Egyptian elections: Thomson Reuters Foundation launches independent news website
Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:11 GMT
An opposition supporter holds up a laptop showing images of celebrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square, after Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak resigned February 11, 2011. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
LONDON, October 17, 2011 – TrustMedia announced on Wednesday the launch of the Aswat Masriya website: www.aswatmasriya.com. This elections website in Arabic aims to provide fair, independent and accurate news and information to journalists, voters and the public at large in the run-up to the 2011 and 2012 parliamentary and presidential elections.
“The elections mark a watershed moment in Egypt’s modern history and objective, reliable information is critical to the fledgling democratic process. With Aswat Masriya, Thomson Reuters Foundation is responding to an urgent need for transparent information during this crucial period of transition. Our aim is to provide a completely independent news platform, run by Egyptians for Egyptians, to help voters navigate the electoral process and fully take part in this first democratic election,”, said Monique Villa, Thomson Reuters Foundation CEO.
In addition to news, the website- run by an Egyptian and Arab team of journalists and editors- provides information on all the candidates and their parties; how and where to vote; election laws; and the political debates ahead of the polls. Recognising the role of social media during the Egyptian revolution, Aswat Masriya also has a strong social media element with regular updates, news and comments for followers.
The site will stay active for a year.
To further increase the website's impact, the TR Foundation team has already partnered with distinguished local media, including Al-Ahram and Al-Shorouk, to exchange news and information.
The website is a free service and does not accept any kind of advertisement so as to preserve its editorial independence and neutrality. Our team is based in the Reuters Cairo bureau and benefits from the experience of Reuters Editorial and the Reuters Arabic Service.
Journalism training in Egypt
In the effort to promote fair, independent and accurate reporting during the Egyptian elections, Thomson Reuters Foundation is also organising ‘Elections Reporting’ training courses for print and broadcast journalists. Twenty-eight journalists have already been trained and four other courses will happen soon. The training focuses on objective coverage, the role of the media in elections, elements of free and fair elections, election abuses and achieving international reporting standards.
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