2017 News Digital Media Viability Lab

“Media and Innovation”: Opportunities for Sustainability of Independent Media Startups

Maharat Foundation and Deutsche Welle Akademie are organizing a workshop “Media and Innovation”: Opportunities for Sustainability of Independent Media Startups” on the 11th and 12th of December 2017 at “Antwork” space in Spears, Beirut.

The workshop aims at launching Maharat Foundation and Deutsche Welle Akademie’s Digital Media Viability Lab, and will be an opportunity for a local and international exchange of experiences to find innovative solutions for the sustainability of media startups, in addition to exploring available opportunities in Lebanon to develop the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the media field.

The workshop gathers local and international experts in media development especially in the field of supporting media startups and successful and sustainable business models. The sessions will provide practical case studies for innovative business models that have generated profits. The workshop will also provide legal and practical information on how to benefit from available opportunities in Lebanon to launch entrepreneurial and innovative media projects.

Agenda:

Monday December 11, 2017

 10:30-11:15First session: why do we need to build capacities around digital media viability?

Maharat Foundation Executive Director, Roula Mikhael, Deutsche Welle Akademie Lebanon Country Manager, Sandra Van Edig, and the Lead Trainer of the Media Management Training program, Tatiana Repkova

11:15-11:30 – Break

 11:30-12:30 -Second session: Media and Innovation: what is needed to balance between quality content and a profitable business model?

Dean of the Business and International Relations Department at “IAU College, Aix En Provence”, Aboubakr Jamai, Founder and Editor in chief of “Denník N”, Thomas Bella, Jessy Abou Habib, Head of Digital Strategy, LBCI, and Veronique Abou Ghazale, Editor in Chief of “Ounoussa” and “Sohati”,

12:30- 1:30 – Third Session: How to capture entrepreneurial opportunities, and how to inspire innovation?

The Irish journalist and expert in newsroom innovation, Peter Geoghegan, JJ Robinson, Program on Independent Journalism, Open Society Foundations, the lawyer Nisrine Salhab specialized in establishing startups, the Legal Advisor at “Banque Du Liban, BDL” Ray Yazbek and Dr Ali Rammal, Media Faculty at the Lebanese University

Tuesday December 12, 2017: Tools for the 21st Century 

Nelly Baz- strategic designer and consultant

The organizers will hold a Design Thinking workshop at Antwork space in Spears, Beirut. The workshop will start at 9:00 am and will end at 5:00 pm. About 20 students will participate in addition to local and international experts in the field of media startups. A prototype will be designed aimed at finding innovative solutions to build on.

This event is jointly organized by Maharat Foundation, a Lebanon-based NGO endeavoring to defend freedom of opinion and expression and DW Akademie, Germany’s leading organization for international media development. The conference is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

For more information about the speakers click here