Menassat.com is a website focusing on news, trends and events concerning the Arab media in the twenty-two countries of the MENA region (Middle East & North Africa, defined as the twenty-two member states of the Arab League).
Menassat literally means "platforms" in Arabic; it also holds the acronym for the MENA region.
Our goal is to promote good journalism in the region by providing a platform for Arab journalism as well as specific tools to empower Arab journalists.
Menassat's editorial team is based in Beirut, Lebanon, with correspondents throughout the region.
Menassat is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands through the Dutch media advocacy group Free Voice (www.freevoice.nl). Free Voice, through its "Investing in the Future" program, organizes professional training sessions for Arab journalists, as well as activities aimed at improving the legal protection of journalists and the promotion of press freedom in general.
Menassat's primary goal is to expose the problems and challenges that journalists in the Arabic-speaking world face on a daily basis, and to help overcome them.
Menassat intends to be a platform where Arab media professionals can offer and exchange views and information free of censorship and political or sectarian agendas. Our only philosophy is the promotion of freedom of expression.
Menassat addresses itself to anyone who is interested in social, political, economical and cultural developments in the Arab world, and how the media cover the region.
We encourage good journalism as an effective means of dissecting the social, economical and political developments in the Arab world.
Menassat defines 'the media' to include not only print journalists but also TV and radio journalists, on-line journalists, bloggers, photographers, film-makers and graphic artists. We also aim to help produce and distribute original and innovative media content about the Arab world.
Menassat is a bilingual website; all content is made available in both Arabic and English.
Menassat is updated daily, Monday-Friday, excluding official Lebanese holidays.
Menassat is published by the Arab Images Foundation®.