AMAN NEWSLETTER 2015
(No. 01/15)
CONTENTS
1. STATEMENT BY ΑΜΑΝ FUC IN SOLIDARITY WITH CHARLIE
HEBDO
2. AMAN COMPETITION
3. AMAN/EFE SEMINAR
4. AMAN FUND – MEMBERSHIP FEES
5. CONTRIBUTIONS BY AMAN MEMBER AGENCIES
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
–
–
–
–
AA
AFP
LUSA
MAP
SANA
Compiled by George Penintaex
CNA Acting Director/Editor-in-Chief
AMAN Secretary General
2
1. STATEMENT BY ΑΜΑΝ FUC IN SOLIDARITY WITH CHARLIE HEBDO
The Board of the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN) condemns
the deadly attack at the Paris-based magazine Charlie Hebdo and the loss of
staff members.
We join other news agencies' groups and the international media community
in solidarity with the Charlie Hebdo journalists.
We defend the right of journalists and media to work in safe conditions,
safeguarding the freedom of the Press and the freedom of expression, based
on democratic values.
AMAN FOLLOW UP COMMITTEE
2. AMAN COMPETITION
Directors General
of AMAN Member Agencies
Dear Colleagues,
I hereby invite participation in the AMAN competitions for best news item and
best photo for the year 2014-2015, in accordance with the rules adopted by
the General Assembly of AMAN, as below:
1.
Entries
region.
must
refer
to
themes
concerning
the
Mediterranean
2.
Entries must have been published by the submitting member
news
agency during the last 12 months prior to 15 December 2014.
3.
Each member news agency may participate in the competitions
one news item and one photo only.
4.
Entries must reach the Secretary General of AMAN,
Director General of CNA Mr. George Penintaex by March 15,
His e-mail address is: director@cna.org.cy
5.
News items and photo captions must be translated into
submitting member news agency.
6.
News items must not exceed 1200 words.
7.
Photos can be in colour or black and white.
8.
Photo captions must not exceed 100 words.
with
Acting
2015.
English
by
9.
Photos and captions must be sent to the Secretary General
AMAN by e-mail.
of
3
According to the rules, the Secretary General of AMAN will send copies of all
entries to the members of the Follow-Up Committee one week after the
closing date. The Follow-Up Committee, at its meeting in April 2015, will
choose the winners from the entries submitted in accordance with the rules
and will announce the winners at the following General Assembly in 2015.
During the General Assembly a brief ceremony will be held for presentation
of the awards to the two winners who will be invited by the host agency to
spend a week in its country.
On behalf of the President of AMAN and all members of the Follow-Up
Committee I strongly urge all member news agencies of AMAN to participate
in the competitions and comply with the rules mentioned above.
Sincerely,
George Penintaex
Acting Director/Editor-in-Chief CNA
Secretary General AMAN
3. AMAN/EFE SEMINAR
EFE will organize a seminar for the staff of the AMAN Member Agencies about
“Journalism and Social Media” between 27-29 April 2015, in Barcelona.
Further details of the programme and the registration form will be sent to all
AMAN Members in order to contribute to the seminar the soonest possible.
4. AMAN FUND – MEMBERSHIP FEES
AMAN Member Agencies are kindly asked to pay their outstanding
membership fees in one of the two accounts below:
US DOLLARS
AMAN FUND
Bank of Cyprus Ltd
P.O. BOX 21472
1599 Nicosia – Cyprus
Account no.: 0174-41-008503-06
IBAN no.: CY09 0020 0174 0000 0041 0085 0306
Swift: BCYPCY2N
EURO
AMAN FUND
Bank of Cyprus Ltd
P.O. BOX 21472
1599 Nicosia - Cyprus
4
Account no.: 357018620192
IBAN no.: CY52 0020 0195 0000 3570 1862 0192
SWIFT: BCYPCY2N
5. CONTRIBUTIONS BY AMAN MEMBER AGENCIES
5.1
AA
Anadolu appoints new CEO
Mr. SENOL KAZANCI has been appointed new Chairman of the Board and
Director General of Anadolu Agency.
Mr. Kazanci, 39, had served as head of corporate communications
department at the Turkish Presidency. He also served as an advisor to
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He was also the principal consultant when
Erdogan was the Prime Minister.
Mr. Kazanci, replaces Mr. Kemal Ozturk, who resigned from his post on 1
December 2014.
Mr. Kazanci was born in Istanbul in 1975, but he is originally from Yomra
district in Turkey's northeastern Trabzon province.
He did his early schooling at the Kartal Anatolian Imam Hatip High School in
Istanbul. Later, he studied law at Istanbul University and got further
education in the U.S.
In 2007, he became the chief editor of the Turkish television channel, TV Net.
He also wrote articles for the daily Yeni Safak until 2011, when he was
appointed as Erdogan’s principal consultant during Erdogan’s service as
Prime Minister.
Mr. Kazanci went on to serve as a key advisor when Erdogan became
President.
Mr. Kazanci is married and has two daughters. He speaks English and
German.
World-famous editors for AA's Istanbul Photo Awards jury
The Anadolu Agency’s Istanbul Photo Awards has confirmed that awardwinning journalists from TIME magazine, Stern, Getty Images and AgenceFrance Presse – to name but a few – will act as judges in January’s
competition finale.
The inaugural competition will feature a jury of respected professionals,
including TIME magazine’s international photo editor Alice Gabriner and Hong
Kong-born Pulitzer-winning former photojournalist and founder of the
Shanghai Center of Photography, Liu Heung Shing.
5
The jury will also include Stern Magazine’s photo editor Harald Menk,
senior director of Getty Images Georges De Keerle, AFP’s photo distribution
director Michel Scotto, World Press Photo award winners Guillaume Herbaut
and Yuri Kozyrev, war reporter Patrick Chauvel, plus Anadolu Agency visual
news editor Ahmet Sel and AA’s photography editor Firat Yurdakul.
Applications
will
be
accepted
www.istanbulphotoawards.com
until
Jan.
31,
2015
on
Followers also can also learn more about the contest from social media,
including at:
Twitter: @istphotoawards
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IstanbulPhotoAwards
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/128873901@N03/
and Instagram: http://instagram.com/istanbulphotoawards
The competition results will be announced on Anadolu Images, the
international photograph platform of The Anadolu Agency.
The award ceremony will be held in April in Istanbul.
5.2 AFP
AFP blog to improve journalists’ safety
AFP has launched a blog entirely dedicated to security saying that efficient
sharing of information is the key to improving the safety of journalists
working in danger zones. The blog is intended to be used by AFP’s teams as
well as by the editorial managements of other media companies. Users must
comply with a “good conduct charter” which requires them to keep the
information in the blog confidential.
The blog, based on the extensive on-the-ground experience of AFP’s teams,
discusses security in the broad sense – the risks, both physical and
psychological, faced by reporters covering the news as well as by photo and
video editors who increasingly have to handle extremely violent images, AFP
said in a press release.
“It provides standard guidelines as well as specific, constantly updated
recommendations on covering current crises (Ebola, Iraq and Ukraine today).
These recommendations range from what itinerary to follow to what hotel to
use and what equipment to take”.
The blog also features accounts of journalists’ experiences during past crises
and the kinds of events that are likely to reoccur, such as mass hostage
takings and natural disasters. It provides set guidelines on a variety of issues
such as secure transmissions and what a reporter’s travel bag should
contain. Video tutorials on topics such as protective gear are also posted.
“In an environment that is increasingly risky for journalists on the ground,
AFP has made security its top priority, investing in training and equipment to
ensure the protection of its staff. This blog complements our major efforts in
6
this area, the objective being to share our experience and in particular to
provide the entire community of journalists with the information that is
essential to the safe operation of their missions”, said Emmanuel Hoog,
President and CEO of AFP.
French and English editions of the blog are currently live, and content in
AFP’s other working languages (Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese and German)
will be added in the future.
AFP budget with state resources split in two categories
AFP’s commercial prospects remain positive, the agency’s board said when it
approved the budget for 2015. Revenues, not counting those from the
government, are expected to rise by 2.2 per cent over 2014. There will also
be a strong increase in revenue from the government of more than 3.3 per
cent, demonstrating the state’s support of AFP and the strategic character of
the mission of general interest devolved upon the agency, AFP said in a press
release.
In 2015, resources from the state will be divided for the first time between a
subsidy to compensate AFP for the net cost of the mission of general interest
and a commercial contract covering the subscriptions taken out by various
government departments.
Compensation for the cost of the mission of general interest is implemented
under the terms of the settlement of the complaint lodged in Brussels that
AFP had been receiving state aid. It will be reflected in the contract of
objectives and means between AFP and the French state. The contract is now
in the final phase of negotiations and France is committed to submitting it to
the European Commission before March 27, 2015, the agency said in the
release.
The background to dividing resources from the state was described at the
EANA/HINA conference in Split in September. The presentation at the
conference by Emmanuel Marcovitch, Deputy Managing Director –
Administrative and Financial Director, AFP, is available to member agencies
at the EANA website, pages for Members only.
President and CEO, Emmanuel Hoog, said that AFP’s 2014 - 2018
development plan calls for annual revenue growth of between 2 per cent and
2.5 per cent. “In the context of the economic and structural crisis affecting
the print media, achieving this kind of growth will require AFP to reinforce its
operating and investment capabilities in key areas of development.”
The board approved the creation of AFP Blue, an AFP technical subsidiary of
means, innovation and development. It will enable AFP to invest more than
Euro 30 million in the following four areas:
 Reinforcing AFP’s technical video infrastructure;
 Developing innovative applications to respond to new ways of
gathering, distributing and consulting news;
7
 Improving the security of its systems and responding more
effectively to its clients’ needs thanks to better knowledge of their
practices;
 Digitising its archives to enable the agency to expand its catalogue to
include old and rare content and to enhance both the heritage value
and the commercial value of its documentary archive.
Mr. Hoog said 2014 had been marked by an outstanding commercial
performance, with a 2.2 per cent increase in revenues, excluding state
subscriptions. Counting the additional revenues related to “special events” –
the Sochi Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in Brazil – the increase
was 3.3 per cent. Video revenues was up more than 28 per cent with 150
television channels subscribing to this service. Photo sales and a new
partnership with Getty resulted in a 12 per cent growth of photo revenues in
the United States.
Geographically, Latin America was the most dynamic region -- posting a 20
per cent revenue increase 2014 -- followed by the Middle East and Asia,
where AFP renewed its partnership with Jiji Press for another three years. In
France, revenues increased by 1.5 per cent.
“Costs have been controlled, so that AFP’s operating margin is again on its
way up – with a positive margin of nearly Euro 12 million forecasted for 2014
after six years of decline due to the media crisis in France and in Europe.”
For 2015, the statement said costs will be strictly contained. “The expected
savings on the agency’s running costs will enable AFP to increase editorial
resources – for example staff expenditures (+1.3 per cent) and editorial
missions (+6.8 per cent over 2014, not counting special events)”.
“Based on this budget, the agency intends to consolidate the means that it
has deployed in the major theatres of international news and that set AFP
apart from other global news agencies.”
Overall, revenue is budgeted at Euro 296.5 million and expenditure at Euro
279.7 million, producing an operating margin of Euro 16.8 million for a
balanced net result.
AFP will have an investment budget of Euro 15.2 million for 2015. “This
budget will make it possible to pursue the investments linked to the agency’s
development plan for 2014-2018. The major share of these investments will
be carried by AFP’s new subsidiary.”
AFP appoints Director of Video
Marie-Noëlle Vallès has been appointed AFP Director of Video. The agency
said that the step is taken “to strengthen the management of this activity
which is AFP’s number one strategic priority and key growth driver.”
She will report to the global news director and be responsible for pursuing
the development of video. She will also contribute to the discussion on how
jobs within the agency are changing, the agency said in a press release.
She will be assisted by two deputies, one responsible for international
development and the other for live video development.
8
Ms Vallès has directed AFP’s video service since 2010. She joined AFP in
1989 as a reporter and has been based in Paris, London and Madrid, and has
reported as a special correspondent in Latin America and the Middle East.
She was a deputy to AFP's global news editor before joining the video
department.
AFP photographer awarded by both Guardian and Times
Time magazine has chosen AFP photographer Bulent Kilic as Best Wire
Photographer of 2014 for his coverage of the Middle East and Europe and the
Guardian named him Photographer of the Year for his coverage of the Middle
East and Europe.
The 35 year-old Turkish photojournalist won the Time award for his coverage
of Ukraine, Turkey and Syria, AFP said.
“His striking, vivid and memorable images have captured the attention of
photo editors across the planet,” Time said.
Mr Kilic joined AFP 2005 as a freelancer after having worked for local media.
He is currently AFP chief photographer for Turkey.
5.3
LUSA
LUSA appointing new CEO
LUSA has appointed the agency’s former vice president, Mr Rogério Gomes,
as the agency’s CEO. He is replacing Mr Afonso Camões who has been
appointed editor-in-chief of “Jornal de Notícias”, belonging to media group
Controlinveste, based in Porto.
Mr Camões had been the CEO of LUSA since 2009. Mr Gomes has been nonexecutive Vice President of LUSA since 2012 and has earlier worked as
journalist, editor and director at Portuguese newspapers.
5.4
MAP -
Atlantic Federation of African News Agencies set up in Casablanca
Participants in the 1st forum of Atlantic and western African news agencies,
organized by Morocco's News Agency (MAP), announced, on Tuesday, Oct.
14, in Casablanca, the creation of the Atlantic Federation of African News
Agencies (FAAPA).
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the said forum which kicked
off a day before with the participation of managing directors of several news
agencies in the region, in addition to Moroccan and African communication
experts and distinguished figures.
The FAAPA is meant to lay the bases for a strategic partnership and develop
professional relations between news agencies in countries of Atlantic Africa,
9
share information and multimedia products, ensure free circulation of
information and collect, process and spread any piece of news concerning
these countries.
It is also aimed at organizing training sessions and seminars on issues of
shared interest, promote fruitful cooperation and complementarity in all
areas, preserve shared interests of the body member states and ameliorate
the sharing of expertize and know-how, in addition to coordination and
consultations in regional and international forums.
On this occasion, MAP managing director Khalil Hachimi Idrissi was
unanimously elected president of the executive council, Barry Oumou
Valentine Claudine (Côte d’Ivoire) was chosen as first vice-president and
Anasth Wilfrid Mbossa (Congo) as second vice-president. Mathias Leandre
Atignon (Benin), Yarba Ould Sghair (Mauritania) and Jay Nagbe Sloh (Liberia)
were elected members of the body, while its secretariat general was
entrusted to Mohamed Anis (Morocco).
This forum, held under the theme "African News Agencies in the Era of
Multimedia : What Future", aims to provide a platform for exchange and
reflection on the future of African news agencies and their role amidst
profound changes in the media scene and within the framework of
globalization and the new era of multimedia.
African news agencies urged to set out new strategies: El Khalfi
Morocco’s minister of Communication, Government Spokesperson Mustapha
El Khalfi called African news agencies to engage in a prospective reflection to
set out new orientations and new strategic choices for the future in order to
keep pace with the 21st century's challenges.
"In order for them to maintain their leading role in the media scene as the
most credible and accurate source of information unlike social media, African
news agencies have no other choice today but to exchange views on new
challenges", El Khalfi said at the opening of the first forum of Atlantic and
western African news agencies, an initiative of Morocco’s news Agency (MAP)
under the theme "African News Agencies in the Era of Multimedia: What
Future?"
In this context, the minister called for the setting up op of an African news
agencies body in order to better respond to new challenges and keep pace
with the rapid changes in the media and communication field.
The main aim is to strengthen cooperation and contribute to the promotion of
communication and mutual understanding among the countries of the region
on the basis of a shared and solidarity-based vision, El Khalfi added.
For his part, the director general of MAP Khalil Idrissi Hachimi called for
developing a new model of professional practice and for cooperation between
the Atlantic and western African news agencies of in order to meet the
shared ambitions and the objectives of the countries of this region.
The aim is also to guarantee to citizens access to credible and verified
information, he noted.
10
"The time of big agencies and small agencies is over. It is over because this
notion is based on a geopolitical sham backed by the fracture between the
South and the North. Africa does no longer accept this diminishing picture
portrayed by others", Hachimi pointed out.
Moroccan news agency signs cooperation agreements
with several African peers
Moroccan News Agency "MAP" signed cooperation agreements with seven
African news agencies.
The agreements, signed on the sidelines of the Forum of Atlantic and West
African countries held by MAP in Casablanca this October 13-14, aims to give
new impetus to cooperation between agencies of the region in addressing
shared challenges of financing, training, new information and communication
technologies and harsh competition by international news agencies.
MAP and signatory agencies have agreed to freely and mutually use each
others products, follow news in each others country, exchange visits of
journalists and professionals and bring assistance to special envoys and
correspondents.
Signatory agencies also agreed to mutually use each others multimedia
products (photo, audio, visual and internet).
The agreements were signed by MAP's general manager, Khalil Hachimi
Idrissi, and heads of the news agencies of Guinea, Benin Mali, Chad, Niger,
Liberia and Senegal.
The Forum of Atlantic and West African countries held by MAP is themed
"African press agencies in the multimedia era: what future?"
MAP director-general meets in NY with UN under-secretary
general for Communications and Public Information
Director General of the Moroccan News Agency (MAP) Khalil Hachimi Idrissi
met at the UN headquarters in New York with United Nations UnderSecretary General for Communications and Public Information Peter LaunskyTieffenthal on means to reinforce partnership between MAP and the UN
Department of Public Information (DPI).
During this courtesy visit, Hachimi Idrissi highlighted the rich and diverse
historical ties between Morocco and the UN organization, mainly in the field
of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), challenges related to climate
change in the eve of the UN world summit on climate change, as well as
Morocco's important contribution to peacekeeping operations under the UN
aegis, "a source of pride for Moroccans".
The Director General underlined the multidimensional aspect of Morocco's
partnership with the UN, including the treatment of the national cause by the
UN, noting that the seasonality of examining the Moroccan Sahara issue
11
within the UNSC, through the renewal of the MINURSO mission, reduces
the scope of perceiving UN actions in the Kingdom due to the frustration
generated by the procedure for the populations because of the delayed final,
political settlement.
He also lauded the UN support for development projects in Morocco, adding
that it gives concrete substance to Moroccans' needs on the field where UN
initiatives join the INDH large-scale project.
Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal said he was interested in taking part in the MAP
Forum on themes advocated by the UN body such as climate change, MDGs
and renewable energy.
He commended MAP as an important partner for the UN Department of Public
Information, hailing the continuous presence of MAP within the UN
headquarters. He added that MAP, through its various platforms, is providing
information for Moroccans and beyond, across the Maghreb region, about UN
activities and objectives.
The meeting with Khalil Hachimi Idrissi enabled to explore means to broaden
cooperation between the UN and MAP mainly in relation with development
and climate change, the UN official said, hoping to work closely with the
agency in the future, as well as with other partners in Morocco, including
colleges and civil society.
5.5
SANA
Changes for Syrian Arab News Agency
A number of changes have been made in the Syrian Arab News Agency
(SANA) such as:






A new updated website in different languages.
English news service for subscribers.
News service in both Persian and Hebrew via SANA website.
Video service: https://www.facebook.com/sana.video.service
Assigned Eng., Miss. Faten Falah, as Assistant Director-General.
A
number of SANA
employees
(Editors, Translators
and
Photographers) underwent building skills and language training
courses.
WISHES
AMAN Secretary General George Penintaex wishes
to all AMAN Members and Observers a Prosperous
and Happy 2015.
GP/MM
15 January 2015