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 News Archive |
| New Series for Bloggers: Express Yourself and Be Free |
Express Yourself and Be Free is the catchphrase of a new project entitled Supporting Citizen Journalism in Egypt, which aims to strengthen and support the growing movement of bloggers in Egypt. Organized by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) in cooperation with the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR), the one and a half-year project is co-sponsored by the the Rights and Democracy organization of Canada. The initial workshops took place in Cairo in late June and early July. The series will be continued in October and November with hands-on trainings on the usage of Public Service Announcements (short video messages) in political and other campaigns.
During the initial workshop some forty Egyptian journalists and bloggers learned how to set up a blog, how to use pictures, video and audio effectively and how to do all this in the legal framework of the prevailing Egyptian laws and regulations. “While we encourage citizen journalists to express themselves freely, we do not want them to get into conflict with the authorities for transgressing possible legal boundaries”, said FNF’s Regional Director Dr. Ronald Meinardus at the opening session
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The project poster |
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The participants also discussed ethical questions related to blogging and were introduced into the marketing spheres of online communications which – if done properly – can generate income for bloggers. In addition, the workshop also discussed the use of mobile phones and the ever evolving world of micro-blogging on sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
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Breaking the ice exercise |
Prominent Egyptian bloggers and experts gave a special to the workshops: Among them were Malek Mustafa, Nora Younis, Hossam El Hamalawy, Adham El Shahabi, Wael Abbas, Marwa Rakha, Omar Mustafa, Mohamed Abdel Fattah and Philip Rizk.
The workshop went beyond a hands-on and technical training and also discussed important ethical questions and the political ramifications and implications of citizen journalism:. “Blogging is about freedom”, said Malek Mustafa, “Blogging has no boundaries because freedom has no boundaries” added fellow-blogger and journalist Nora Younis. |
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According to participants’ comments, the new project has been off to a good start. Some participants said this was “the best workshop they have ever attended”. FNF received far more applications than available slots. Said Sara Abdel-Ghany, the Foundation’s project-coordinator: “Quite obviously, we are offering training that is very much in demand. It is great to see the enthusiasm with which this project has been received.”
To learn more about the project, go to the webpage
You may also check out the Youtube video
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The workshop participants |
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