Greyscale, a dynamic publishing and production company, is launching a new and innovative web-based television channel in Jordan with IREX support. As Jordan’s first WEB TV channel, this citizens’ journalism project will create an Arabic language platform, offering video clips and features on Jordanian popular current events, targeting youth but appealing also to older age groups.
The channel’s content aims to promote progressive thinking by fostering the emergence of a collective identity. Three clips, between one and four minutes each, will be uploaded on a daily basis and the website will be divided into categories of citizen journalism, profiling, housing and properties, street talk, culture, news, statistics, sketches, and feature of the week.
To ensure a successful launch with unique and creative material, IREX consultant and former CBS’ 60 Minutes producer Barbara Dury recently worked with the Greyscale team of young journalists and camera crew to refine their reporting skills. To build up the base of active and knowledgeable staff, Greyscale has two three-day workshops in the works to train 30 more citizen journalists. Together, this group of young journalists will spearhead the production of the first round of reports.
Ongoing trainings hope to focus on enhancing the staff’s ability to conduct more than one job. Attention needs to be paid to increasing efficiency by allowing producers, editors, and camera staff to apply their knowledge in more than one area of expertise. With over 60% of the population under 25 years of age and internet access and blogging sites proliferating in Jordan, it is imperative to ensure news services adapt to address the changing needs of a young audience while reinforcing the core values of fair, free, and accurate reporting.
This project builds on previous collaborations in which IREX provided consultants to assist with the design and launching of a brand new tabloid-style weekly newspaper called Eyen (The Eye), aimed at the large youth market in Jordan and produced in Arabic featuring cutting-edge design.
IREX is the implementer for the USAID-funded Jordan Media Strengthening Program [6]. Entering its third year of operation, the program works with journalists, media owners, lawyers, educators, and regulators as it supports the development of independent media, helps improve standards of journalism, and encourages greater diversity of news sources in the kingdom.
