Media Development Center

The MDC’s vision is contributing to creating public opinion’s stance and citizens’ critical thinking as a result of a free and professional gender mainstreamed Palestinian media in a Palestinian Democratic State.

The MDC is dedicated to play a leading role in developing and sustaining an environment of media freedom, independence and pluralism in Palestine. Committed to good governance principles, respecting human rights and is gender sensitive, the MDC’s aims to: build media houses’ capacities and raise their professional, ethical and gender sensitive standards, to empower male and female journalists on new and classical journalism fields, to instill media literacy for different sectors other than journalists, to contribute to the achievement of media reform through developing policies and strategies, and to contribute to the enactment of legislative frameworks ensuring media fundamental rights.

The center aims at:

• Spreading the culture of the freedom of the press;
• Capacity building from strengthening skills and professionalism;
• Raising the level and value of freedom of opinion and expression;
• Enhancing the awareness of journalists on their rights and duties of citizenship in the society;
• Promoting the development and production of practice model media;
• Networking with local, regional and international partners to enhance the quality of Palestinian media;
• Producing special materials for the development of democratic means of media;
• Participating in discussions on developing media policies, and providing advice and support to government institutions and civil society organizations;

The Birzeit University Media Development Center offers short, extensive vocational training opportunities for media staff, by a team of trainers and consultants, within the center’s five units: TV, Radio, Print Journalism and New Media, Gender, and Media Research and Policies.

MDC worked intensively on the broadest and most comprehensive national initiative for media development “National Initiative for Media Development” in partnership with 85 media, legal, academic and societal partners representing public, private and civil sectors in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. MDC together with the this national task force were engaged  actively in initiating and leading reforms that cover all facets of media work to make it an actual fourth authority. At the end,  “Prospect - Forsa Campaign” was launched, as the direct outcome of the accumulated work within the National Initiative Media Development. It aims to affect policy makers to adopt new decisions for a more transparent, free, and open Palestinian media

Working with the Media Department, the center also offers training courses for undergraduate students. Media students participate with their writings in the monthly newspaper “Al-Hal” published by the center. Moreover, the center provides short-term grants for its students in cooperation with European partners. As well, the Center has regional training’s activities implemented in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, and working currently on launching a specialized Diploma in Digital Media.

The center includes the largest TV studio in Palestine, providing 160 sq. meters and accommodating a studio audience of 140 people. The studio is equipped with HD technologies connected to a control room located above the studio, which also contains an immediate montage device. The center supervises five digital editing labs and four radio-equipped studios. Moreover, the Journalism Unit offers computers connected to the Internet with software for graphic design and design of magazines and newspapers.

In recent years, the centre has strengthened its relations with the community through the diversity of its projects and by increasing its beneficiaries, among them journalists, media graduates, students, public relations staff in ministries and official bodies, community activists and non-governmental organizations. The center has become a reference point for media consultative services needed by ministries, official and security agencies, and non-governmental organizations