Yes, we can say, in all humility, that This Week in Palestine too is leaving its mark. The magazine today is a recognized and credible brand in Palestine – and we would like to think that during its 18-year life span, it has even played a role, however small, in branding Palestine. We take pride in our accomplishment and in the fact that by making available online literally thousands of articles, TWiP has become a valuable source of information about Palestine and Palestinians. The process has been lengthy, but uninterrupted. We climbed the ladder step by step and added names to our mailing list, one e-mail address at a time. We have promoted Palestine to the best of our ability, and together with a professional team and dedicated authors we have developed a process that results in professionally written articles.
Along with the level that This Week in Palestine has reached, comes responsibility, a heavy responsibility. Our magazine is no longer merely a product put out by a small private-sector company; in fact, it has by far outgrown its creator. This Week in Palestine has become a national project. Reaching and maintaining such a level requires dedication. To give you an example, not too long ago, Tina, TWiP’s content editor, saw me online at 2:45 AM, nudged me, and asked whether I was ready to Skype! This is the responsibility and dedication I am referring to. The responsibility of representing and maintaining the positive, cultured, sophisticated image of a wounded country that is in dire need of recognition and support.
To add to our challenges of bringing out the best in Palestine, digital media has recently begun a serious competition with our business-model that aims to cover our cost with revenue collected through the promotional space in the print edition. In a bid to counteract this competition, we have opted to allow online access to our content by subscription only. We are happy with the results, but still seek more subscribers. In addition, we have been successful in ensuring sponsorship for a number of entire issues this year, which greatly helps. I would like to particularly thank the UNDP/PAPP in Palestine for believing in us and for offering their support.
Finally, we feel that our self-imposed mandate of promoting and documenting Palestine benefits everyone. The old cliché is still pertinent: “United we stand, divided we fall.”
Happy Easter, and enjoy eating chocolate bunnies!
