Greek state broadcaster ERT TV has responded to the influx of Middle Eastern and North African refugees by launching its own Arabic news bulletin ‘News for Refugees’ on radio and TV. The project is a joint venture by ERT and state news agency ANA-MPA, and has been hailed as a step in the right direction.

The news bulletin aims to cover the urgent need in useful, official and reliable information in Arabic for the 50.000 refugees and migrants in Greece right now.It airs everyday after the regular ERT-1 news bulletins on 15:00, 16:00 and 21:00 and is also available to view online. The first news bulletin in Arabic aired on March 22 and it was viewed by approximately 30.000 people.

 

Furthermore, as of mid-March, ANA-MPA launched a new website in Arabic providing news and other useful information for migrants and refugees at the following address: http://www.ana.gr/arabic.  The site’s content includes useful tips, links, guidelines and announcements issued by the Coordinating Body for Refugees, accompanied by multimedia news content and  providing full coverage of news from Greece relating to refugees in the country, as well as the more important news items of the day in Greece and the Arab world.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras hailed  the decisions by ERT and ANA-MPA to offer news in Arabic in order to help refugees in Greece: “We welcome ERT & @amna_news’ decision to help refugees by offering much-needed.

TAGS: MEDIA | REFUGEE CRISIS