MENA MEDIA

While audiences fascinated by the debate-filled programming on Arabic-language satellite TV are growing, independent media offering professional and informative news are rare in the region. Media outlets remain heavily influenced by governments or sponsors. Important issues that affect people’s daily lives do not receive adequate coverage. The growth of satellite television and nascent national independent media promises to counteract this situation and establish a sustainable independent media sector capable of fostering public debate, demanding government accountability, and providing factual information to citizens in the region.

MENA MEDIA, launched in 2005, works in partnership with local media professionals and organizations to address the media profession’s most pressing issues. IREX maintains a regional office in Beirut, Lebanon with local representatives throughout the region.

Media Laws

Project Activities

DEVELOPMENT OF MEDIA LAW AND REGULATIONS

MENA MEDIA supports the efforts of local associations, attorneys, and media reformers as they seek to improve the legal and regulatory framework for independent media. MENA MEDIA analyzes proposed legislation, provides training in advocacy, and assists with the development of draft media laws and regulations. Workshops, consultations, and trainings allow lawyers, journalists, parliamentarians and judges to learn about and discuss proposed media legislative changes, model laws, and the implementation of new reforms.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EMERGING MEDIA LEADERS

To diversify television broadcast programming, the TV Production Fund finances projects that cover topics typically not reported on by current media productions. The Emerging Leaders Fellowship provides training on leadership and management to media professionals to support the use of best practices in broadcast and print industries

Emerging Leaders Fellowship is open to media managers and supervisors based in the Middle East and North Africa with the desire to enhance their media management skills and increase their exposure to alternate media business practices. Fellows will attend sessions on leadership skills and media management trends at Northwestern University's Media Management Center followed by a fellowship placement with a US media outlet. Applicants must have at least five years experience in either broadcast or print outlets in the MENA region and be proficient in English.

The emerging Leaders Fellowship for 2008 is currently closed. We are no longer accepting applications.

 

MENA MEDIA TV Production Fund


awards small grants twice a year to media outlets, production companies, and individuals based in the region or with nationality from the region, for productions on locally-oriented topics. A list of sample topics includes, but is not exclusive to: employment, elections, education, trade and business, profiles of innovative/emerging leaders, the role of women in society, youth, environment, housing/urban development, minorities and human interest stories. Project applications that include collaboration among television stations, print, radio or Internet outlets are encouraged.

The Emerging Leaders Fellowship and TV Production Fund are open to applicants in the following countries and locales: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, the West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen.

MEDIA MANAGEMENT

MENA MEDIA offers media management training in market research, expands business resources for media, and provides short-term consulting on strategic planning to nascent private media outlets.

Morocco market research held between April 16 and May 15, 2007
 

Analytical report of the market research

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING AMONG MEDIA PROFESSIONALS AND ADVOCATES

Through a media business website and small grants, MENA MEDIA promotes and facilitates communication among leading media professionals and advocates to ensure the sustainability of media development efforts in the region.

MENA MEDIA programs are administered with support from the Middle East Partnership Initiative of the US Department of State

MENA Media Program