CAIRO: Recent findings reveal that 55 percent of Egyptians have started to rely on visual and electronic sources of news, as opposed to print media. The United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) has developed a project that attempts to revive domestic print media and make it more accessible to readers. Peering into the future of the news industry in Egypt, the five-year Media Development Program (MDP) aims to improve the professionalism, sustainability, and economic performance of the Egyptian media sector in general and print journalism in particular. "That [percentage] is a very alarming development for the newspaper industry [that needs to find out] why this vast number of people don't read daily newspapers, said Jochen Raffelberg, MDP chief of party. Besides the obvious problems of illiteracy and economic limitations, more and more Egyptians are migrating to broadcast and electronic media to get their news. "That is why it is more necessary for top newspapers to engage in a context diverse and unbiased so newspapers can obtain a viable picture of what is going on, Raffelberg said. In this way, newspapers can beat the fierce competition and give readers no reason to turn to other sources for a fuller picture of current events. At the total budget of $15 million, the MDP aims to improve management and economic viability of Egyptian media through direct technical assistance and training. The program provides training seminars and workshops by consultants from around the world as well as equipment for emerging journalists, mid-career professionals and media managers. Launched in 2006, the program focuses its resources on Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan and Minya governorates. Seven leading media partners are members including the Supreme Press Council, Al-Ahram Institute, Al-Akhbar, Egyptian Radio and Television Union, Press Syndicate, Middle East News Agency, and Egyptian State Information Service. "We ask our partners what their priorities for development are.and we help them translate these priorities into a development plan, and into reality, Raffelberg said. The program reaches out to all media whether governmental, party-oriented, or independent, paying particular attention to Arabic language media. "[Research] shows that a great deal of [Egyptians] do not read newspapers because they don't find what they want to read about. They want to read about their local news and [governorates], he explained. "A recent study [reveals] that only 2.3 percent of newspaper [coverage] is local content from the governorates, whereas electronic, radio, and television media devote over eight percent to local content. If newspapers increased their local content, they would attract more readers and thus more revenue through advertising, he explained. "People want prime reporting. They want to find news about health and science, as well as sports. They want to understand what the free market offers in terms of opportunities. "People do not want to read on the front page what they've seen on the box [television set]. The trend is to give people more background and explanation, to put news in perspective and make people understand what is happening, Raffelberg said. "Newspapers need to explain the why and how as well as the what. The MDP is trying to create awareness among Egyptian media personnel about what readers, listeners and viewers want to read. Besides missing out on local news coverage, newspapers lack sufficient economic and corporate reporting. "Readers want to read about inflation and know why prices go up and down. They want to understand risks in stock exchanges, stated Raffelberg. "Some newspapers write about the top 20 companies listed on the CASE. What about the other companies? That is what portfolio mangers around the world are interested in. They want to know what stops these companies from being successful. Raffelberg said that some people stop reading the economic and business pages because some journalists use complicated language, which actually gives the impression that they do not understand what they are writing. The MDP will train journalists to explain complex mechanisms in a way that is easily understood by all. "What I'm missing in many articles is illustration. Economic pages do not offer meaningful graphics that make people understand what is going on, he stated. "Journalists need to learn how to read statistics and translate them into meaningful and colorful graphics. Moreover, he said, "content and presentation go hand-in-hand; and unattractive contents can't be sold. He pointed out that as newspapers become more appealing to readers, they become more appealing to advertisers thereby generating more revenue and improving their economic viability as well as their ability to survive the age of fierce media competition.
