First specialised media affairs magazine for Palestine

PARIS, FRANCE / DARMSTADT, GERMANY: Filling the information vacuum surrounding the Palestinian media, the Palestinian Centre for Development & Media Freedoms (MADA), in conjunction with the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), has launched the debut issue of MADA El-E'lam, reputed to be the first specialised magazine on media affairs in Palestine.

In addition to compiling and disseminating news from local, Arab and international media, the first issue presents a broad range of topics covering the media scene in the Palestinian territories.

"We hope the magazine will make a contribution towards highlighting the existing problems in the Palestinian media and become a vital resource for journalists by providing exclusive information and contemporary media analysis," said MADA editorial director Mousa Rimawi, in his opening editorial.

MADA is an independent, non-governmental and non-profit organisation that seeks to develop the Palestinian media and defend journalists and media institutions. It is the foremost media organisation to monitor media freedom violations in the Palestinian territories. More information can be found at http://www.madacenter.org/.

Submissions and contributions for subsequent issues of MADA's flagship publication are welcome. MADA El-E'lam will be issued every two months and is distributed freely to journalists, media houses, governmental and civil society organisations throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Download the first edition of MADA El-E'lam (Arabic) at
http://www.madacenter.org/doc/madaElam1st.pdf

MADA El-E'lam is supported by WAN-IFRA through its funding partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). More information about the partnership and WAN-IFRA's global press freedom and media development work can be found at http://www.wan-ifra.org/microsites/press-freedom.