Middle East

The revolutions in the Arab world have significantly changed the region's media landscape. Private radio and TV stations are increasing their market share, independent Internet service providers are expanding their role as primary sources of information, and there are even state broadcasters showing interest in reforms. DW Akademie is accompanying the Middle East’s democratic transition and is promoting structures that ensure long-term, unrestricted access to independent information. Our focus is on Egypt, Yemen, the Palestinian Territories, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The transformation process has slowed down in Egypt and journalists and media workers there are now having to defend their newly gained freedoms. We are supporting the development of structures for media self-regulation and are also assisting reform-oriented media organizations by providing basic and advanced training for online and TV journalists, and for media managers and technicians. We are also training new trainers and developing a practice-oriented journalism degree program with Cairo University.

A journalism degree program is also the focus of our long-term project with Nablus University in the Palestinian Territories. The aim here is to make the existing program more practice-oriented by creating an on-campus TV station.

In Yemen DW Akademie is working with the independent newspaper "Yemen Times" to establish a radio station that offers independent educational and information programming throughout the country.

And in Afghanistan and Pakistan we are working with private stations and state broadcasters to redesign children's television programs. We are also supporting Kabul University in developing its own practice-oriented journalism degree program.