With this wish, our meeting with our partners in the four countries—Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon—ended.
We met in Jordan at the end of June for two days as the final meeting within the Qareeb program, and we discussed several matters related to the media and the concerns of journalists. We also discussed the Qareeb program and what has been achieved through it for the partners who have produced more than 6,500 media materials through it and over the years of the program.
The Jordan meeting also aimed to celebrate the winners of the "Qareeb Award” in its last year; an award that, over its three years, has transformed into an award that aims not only to celebrate the outstanding work of alternative media in particular, but also the courage of journalists in addressing taboo issues, from corruption to discrimination, environmental waste, and much more.
We begin with the results we have achieved with our partners over the years of the program; results that are not limited to production alone, but also include the success of our partners in expanding their reach and accessing millions:
Reach and Audience: The number of people who followed, read, and watched productions supported by "Qareeb" on our partner platforms (which numbered over 40) exceeded 23 million views and engagements. Yes, 23 million views and engagements! This is a tremendous number, achieved not only through the support of the "Qareeb" program, but also through the quality of our partners' productions and these platforms' challenge to the mainstream by breaking down barriers and covering the most important issues for people.
Women's presence: Another thing that the program celebrates is that women were not only the focus of the issues that were followed up on, but they were also content creators; the percentage of female colleagues who worked on those productions reached 43%, while women's issues occupied 46%.
This video showcases some of what has been achieved, of course not everything that has been achieved, nor is it a selection of the best achievements. It is just one example, while other examples are available on our website:
Seminars and dialogues "Conversations with a Close Friend"
Over the years of the program, we organized seminars and dialogues within the "Nearby Talks" program, ranging from discussions about current events that concern the media and the region, to discussions about public freedoms issues, and the number of seminars reached 15.
As for direct dialogue, it took place in our regular meetings with our partners, the most recent being the concluding meeting in Jordan, which was attended by all partners and colleagues working on the program. The Amman meeting provided an opportunity to discuss three main themes:
1. Sustaining independent journalism and integrating artificial intelligence into newsrooms
Financial sustainability: Focusing on the biggest challenge for independent organizations by reviewing strategies to increase flexibility and diversify income sources without compromising editorial independence (e.g., hybrid social enterprise models, subscriptions, training services, and partnerships with the private sector).
Artificial intelligence applications: Moving from theoretical experimentation to practical application, and reviewing the results of applying the (Q-AIM) program to enhance content quality, consolidate credibility and counter misinformation, taking into account linguistic obstacles and financial cost, to ensure that automation serves the editorial aspects and added journalistic value.
2. Challenging working environment: Protecting journalists and legal accountability
Threats and Safety: Highlighting the complex security and legal environment in countries such as (Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq), and addressing digital threats, surveillance, and systematic monitoring, along with field safety mechanisms.
Ending impunity: Boldly raising the issue of accountability, emphasizing the need to dismantle the phenomenon of impunity when targeting journalists, and activating international and local advocacy and pressure tools to protect press freedom and the right to coverage.
3. Regional cooperation and mid-term assessment of the legacy of the "Qareeb" program
Future prospects: Discussing future aspirations beyond the current session, reviewing potential extension options, and outlining sustainable mechanisms to ensure the continuity of the network of partners among the four countries.
Supporting institutions and protecting journalists
It is important to note that we played a role in supporting several vital initiatives and measures to advance freedom of expression and the protection of journalists, including activities in cooperation with:
Metro Center in Iraq: for shedding light on what journalists are exposed to, and the gaps that exist in public freedoms.
The Union of Journalists in Lebanon: which played a role in discussing the media law and pushing for radical amendments to it, while noting a recent attempt by the political authority in Lebanon to circumvent some articles, to allow the prosecution of journalists under the title of "false news and defamation”.
Note: This pretext is an argument used by those who practice corruption to evade prosecution, amidst the major complexities that characterize access to information.
The Metro Center's latest activity was a media roundtable in Halabja calling for equal access to information.
The roundtable, supported by CFI as part of the "Qareeb” project, included more than 30 participants from journalists, local officials, and academics to discuss the challenges of journalistic work in the governorate.
Key outcomes and recommendations of the meeting:
Fairness in coverage: Demanding the distribution of official data, information, and equal treatment among all media outlets without discrimination.
Economic support: Calling on international partners to direct training and technical support towards media institutions in smaller provinces to cope with financial crises.
Protecting journalists: Establishing effective mechanisms to promote press freedom and document violations on the ground.
The organizers confirmed that the recommendations will form the cornerstone for the upcoming workshops and training sessions for the "Qareeb" project.
The other activity was a training course for journalists in Kurdistan on safe reporting in conflict zones, held in Erbil, with the participation of 18 journalists from various media outlets in Kurdistan. The workshop focused on:
Legal protection: A review of the rights and guarantees provided to journalists under international law.
Field skills: Simulating the work of newsrooms under pressure, verifying sources, and accurately narrating events.
The course came in response to an urgent need among Iraqi journalists to balance speed of transmission with safe coverage.
Cooperation with the Union of Journalists in Lebanon continues to grant a fellowship whose goal is also to shed light on the restrictions that journalists are subjected to through the use of laws and changes therein.
Prior to the launch of the fellowship, the Union of Journalists in Lebanon organized a joint training that brought together experienced journalists and students, within the "Media Law Fellowship" program, in preparation for working on producing publishable journalistic and research materials.
Qareeb Award and Closing Ceremony
Across the five categories, the jury recognized works addressing environmental degradation, women’s rights, youth issues, corruption, local governance, and conflict and displacement. Despite their diverse themes, the winning entries shared a commitment to rigorous verification, public accountability, and representing voices often absent from mainstream coverage.
In partnership with a relative
FT Strategies conducted a study entitled: "Aiming High:
The AI Opportunity for Independent Media in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine”
The study was conducted by FT Strategies — the consulting arm of the Financial Times — for the "Qareeb” program.
The study relied on analysis and working partnerships with more than 40 independent media organizations across these four countries to explore how to adopt and implement artificial intelligence tools in local newsrooms.
This study examines the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in independent media institutions in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine, starting with the real challenges they face, such as limited resources, reliance on external funding, weak infrastructure, the complexities of working in Arabic, and declining public trust. The study emphasizes that the success of digital transformation does not depend solely on adopting the latest technologies, but rather on aligning AI tools with each institution's needs and level of organizational maturity, through a framework that progresses from survival to sustainability, and finally to innovation.
The study concludes that artificial intelligence (AI) presents a practical opportunity to enhance the efficiency of newsrooms, improve content production, increase audience engagement, diversify revenue streams, and build trust, provided it is adopted gradually and responsibly, relying on a partnership between humans and AI rather than complete replacement. It also recommends focusing on small-scale, high-impact pilot programs, developing institutional capabilities, and strengthening collaboration between media organizations and supporting entities to ensure a sustainable transformation that respects the specific characteristics of the region's media landscape.
The study concludes that successful adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) within independent media organizations in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine does not stem from pursuing a general, abstract digital transformation, but rather from focusing first on addressing the specific operational problems and challenges facing newsrooms. The findings emphasize that an integrated partnership between human capital and AI (a hybrid approach) is superior to the individual efforts of either, particularly given the linguistic complexities and dialectal variations in Arabic, which render complete automation inaccurate. To effectively allocate resources, the study presents a framework that categorizes organizations based on their institutional and technical capabilities into three phases: survival, sustainability, and innovation. This framework allows each organization to select the tools and experiences best suited to its specific circumstances.
At the practical and strategic level, the study revealed that rapid, low-cost, and impactful pilot projects represent the optimal approach to leveraging artificial intelligence. This includes using smart tools to automate administrative tasks and grant application writing to reduce the burden on journalists, capitalizing on the widespread use of WhatsApp in the region for smart distribution and enhanced audience engagement, transforming journalistic archives into valuable revenue-generating assets, and participating in collaborative verification networks. The report also emphasized that building and restoring public trust requires complete transparency regarding the limits of AI use and the adoption of stringent data protection standards. It called on funders and media organizations to develop collaborative infrastructure and flexible, long-term projects that overcome funding and regional infrastructure challenges.
Upcoming training
312 journalists in Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Palestine received 32 training sessions, which included:
Investigative journalism and building investigations
Data journalism and fact-checking
Preparing press reports and covering the news
Video journalism and photojournalism
Podcasts and audio journalism
Safety and protection for journalists
Artificial intelligence and modern media technology
Specialized and sensitive journalism focusing on the environment, gender, and laws.
And other diverse training programs that our partners have benefited from, many of which came in response to their desires to ensure the greatest benefit in covering professional needs.
Productions of close partners
In conclusion, it should be noted that the productions of our partners within the upcoming program concluded last July and, as from day one, were professional and focused.
We have selected for you a report from Shama'a Palestine TV about the rise in theft rates due to deteriorating social conditions, delays in salary payments, and increased poverty rates resulting from the current situation in Palestine.
We have also selected this report from the Hibr platform about the collapse of the financial infrastructure in Gaza and the challenges this reality presents.
The platform "Akher Qissa" chose a range of topics, including this video about training children, including girls, in judo to help them overcome the psychological crisis that the war has inflicted on the people of Gaza.
From the city of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, most of whose buildings were razed to the ground, comes this report from the Sila Wasl platform about the city's Grand Mosque, which is linked to the city's memory throughout its various eras.
source/ Qarib Project