2. Bad news is bad for our health
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Monday, December 2, 2013
The truth is. Bad news is bad for ALL of us. We all know this but we still consume it. A study
done on undergraduate students found that anxiety and total mood disturbance levels
increased after they were shown a 15 minute random newscast and that it wasn’t enough to
use distraction to have students return to their pre-news emotional state. In fact, only the
group that received a 15 minute progressive relaxation exercise were able to do so.
3. “is there a way to be informed in a meaningful,
deeper sense while not immersing ourselves in
the constant barrage of bad news?”
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Monday, December 2, 2013
I took this question from a blog post I read recently on “How the News Impacts Your Health”
where the author concluded by asking...
And my answer to him is absolutely!
4. www.BarakaBits.com
Monday, December 2, 2013
The internet today gives us the opportunity to present alternative news sources. Traditional
news media is being challenged by a wave of new news sites like Upworthy, Odewire and
Good that allow you to create, read and share the kinds of stories that inspire and empower
you to take action.
So how are they fairing in comparison? Well, Upworthy is ranked number 37 most viewed site
in the US and reaches over 42million people a month. Not bad for a website that was just
launched a year and half ago!
5. How is this relevant to the MENA region?
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Monday, December 2, 2013
So how is this all relevant to the MENA region...
6. www.BarakaBits.com
Monday, December 2, 2013
Take a look at what our narrative looks like today...stories and images that if we were to
describe in words would be this...
8. Imagine a news media platform that presents a
visually engaging, intellectually stimulating, simple
and uplifting narrative on the region, the people,
the culture, the environment and religions.
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Monday, December 2, 2013
Imagine a news media platform that presents a visually engaging, intellectually stimulating,
simple and uplifting narrative on the region, the people, the culture, the environment and
religions. Turning what our coverage looks like today to this...
11. Traditional media
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Monday, December 2, 2013
Here they are presented in traditional media. They are angry, screaming, crying and defeated.
We’ve become desensitized to these images and they know that now. Ask a journalist who’s
recently covered stories in Gaza they will tell you of a growing frustration and anger towards
the media and how difficult it’s become for them to gain the trust of the Gaza locals.
13. www.BarakaBits.com
Monday, December 2, 2013
Parkouring, surfing Gaza’s waves, working in centers that offer training and jobs to youth
with disabilities and joining soccer teams that are supported by local nonprofit initiatives....
14. www.BarakaBits.com
Monday, December 2, 2013
and how they all like Khalil, the first double amputee diver, overcome the daunting daily
challenges they face simply because they live in Gaza. It’s true that Khalil’s relentless drive to
succeed is what mainly lead him to his accomplishments but who would have known of his
bravery that could inspire many more children to take on their challenges if there wasn’t
news source to share his story. Khalil was one of the reasons that inspired my sister Rama to
start her good news blog.
15. www.BarakaBits.com
Monday, December 2, 2013
Today BarakaBits has grown to be the number one online news source for Good News from
the Middle East. We share with you the kind of news that lifts you up, gives you hope and
offers you an opportunity to take action and for that reason people are choosing to read and
share our stories more and more each day.
16. www.BarakaBits.com
Monday, December 2, 2013
Our content is under the creative commons license that allows people to share our work with
the exception of commercial use as long as the content is not altered and is attributed back
to BarakaBits.
17. Media
Partners
Social Media
Activists
Video
Translators
GOOD
NEWS
Content
Writers
Collaborators
Photos
Infographics
www.BarakaBits.com
Monday, December 2, 2013
Our aim is to change the narrative in the media to a positive one. We believe we can and so
do our investors, contributors, readers and most importantly the people who’s stories we
share believe we can. To achieve our goal we must reach global audiences. To help us do so,
become our social media advocates, help us communicate in different languages, tell stories
using videos, photos and infographics so that we can appeal to a broader audience.
I want to leave you with images from our region of stories we’ve featured on BarakaBits...
