Over the last decade, there has been a transformation in how individuals across the globe receive and process news and information. Palestine is certainly no exception. The airwaves and screens are flooded with dozens of radio, TV, and print media sources based in or broadcast from various West Bank cities, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Whether at home or abroad, Palestinians are just a click away from access to a plethora of platforms and sources that cater to all their views and interests.
As media reach has grown and expanded in this digital age, new concerns and challenges have been pushed to the forefront. This month’s issue focuses on revisiting media in Palestine and covers many thought-provoking topics, including the relationship between information and knowledge; digital rights and fake news; the transition from black and white TV to virtual reality; 3-D virtual reality; and the Palestinian media scene, in general.
TWiP is grateful to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO Office in Ramallah, for acquiring the bronze sponsorship of this issue. UNESCO supports programs that focus on freedom of expression and media information literacy. In this issue, Noha Bawazir, Head of the UNESCO Office in Ramallah and its Representative to Palestine, contributes a piece on fake news, disinformation, and freedom of expression; Bawazir and Alton Grizzle, UNESCO’s Communication and Information Programme Specialist at the Paris Headquarters, address the issue of promoting media and information literacy; and Hala B. Tannous, the Communication and Information focal point at the UNESCO Ramallah Office, writes about community radio media in Palestine.
Special thanks go to this month’s authors: Nadim Nashif, a social entrepreneur and digital rights defender; Dr. Nader Salha, assistant professor at Al-Quds University; Hani Alami, a telecom expert; Eyad Al Araj, a co-founder of Jerusalem High Tech Foundry; Maysoun Gangat, head of Radio Nisaa FM; and Sam Husseini, CEO of LionHeart. This issue also highlights five Palestinian women journalists who have made their mark in the field of media: Hana Mahamid, Nisreen Awwad, Shireen Abu Aqleh, Givara Budeiri, and Ruba Shabit.
Ahlan Palestine takes us on a picnic in Wadi Qana. The Artist of the Month is Gaza native, Mohamed Harb. Our Book of the Month is The Politics of Persecution: Middle Eastern Christians in an Age of Empire, and Where to Go takes us to the Walajeh tree.
The entire team at TWiP is grateful for your continued friendship and support.
By Amal Hassan
