RAMALLAH, January 10, 2011 (WAFA) – The official Palestine News and Information Agency WAFA launched its new services on Monday: WAFA SMS, WAFA Multimedia, WAFA Images, WAFA Info and WAFA English in the presence of a large number of Palestinian officials and invitees.
Presidential General Secretary, Tayyeb Abdul Rahim, in delivering the speech of President Mahmoud Abbas, said WAFA agency is “the first source of Palestinian news for all Arab and international mass media.”
Abdul Rahim pointed out the phases of WAFA development from its beginnings in Lebanon through Tunisia and Palestine (Gaza), until the president's decree to merge the Palestinian state information service with WAFA agency in 2008 to be headquartered in Ramallah.
Abdul Rahim highlighted the “Palestinian Authority’s need for powerful national mass media which can convey our Palestinian struggle and daily suffering against the occupation, settlement and oppression.”
WAFA launched four new services to meet the increasing needs of the local and international media market. WAFA Chairman of Board Riyadh Al Hassan presented the four new services in the launching ceremony in Ramallah.
WAFA SMS allows subscribers to receive urgent SMS news to keep them informed on important domestic and international affairs.
WAFA Multimedia broadcasts multimedia reports on its electronic page, enabling local and international radio and television stations to benefit directly from WAFA radio and television production.
WAFA Images is a repository of the agency’s computerized images which are presented in low resolution to visitors to the page, and can be presented in high resolution to those requesting the right to use and publish them.
WAFA Info currently presents about half a million pages of information, grouped in 34 sectors, on various aspects of Palestinian life. These databases are highly credible, very important and useful for researchers, academics, journalists and decision makers.
Al Hassan pointed out that the English web page was scheduled to launch in March; however, the English editing team is ready and qualified to start at this point.
Al Hassan said: “WAFA service improved slowly and gradually but fundamentally in news and image content. WAFA services are provided for the activities, services and accomplishments of all Palestinian parties, institutions, ministries, unions, popular organizations, civil community, security services and all Palestinian national aspects of life and not for Hamas. This places some doubt on the news agency's objectivity but we are trying to reach the maximum level of adjustment between national and professional standards. In case of inconsistency we will not hesitate to ally to the national standards… PLO comes first, this is who we are and what we will stand for and we are not afraid of it.”
F.R.
