September 11, 2014
Acting Public Affairs Officer, Christiaan James along with the head of the local media NGO Freedom Foundation (FF), Khaled Al-Hammadi launched on Monday a two-year project to monitor professionalism, objectivity and responsibility of major Yemeni media outlets. Speaking in Arabic, Mr. James told journalists and media professionals attending the opening that the main aim of the “Media Observatory” project is to assess the rhetoric of Yemen’s major TV channels, newspapers and websites and, consequently; highlight and document violations committed by these outlets in regard to their rhetoric and professionalism. Mr. Al-Hammadi said that the “Media Observatory” is the first of its kind in Yemen, noting that the Media Observatory will release monthly assessment reports highlighting media violations committed by these outlets. Mr. James expressed hope that Yemen’s media organizations and journalists will make the best use of these monthly reports and observations to change rhetoric, enhance professionalism and improve performance.
