MENA Media Hub -

AHLN participated in the MENA Media Hub project, which was designed to empower liberal journalists in the MENA region. The event, held July 17-19 in Amman, Jordan, was organized by the FNF MENA in cooperation with the “Naqd Media” platform.

• AHLN’s Lebanese participants were Hanan Naddaf and Ghosoub Al-Jarrah, representing the Future Movement.
• AHLN’s Egyptian participants were Zeinab Ahmed and Somaya Mahmoud from the Egyptian Liberal Forum.

The aim of the event was to strengthen free expression and enhance the capacities of liberal journalists in independent media. Journalists from across the Middle East and North Africa—Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Jordan—joined the project to exchange experiences and discuss shared challenges facing liberal journalism in the region.

AHLN’s participation reflects its commitment to supporting media freedom and promoting liberal values, by helping to create opportunities for communication and collaboration among journalists and media professionals in the MENA region.

MENA Media Hub Activities

The project kicked off with a welcome dinner during which FNF MENA’s regional director Jörg Dehnert spoke about the critical role of media today, especially with the rise of misinformation and disinformation via media outlets and social platforms.

Dehnert emphasized that journalists play a key role since people often believe what they’re given without fact-checking. He stressed the need for journalism to be more transparent and free, grounded in credibility and clarity. He also urged for greater public awareness to avoid falling victim to fake or misleading news.

Aya Al-Majali, project manager for FNF MENA, AHLN, and other networks, officially launched the MENA Media Hub. She welcomed participants from across the MENA region and highlighted the importance of the event as a space for dialogue and exchange among media professionals, partners, and trainers. The project had two parts:

• A 3-day in-person session of discussions and intensive training
• Online workshops and training courses running through the end of the year

Training Sessions

Over 3 days, participants attended hands-on workshops led by trainers Mohammad Khassawneh and Dima Kharabsheh. Topics included:

• Media’s impact on public opinion
• Promoting liberal values such as freedom, democracy, free speech, women and children’s rights
• Youth empowerment
• Creating influential content and mastering social media tools to spread these values

The workshops were marked by strong interaction and collaboration, with participants sharing views, exchanging expertise, discussing challenges, and proposing solutions through practical exercises.

The project will continue through the end of the year, with additional online workshops and training sessions.