T_NorthAfricaMediaAcademy

As the press in Libya is defined as the profession of troubles, the social aspect of these troubles is faced exclusively by women journalists, firstly because of the cultural beliefs established in society about the gender distribution of roles, and secondly because of the popularity of women in war in Libya as a means of pressure by the parties to the conflict.”

RANA AKABANI, REGIONAL DIRECTOR NORTH AFRICA AND CO-DIRECTOR NORTH AFRICA MEDIA ACADEMY

Media Academy North Africa (NAMA) is a new institution offering training to journalists, editors and publishers in the digitalisation of their production, distribution and marketing.

Journalism plays an important role in the digital disruption in the MENA region. In 2011, the Arab Spring has made it clear how powerfully local and social media, in close cooperation with supra-regional broadcasters - such as al-Jazeera - are helping to shape political change and the conflicts it generates. In Egypt and Libya, strongly polarized media structures have contributed to the fragmentation of society and the relapse into authoritarian politics. In Tunisia, this development could only just be prevented. Here, pluralistic media play a rather constructive role in democratic development. In Algeria, activists have successfully used the social media to achieve their goals. In all cases, the social and traditional media have had and continue to have a significant influence on the course of the transformations, both positively and negatively. North Africa Media Academy starts here and proposes to strengthen the democratic and constructive parts of the respective media systems across borders through training, counselling and networking.

The North Africa Media Academy (NAMA) offers tailor made training for journalists, editors and media houses to harness digital transformation in the Arab region. Founded and matured by local journalists, the academy uses state of the art technology to deliver training on everything from audio-visual production and digital security, to social media and online publishing (would it be better to mention a topics relation to business or marketing. Through applied course design and standards of sector excellence, media professionals from around the region can connect, learn, publish, and innovate.

The academy also provides consultancy to media outlets, governments, and civil society organizations (CSOs) wanting to capture the potential of modern communication. While digitization of the media sector presents new challenges, NAMA sees change as an opportunity for innovation and the region.

Headquartered in Tunis, NAMA now provides services in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, and Libya, with aspirations to expand to other North African countries and the Arab world more broadly. This program is supported by the German media organization Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).