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A New Take
on News Youth in the frontline
Al Jazeera's youth-oriented news powerhouse explores new territories with a band of self-taught journalists and a never-waning zeal. Ahmed Lotfi chats with Ahmed Ashour.
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hen you first meet Ahmed Ashour you wouldn't expect this young man – hardly 27, has a success story of such value and depth. However, from the tone of his measured talking and his striking awareness of the media, you realise that age is just a number, and that his experience counts to far more than that. Ashour is the Founder and 50
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Managing Director of Al Jazeera Talk Youth News site (http://www.aljazeeratalk. net/), the news portal that has become prominent site for citizen journalism in Arabic. Established four years ago, it has earned a formidable reputation for Arabs at home and in the diaspora. “When I graduated in graphic design, I could not imagine being an employee, earning a salary, and dreaming of salary day month-to-month. I wanted to get out
of this vicious circle and do something worthwhile, especially something that would engage the younger generation – my generation,” Ashour says. “I had a dream of joining Al Jazeera News. I followed that dream but I found that the path was far removed from what I had imagined. There is a certain indifference towards the youth, and it's uncommon to find young people in such a work group. I had almost given up, but I did re-
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"We have 300 reporters around the world writing to us daily on street, world, regional and local news – all young people."
ceive a call from Al Jazeera for training rather than employment. I responded and after a few months, I received a job offer from my dream channel. That was the beginning.”
Budding Dreams
With that, he did not stop dreaming. Ashour came up with an idea that changed his career and the situation he was in. “I wished to create something along
with Al Jazeera for the young folks. Al Jazeera's audience was mostly 40 above. I wondered why the youth hated news. So I thought of creating a platform that attracted citizen journalism – a space of freedom that did not require those who entered it to be above 30 or 40 years of age;Where they could express their joy and sorrow, life and personal concerns and national aspirations. Why not?” Al Jazeera Talk began operation on 6 June 2006 (6.6.06) at 6 pm, with an aim stated by the six youth that designed and implemented the site (of course, the number matching is not a coincidence!) to educate the Arab youth about the fundamentals and basics of journalism. “We believed, and still do, that Al Jazeera caused a renaissance in the Arab world, and wished to convey this experience to the young people. We believe that the future is not the Internet or television, but something in between that we do not know. But we use the Internet as a platform to launch our ambitions because it is the best medium of serious communication that time has ever brought about. If other means emerges we will be the first to use it.”
The Citizen Journalist
Al Jazeera Talk creators did not expect the site to exceed all expectations and find exceptional interest and acceptance from people. “The project began with – and still has – a budget of 'zero QR only',” smiles Ashour.
“Our project depends 100 percent on voluntary inputs. We wanted it to be that way, and our practice for four years is an indication of the optimism and energy of our youth. Al Jazeera Talk has given us much more than money. The idea was not to evaluate press in terms of money. Asking journalists to write for the press for $50 is somehow an insult. All those who worked with us felt that the value of Al Jazeera Talk is more than money.” “We wanted to be to set up an interactive media in which the Arab citizen abandon the spectator's or receiver's seat to the prospect of making an event and commenting on it and its consequences. Therefore, you will find freedom in our site is much higher than usual.”
Focus on Youth
According to several philosophers, most noted amongst them Dr Abdul Wahab Messiri, humans are inevitably biased and the world has to deal with it, Al Jazeera Talk had to choose to be the part of the picture or take sides in its enlightening and revolutionary mission, so it has chosen the youth. “Al Jazeera Talk understands that we (the youth) have concerns and goals that we pursue relentlessly. Our goal is to spread the concept of the media and to consolidate the idea that everyone can become a media person if they so wish. This does not diminish the value of the professional journalist. Secondly, we have the objective of bringing about a renaissance in this JUly 10
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tag this region through the media,” he says. “We, as an Arab nation, lack the skill of criticism and a questioning mindset. We don't talk about ourselves, the society and politics. Al Jazeera Talk focuses only on young people. If two correspondents came to us: Say 35-year-old Omar, and another who is just 15, we would choose the younger one. In doing so, we are unlike many of the majority of institutions in the world that attract professionals and shut the door in the face of amateurs,” Ahmed asserts.
eign Minister and had a tour inside the 10 Downing Street (government headquarters). We met many British officials who praised the impact of what we do on the Arab youth's mentality. They have been attempts to host or sponsor Al Jazeera Talk, but we are always wary, as we do not want to be funded by anybody that may infringe upon our freedom. Therefore, we cover what news channels don't. This is because citizens have access to places and
An unofficial news source
Al Jazeera Talk has expanded since its inception to become an unofficial source of news without losing its spontaneity. “We are an unofficial source. We're working through a professional line but we do not have an editorial line. For example, we set some basic ground rules for our reporters: Use sound language, be professional and objective, avoid insults, verbal abuse and swearing against religions – then off they go without any other restrictions! At the same time, we tell them that they will learn about the media from the experts in the channel, who follow up on what the website correspondents produce. We have, for example articles attacking Al Jazeera and others that were on its side in many situations. There is nothing wrong with the presenting both factions as long as they are within the framework of freedom of expression and professionalism.”
Maintaining independence
"Al Jazeera Talk has faced its share of difficulties. It is not always the pampered offspring of Al Jazeera.Al Jazeera has sometimes cared for us and sometimes left us alone. In the beginning, they gave us the logo, provided logistical support such office space, phones, connectivity, training. So we organised four courses for about 300 reporters at the expense of Al Jazeera. We are grateful for that, but we are ambitious to get more from the channel. “We also get a lot of calls from foreign governments and the European Union youth centres. They take the Al Jazeera Talk's experience seriously. The British Government invited us to visit the government headquarters; we met with the For52
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recently, protesting againstthe government's abuses against workers of spinning and weaving plants. “Al Jazeera News, the BBC and a group of stations were unable to cover those events because the Egyptian Government knew their correspondents, which prevented them from going to event location. Nobody knew our young correspondents and they used mobile cameras. Therefore, they could bring us unique pictures that Al Jazeera used,” he added. Ashour has stories for the asking that proves the vitality of this type of press and the dynamic experience of Al Jazeera Talk. He wonders why some people believe that citizen journalism is a practice of low credibility. “I can say that the Al Jazeera Talk press is of guaranteed credibility to a large extent. We are checking the news, and care about what is behind it. But let me also say: who says that the official media is 100 percent honest and does not follow agendas that drift it away from being objective and neutral?”
“37 Al Jazeera Talk reporters got wonderful career opportunities at international media organisations, although most of them were graduates in fields that had nothing to do with the media and they had their only experience from Al Jazeera Talk.” people that traditonal media cannot reach. In the recent elections in Egypt, we photographed a citizen that went to the polls with a knife is his pocket. In Nigeria, we provided Al Jazeera News with an exclusive photo of 'Boko Haram', the leader of militant group called 'Nigeria Taliban'. The government dealt with it violently, changing the situation in the entire country. Our correspondent in Nigeria saw Boko Haram dead and handcuffed on the floor. He took a picture of him and we sent it to Al Jazeera, which was the only channel in the world to broadcast it. That picture changed the course of the event because it confirmed that the man had been killed and he hadn't committed suicide. Surprisingly, that reporter is 14 years old.” Ashour cites another instant – the events of Al Mahalla, which broke out in Egypt
Ashour confirms that Al Jazeera Talk correspondents proved that professionalism can take them a long way in the media field. “About 37 Al Jazeera Talk reporters got wonderful career opportunities at international media organisations including the BBC and Arabic newspapers, like the Al Arab and Al Sharq in Qatar, although most of them were graduates in fields that had nothing to do with the media and they had their only experience from Al Jazeera Talk.” Ashour believes that the production of respectable media is what ensured that success of Al Jazeera Talk and it will ensure the success of any initiative. “We are still in the beginning, but we are determined to maintain what we have accomplished and become a milestone in the world of new media.” n