but it was a great opportunity. Before the program, I thought journalists have to have a great expensive camera, and all those expensive equipments, but at J4J, I learned that I can be a great journalist by just using my phone.”
Tanya Goudsouzian, TRT World journalist and J4J mentor, said: “It is very important to give these kids the tools they need to tell their own stories and help broaden the media narrative about their country. The media landscape has changed and now allows anyone with a smart phone to share information online. But the basic values and rules of journalism have not changed. What we hoped to achieve is to instill in them a sense of responsibility: to be accurate and ethical in what they convey.”
[Source: TRT World]
