Project

Almostajad Podcast

In its first season, Almostajad will focus on the COVID-19 crisis and will transition into a weekly explanatory news show in later seasons. Its goal is to engage audiences in the Middle East and North Africa in a deep and thoughtful way, listening to people’s stories and learning how their lives are impacted by world events.

Almostajad will provide content that is independent, fact-checked and offers a critical alternative to state-owned and traditional media in the region. It will report about coronavirus in a nuanced manner, uncovering realities often dismissed or shied away from by the mainstream media, including systemic issues of power, control, racism, mental health, economic inequality, vulnerable communities, and the role of technology.

Sowt is the producer and publisher of Almostajad. The team collaborates closely with independent media in the Middle East and North Africa, including the Febrayer Network, a consortium of media outlets that includes 7iber (Jordan), Mada Masr (Egypt), Al Jumhuriya (Syria), Megaphone (Lebanon) and Ma3azef (regional). It also works with independent media such as Thmanyah (Saudi Arabia) and al Sekka (Oman) to expand its coverage to places that are not typically covered.

July 31, 2020 | Sowt Podcasting

Poor Conditions in Egyptian Prisons

Abir Kopty, Mahmoud Alkhawaja, and Tayseer Kabbani

Without access to basic hygiene in the middle of a pandemic, some inmates are using a hunger strike to call attention to the poor conditions inside Egypt’s overcrowded prisons. Is the government doing enough to keep them safe?

June 11, 2020 | Sowt Podcasting

Government Transparency in the Times of Coronavirus

Abir Kopty, Mahmoud Alkhawaja, and Tayseer Kabbani

The media must now rely on the government for information about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Are governmental authorities taking advantage of this crisis to further suppress the media in the MENA region?

June 11, 2020 | Sowt Podcasting

The Crisis Egyptian Doctors Are Facing

Abir Kopty, Sarah Abu Alrob, and Tayseer Kabbani

A group of Egyptian doctors stopped working in response to the COVID-19 deaths of already 22 of their colleagues. The Medical Union of Egypt said the government neglects to equip doctors with the tools they need.