DW has taken a big step forward in developing closer cooperation with Egyptian partner ONTV, one of the most popular news and information networks in Egypt. The new DW-ONTV co-production, Women at a Turning Point, represents the first time the two broadcasters have worked together on a production and is a turning point in their ongoing four-year partnership. Women at a Turning Point will begin broadcasting May 2 on DW (Arabia).

The host of Women at a Turning Point, Reem Magued, is a highly recognized media personality in Egypt and has been described as one of the most vocal Egyptian journalists when reporting the truth about important internal events to local audiences. DW’s new partnership with Magued is just the latest example of ongoing close cooperation with Egyptian media. Last year, famous Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef was a keynote speaker at the Global Media Forum. Other cooperative initiatives with Egyptian media include  development workshops with DW Akademie.

As an international broadcaster, DW has an important role to play in providing Egyptians with an impartial international perspective they can use to better understand events affecting their lives. Press and media oppression in Egypt is a pervasive issue and journalists or bloggers can face severe punishment for doing their jobs. Egypt ranks 158 out of 180 in the 2015 Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders.

 

For the past 11 years, The Bobs is where DW has honored the world’s most courageous, creative and compelling international online activists and bloggers.

The 2015 competition is kicking off with new categories that introduce a fresh focus on how digital activism is changing the world. The Bobs jury categories will now put the spotlight on the critical issues of privacy and security, arts and media and social change. Judges will determine how contestants have used their digital skills and activism to create positive impacts within these fields. The new format also allows for more than one contestant to stand out for their exemplary work.

How can a digital crusader improve economic development and living conditions? Who is producing the most innovative or avant-garde formats to speak out online? What is the most cutting-edge software for protecting data and digital privacy? On June 22 at the Global Media Forum in Bonn, we will all get the chance to find out.

The core values of the Bobs remain the same, even if they will now be presented more directly. Last year’s winner of best blog was the Egyptian photo blogger, Mosa’ab Elshamy, who showed courage combined with a brilliant eye for powerful imagery. His blog is an example of where fine art meets journalism. In 2013 the “grand prize” winner was the Chinese blogger Li Chengpeng, whose tireless efforts for freedom of speech made him a digital celebrity in China and a salient example of contemporary activism as well as a trendsetter for those living under oppression. No matter the year or the format, the Bobs have always looked for the bravest and the best.

If you are a blogger or online activist you can submit your website now. You have until March 12 to enter your submissions.

An important part of DW’s mission is sharing its 60 years of journalistic and media experience with the world. DW has organized a number of events at the 2014 Global Media Forum in cooperation with organizations and partners which represent the high level of expertise at Germany’s international broadcaster.

Complementing the focus of this year’s conference is a panel organized by the DW Akademie that explores the state of participatory and community-based media in developing countries. The session titled, The power of the neighborhood: How local media organize participation and how DW Akademie supports this, showcases three projects that foster grassroots journalism from partner organizations that span the globe – Welad Elbalad Media Services from Egypt, Open Development Cambodia and Plataforma de Periodismo from Colombia.

With a focus on the watchdog role of journalism is a session titled Whistleblowers, activists, journalists: Is advocacy journalism the journalism of the digital age? The panel includes an editor from Zeit Online and a professor of entrepreneurship and media literacy from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. The emphasis is on how digital media allows journalists to shed their neutrality and take an active stance on social issues.

Those interested in the EU and public participation should look at a session titled, Turning disinterest into engagement through innovative media formats.  Hosted by DW in cooperation with the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa), the discussion explores innovations in social media and journalism that are combining to increase citizen engagement in social issues, particularly with the context of EU policy and elections.

At the intersection of social media and human rights is a talk hosted by DW titled, Revolution postponed. The Arab Spring and Africa The discussion brings together African social media experts and journalists to analyze the state of social movements all over Africa, whether it is the Arab Spring in the north to political protests everywhere from Angola to Zimbabwe. The panel will explore if the movements have lost momentum and what the future may look like.

 

 

Guest commentary

Naser Shrouf, Head of Distribution for Africa / Middle East 

Political satire in Egypt can be a dangerous business but it is often through humor that people understand themselves better. With his news show Al Bernameg, Bassem Youssef uses comedy to provide a way for Egyptians to laugh at themselves during a very serious time for their country. The program also creates a window looking into Egyptian society and now with DW as a broadcasting partner that window will be opened to a much wider audience.

By adding Al Bernameg to the lineup we at DW are once again showing our commitment to promote and foster advocates of free speech and democracy through working closely with partners around the world. It is a sign of where we want to go as an organization – exploring diverse formats and connecting in new ways with local audiences.

For almost three years Egypt has been struggling to define itself. The function of a free press, that is so vital to this process, has also suffered. Non-traditional media has often filled the void. Al Bernameg, through making fun of political personages and social mores, provides an objective perspective that may look funny on the surface but is serious to the core.

After being taken off the air in November, Al Bernameg is now being broadcast each week, locally and on DW (Arabia). With DW, the show will be ensured an audience stretching from Morocco to Iraq. Freedom of speech and critique of the government are values essential to building modern societies. We think that programs like Al Bernameg are an important component of the media landscape in the Arab world – and we are committed to helping get the message across.

 

 

At the height of the 2011 Egyptian revolution there was hope that Egypt would emerge with increased freedom for journalists. But as the wave receded, a reconstruction of the same oppression was all that was left behind. On November 29, DW-Akademie and ARD will be hosting an expert discussion at the ARD studios in Berlin to address the power struggle on the Nile that is affecting and polarizing the Egyptian media.

There is an acute problem for journalists in Egypt. The country ranks 158 out of 179 on the Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters without Borders. Egyptian journalists are under constant threat of arrest and imprisonment. In August 2013, Al-Jazeera’s Egyptian TV station was raided and shut down by security forces under the pretense of “posing a threat to national security” and “fabricating allegations and rumors”. After the 2013 coup d’état which effectively placed the military in control of the country, the Egyptian constitution was suspended and the situation for journalists has become progressively worse.

DW has always been a global advocate for democracy and freedom of the press. By increasing awareness it can give hope to journalists in oppressive countries who are suffering just for doing their jobs. Shedding light on these issues during the discussion will be Raniah Salloum, Mideast reporter for Spiegel Online, Jürgen Stryjak a Cairo correspondent for ARD and Mazen Hassan, Germany correspondent for the Egyptian newspaper, Al-Ahram. Moderating the panel will be Jaafar Abdul-Karim, host of Shababtalk, DW’s talk show for the Arab world.