Rassd News Network or RNN (Arabic: شبكة رصد الاخبارية), a ground-breaking alternative media network based in Cairo, Egypt, was launched as a Facebook-based news source on January 25, 2011 and quickly became a main source of Egyptian revolution-related news. Applying the motto "from the people to the people," the citizen journalists who created RNN have since added a Twitter feed and launched an independent website dedicated to short news stories favored by the Internet audience.[1]
RNN is an organized citizen news network with four working committees: one for editing the news, another to support the correspondents covering Egypt, a third for managing the multimedia feeds and a fourth for staff functions such as development, training and public relations. Rassd, which stands for Rakeb (observe), Sawwer (shoot) and Dawwen (blog) was recently ranked as the 6th most influential media in the Arab world. Operating in both English and Arabic language versions, RNN is the most followed online brand in the Middle East and collectively has approximately one million Facebook fans and more than 137,000 followers on Twitter.[2] [3]
The success of RNN and its new social media model is evidenced in its recent local network expansion into Libya, Morocco, Syria, Jerusalem and Turkey.[4]
This achievement is not without controversy however as the site's accuracy level has been called into question at times and the identities' of the RNN creators are unknown and some speculate that they are young Egyptians associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.[5]
RNN Reported
editRNN has been a global source of Egyptian revolution-related news since its launch. Three days after the online portal went live it was streaming video to MSNBC through its Facebook page.[6] Then on February 5, 2011 Louisville's NBC-affiliate cited RNN, Cairo when it reported that President Hosni Mubarak had stepped down as head of Egypt's ruling party.[7]
Related Social Sites
editBRQ (Arabic: برق):
SNN (Syria News Network, Arabic: شبكة شام)
ENN (Egypt News Network, Arabic: شبكة الاعلام المصرية )
References
edit- ^ Solayman, Hanan. "Egypt's Revolution Media: A Question of Credibility". EMAJ Magazine. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ Solayman, Hanan. "Alternative Media Grows, Restructures Industry". Thedailynewseqypt.com. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ "Al Jazeera's English Channel a hit on Twitter". The Peninsula. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ Solayman, Hanan. "Egypt's Revolution Media: A Question of Credibility". EMAJ Magazine. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ Aitamurto, Tanja. "Online Journalism Booms in Egypt, But Not Without Restriction". Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ Cary, Mary Kate. "Egypt Cuts the Internet in the Face of Revolution". Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ "Report: Mubarak Resigns as Head of Egypt's Ruling Party". Retrieved 6 November 2011.