barakabits - good news from the middle east

Optimism and the other narrative

@rchakaki

barakabits

hopeful

aspirational

inspirations

intelligent

spirited

sustainable

traditional

fun

creative

healthy

collaborative

GOOD

inspirations

clean

Wednesday, April 10, 13

in my world fairy tails come to lifeWednesday, April 10, 13

I meet and work with heroes .. my stories have happy endings


I am blessed to work doctors from around the world .. heroes to 20,000+ palestinian children in refuge camps.


I work with donors who funded sports training for 9000 children from the most threatened refugee camps in 3 yrs and took them to compete internationally.. giving them a go at WC 2022.


I worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs in the region who are innovating, and building the social enterprise ecosystem.


I contributed to projects the world deemed impossible.


I’m an optimist. I see the glass half full. I grew up with those who saw a world of possibilities, a world of arab super heroes.


Years ago.. I opted out of mainstream media.. why?


After the tragic events of Sep 11 the US media propagated a defeating narrative about Arabs and muslims. The messages were strong, the campaigns long lasting.. eventually the entire world bought into it. There was little room for other opinions on the matter..


Arab media bought into the international rhetoric and spent too much time defending our political stance, and adopting an externalized view of our situation.. it left room only for entertainment and forgetting there was another narrative.


How does someone working with gov, entrepreneurs, NGOs remain informed?


The new field of positive news journalism is committed to this kind of work.

Here I found the “other” narrative.. Intelligent Optimism is the tagline of my favorite magazine, Ode. Their headlines read.. "an ode to possibilities.. Buddha in the boardroom.. and in praise of slow".. I found this narrative emerging across media channels (web, magazine, radio)..


these channels deliver real news.. by real journalists... or people doing the great good work in the field.

Positive news journalists are not normal journalists. They are *social entrepreneurs* turned journalist; they feel there is a need to get the message out and create a new media culture!


Only few common journalists feel the burning, dynamic spirit, the idealism that fuels positive news writers. - Eric Schneider


Reiterate -Optimism is the tendency to anticipate the best possible outcome. Intelligent optimism is one grounded in reality.. these channels deliver real news.


pessimistic

ironic reactive

gloomyfear

fragmentedagendadriven

creative

negative

inspirations

polluted

MENA news coverage today

repetitive

poor digital design

demoralizing

detailed

externalnarrative


optimistic

hopeful aspirational

inspirations

intelligentpositive

spirited

sustainable

traditionalfun

fruitful

creative

healthy

collaborative

GOOD

inspirations

clean

there’s a different perspectivelocal

narrative


imagine a news media platform that presents a visually engaging, intellectually stimulating, simple and uplifting narrative on the region, the people, the culture, the environment and religions.


spiritedtraditionalfun

creative

healthy

collaborative

inspirations

clean

how do we transition?

pessimistic

ironic reactive

demoralizing

gloomyfear

frighteningrepetitive

negative

localnarrative


today’s narrative


change the way you look at things and the things you look at change


understanding digital consumers

• connected - eager to share

• quick to judge - short attention span

• need repetition 3-5 times for it to effect behavior change.

• wants engagement

Attentionomics - http://www.slideshare.net/EdelmanDigital/attentionomics-captivating-attention-in-the-age-of-content-decay


our region on the web

• rapid consumption of new social media tools

• learning to co-create

• learning from the web

• disconnected realities - digital & non

• thirsty for positive content?


shorter - faster - more relevant

shorter attention

spans

Hyper-connectivity

Hyper-transparency

Fragmentation of demand and supply

Miniaturization of content,

products, and services

the micro cycle


conclusion - the macro of micro

• CRAFT a strong narrative and have it reverberate across social news streams.*

• SHRINK

• format

• time

• distribution

• authority

• ENGAGE


The Product barakabits

• baraka: prosperity, abundance, blessing, growth


what it looks like

barakabits+ =

420 characters a photo

+

a poll

• offer GOOD news in small digestible bits


where the news comes from..

& Many others

Editorial content by our team ..+


where it will run

+ +

in the region MOBILE is kingWednesday, April 10, 13

how it will grow

=

a micro clipslideshows

+ barakabytes+baraka

bits +

deliver most voted-for content in bytesWednesday, April 10, 13

from small to large

+ barakabytes +baraka

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to an eLearning platform? youth need inspiration and positive role models. Showcase success and grow more of it.


join us in building the web with good news from the middle east.


www.barakabits.com barakabits


http://www.barakabits.com

http://www.barakabits.com

barakabits - good news from the middle east

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