As the founder of Ma'an nonprofit media organization in Bethlehem, West Bank, I wanted to revolutionize the media landscape in Palestine. I founded Ma'an Network in 2002 to strengthen independent Palestinian media, build links between local, regional and international media, and consolidate freedom of expression and media pluralism as keys to promoting democracy and human rights in Palestine. The Palestinian territories (Gaza and West Bank) are increasingly fragmented and divided due to political and geographical circumstances. Bridging this gap, re-connecting people and fostering openness to new information technologies, even in remote areas and communities is one of my working priorities to instigate positive change.
The Middle East, in particular the occupied Palestinian territories and its challenges microcosms of media production, news agencies and media landscape in general. I was raised in Al-Khader, a village near Bethlehem in the West Bank, and studied electronics, media and communications at Al-Quds University. After graduation, I worked as a transmission engineer at the Palestine Broadcasting Corporation and a number of local TV stations. In 1998 I became director of Bethlehem TV. I soon became frustrated by the lack of coordination and limited resources amongst local Palestinian stations, and the consequent deficiencies in quality, accuracy and integrity, so I sought a way to unite independent Palestinian stations and journalists to overcome these limitations and better convey Palestinian voices to the world: Ma'an network and later on Ma'an news agency was born!
I believe change can be inspired by a flourishing and free media, and a culture of new information technologies. Bringing together revolutionary new technologies with citizen's rights to independent news, positive change and a better world are possible - especially in places where freedom of movement and information is highly restricted.
In 2005, I founded Ma'an News Agency, the first tri-lingual (English, Arabic, Hebrew) independent online Palestinian news agency, now the leading source of online news in Palestine and a major resource for Israeli and international journalists, academics and diplomats. In 2006-7, eight local Palestinian radio stations joined the Network, making Ma'an a significant presence across the media spectrum. Under my direction, Ma'an has grown from a new NGO with a handful of employees, to an internationally-respected media organization employing over 100 journalists, technicians and administrative staff in 2010.
I continue to produce programs that are transforming the Palestinian media scene and developing a culture of demand for human rights and good governance. These include TV show ‘Journey through the Hebrew Press’ (Jawla fil-Sahafa al-Ibriyya), in which Israeli print and broadcast media are translated and analyzed for an Arabic-speaking audience, and radio program ‘Talk of the Nation’ (Hadeeth Al-Watan) which brings together Palestinian citizens, civil society and decision-makers to tackle pressing social issues.
