Filastiniyat, Palestinian Media Task Force (PMTF)
Amid the genocide and escalating threats to journalists in Gaza, five media development NGOs from Gaza and the West Bank have intensified collaboration since January 2024. They have formed a task force to coordinate efforts, providing urgent support to Gaza journalists, media organizations, and exiled journalists in Egypt facing severe challenges.
“The primary objective of establishing the task force is to coordinate the rapid support for Palestinian journalists reporting from the ground as lifesaving support that enables them to continue their coverage, reporting and documentation of Israeli crimes as well as the Palestinian suffering, as well as provide journalists and media institutions with the necessary help to enable them to pursue their work”, said Wafa Abdel Rahman, founder and general director of Filastiniyat.
PMTF’s critical support for Palestinian journalists amid war
While the Palestinian journalists faced unprecedented threats, displacement, and targeted attacks, Filastinyat stressed that the Palestinian Media Task Force (PMTF) was at the forefront always providing vital support. Between November 2023 and January 2025, PMTF had provided direct financial support with the program still ongoing.
“PMTF provided financial support (cash) to journalists working in all areas of the Gaza Strip, with priority given to female journalists, especially pregnant and nursing journalists and those injured in the genocide. A number of beneficiaries (November 2023- January 2025) were 888 journalists, 532 female journalists, and 356 male journalists with amounts ranging from a minimum of 800 NIS to a maximum of 1,800 NIS with a Total amount spent at $227,165”.
Filastiniyat established “Female Journalists’ Tents” in Gaza to provide safe spaces for female journalists to sleep and work near hospitals and media stations. They also expanded media output by contracting 100 freelance journalists (85% women) to produce stories from Gaza. They created 900 journalistic pieces, investing $94,000, while providing freelance journalists with dignified income.
Filastiniyat also worked with displaced journalists in Egypt, conducting a study on their situation. They held a meeting and workshop for female journalists at the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, and provided three specialized trainings for 49 journalists in collaboration with Al-Manasah and the Norwegian Journalism Institute, alongside a recreational day.
Filastiniyat’s survey results on journalists’ needs
The ongoing assessments since the start of Israeli aggression in Gaza have shown a significant deterioration in conditions for journalists. Surveys conducted in November 2023 and September 2024 highlighted urgent needs such as shelter, communication tools, and essential goods. The second phase, with over 1,000 respondents, documented graver conditions, especially for displaced journalists in Gaza and Egypt.
“The deliberate targeting of journalism has not only stifled local reporting but has also severely restricted the global community’s access to impartial information about the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. More than anything, the surveys underscore the growing hardships faced by media organizations and journalists and signal an urgent need for sustained and comprehensive support to protect press freedom in Gaza.”
- Targeted Violence against Journalists: Palestinian journalists have been primary targets of Israeli aggression, with over 165 journalists killed, 45 detained, and many others injured or displaced. Media institutions reported fatalities and arrests, escalating safety and operational concerns. Journalists with media outlets like Al-Aqsa Channel were labeled “legitimate targets,” violating international humanitarian law and limiting global access to impartial information.
- Humanitarian Impact: Journalists in Gaza face physical violence, displacement, and severe psychological distress, with 92% reporting anxiety. Over 97% have been displaced, often without basic necessities, and nearly half have had their homes destroyed. Many journalists have moved multiple times, with 85% struggling to meet their families’ basic needs.
- Economic Impact: Before the war, many journalists in Gaza were already in precarious economic situations. The ongoing conflict has worsened their financial struggles, with 68% losing essential equipment, 46% losing their jobs, and 32% of media organizations unable to pay salaries. Additionally, the collapse of media funding, compounded by the financial strain, has made survival difficult.
- Destruction of Media Infrastructure: The media sector in Gaza has experienced significant damage from targeted attacks on press facilities, broadcasting stations, and infrastructure. Over 70 media outlets have been damaged, and 25 local radio stations were forced offline. Despite the destruction, 54% of media organizations continue to operate, often relocating to hospitals for limited resources.
Devising accountability measures for ongoing attacks
Filastinyat emphasised that providing physical protection equipment for journalists is a top priority.
“The need to equip journalists with the necessary journalistic equipment that ensures their safety is one of the essential factors when talking about protecting them, especially that many of them lost their helmets and vests during the war, and many institutions lost their capacities, whether financially or materially, to support journalists”
They pointed out that numerous media institutions have suffered financial and material losses, limiting their ability to support journalists.
Ensuring press freedom for Palestinian journalists
Filastinyat emphasised the role of international media and human rights organisations in ensuring press freedom for Palestinian journalists by advocating for several key actions:
- Accountability: Demand accountability for Israeli occupation and investigate the targeting of journalists. Provide necessary support to document war crimes against journalists.
- Spread Awareness: Share the stories of Palestinian journalists and their demands for justice and protection.
- Continued Support: In the context of genocide, continue providing humanitarian support, including shelter, equipment (such as protection vests and helmets), and psychological therapy outside Gaza. Rebuild Palestinian media outlets to provide jobs, job security, and ensure local media can report and produce.
- Pressure for Access: Apply pressure on the occupation to grant access to regional and international media in the Gaza Strip.
Journalists’ Protection Fund
The Journalists’ Protection Fund, established by the Palestinian Media Task Force (PMTF), operates by first identifying journalists who have been affected by violence due to their work, such as imprisonment, harassment, or intimidation. These journalists are invited to apply for support. Based on the application, candidates may receive a 3-month salary to help them transition or psychological counseling, or both. The fund also provides protective equipment, such as vests and helmets, for freelance women journalists working in high-risk areas, and so far, eight journalists in Jenin and Nablus have been supported. Additionally, online and offline security training is offered. The fund primarily serves Palestinian journalists based in the West Bank.
PMTF’s key priorities for strengthening and sustaining Palestinian media
- Immediate Support for Journalists: Once the genocide in Gaza stops, focus on helping journalists recover essential work equipment such as computers, laptops, iPads, mobile phones, cameras, lenses, portable chargers, and protective gear (helmets and vests) to ensure a swift return to their profession.
- Support for Families: Provide shelter essentials like tents, mobile homes, sleeping bags, and other necessities to safeguard the dignity of journalists’ families.
- Income Opportunities: Offer income sources for journalists through freelance projects or temporary contracts to sustain their livelihoods.
- Reviving Media Organizations: Establish at least five secure journalism workstations across the five provinces, each equipped with desks, solar power for electricity and internet, and essential tools to support local media operations, including radio stations and online agencies.
- Psychological Support: Provide psychological services for journalists and their families in Gaza, addressing the severe impact on families as a whole. Also, offer external psychological support through specialized retreats outside Gaza, where unaffected psychologists can provide care and protective training.
Palestinian Media Sector Coordination Group (PMSCG)
Challenges faced by local journalists and media outlets
According to Ibrahim Rabaia, a consultant at Palestinian Media Sector Coordination Group (PMSCG), the Palestinian Media Sector Coordination Group (PMSCG) was established to collectively address the ongoing challenges faced by local journalists and media outlets in Palestine. These challenges are multifaceted, encompassing the impact of digital transformations on media outlets, a shrinking advertising market, and the growing gap between journalists’ skills and the evolving demands of the media market. Furthermore, during the war on Gaza, the Israeli systematic targeting of Palestinian media escalated, with 198 journalists killed, 378 injured, and around 88 media outlets destroyed. In addition, 58 journalists were detained, many from the West Bank, and several media and publishing outlets were closed due to military orders. This situation has significantly impacted the nature, structure, editorial policies, tools, and priorities of Palestinian media outlets and journalists.
The Palestinian media sector has also suffered a shrinking margin of freedoms since the Palestinian political split in 2007, leading to a legal vacuum due to the absence of a functioning parliament. To address these issues, the PMSCG organised the 1st Palestinian Media Conference in November 2024, supported by IFPIM, IFJ, and UNESCO. The conference included sessions on laws and policies, challenges for radio stations and publishers, and emerging trends in media business models.
Partnership with IFJ and IFPIM
In partnership with the IFJ and IFPIM, significant steps have been taken to secure financial sustainability for Palestinian media outlets. The IFJ-IFPIM project has provided financial support to help media outlets survive amid the current financial crisis. The grant has focused on developing the capacity of outlets to produce public interest content, providing job security for media workers for a year and ensuring continuous self-production.
Establishing an independent media fund for Palestine
A key development for the future of Palestinian media is the establishment of an independent media fund.
“The main idea of the fund is to make institutional and systematic connection between the fund and the priorities –challenges- of the media sector. We have developed the concept after intensive discussions among the PMSCG members, international partners, and experts. The main document considered international experiences and the local context”, Ibrahim Rabaia noted.
After extensive discussions, the PMSCG developed a proposal for this fund, which was presented at the first Palestinian Media Conference. This fund is national, and it will be managed by a national board, which will represent the main stakeholders (representatives of media sector, civil society, government, human rights organizations, and private sector), with high levels of coordination with the international partners. This fund will be pivotal in creating a proper environment for the development of the media landscape in Palestine and establishing an ecosystem for the sector with self-regulatory structures.
Protection and accountability for Palestinian journalists
Protection and accountability for Palestinian journalists are essential in safeguarding them from ongoing attacks and detentions.
“We need to reflect the international condemns and support to enforcement measurements, these measurements come from several directions, such as ICC, UN and local legal actions. These measurements should include reconsidering the bilateral relations, in media-related fields, between states and Israel, with conditioning these relations by protecting the freedoms of the Palestinian media”, Rabaia highlighted.
PMSCG’s long-term vision for Palestinian mdia
Looking ahead, the PMSCG’s vision for the long-term development strategy of the Palestinian media sector is focused on creating a free, sustainable, and professional media environment. The PMSCG’s priorities include:
- Forming a common vision to confront the challenges facing the media sector in Palestine.
- Building a unified strategy to develop the Palestinian media sector on thebasis of self-regulation of the profession.
- Working together through advocacy, lobbying, consultations and networking to develop and achieve the strategy.
- Designing projects and raising funds through common mechanisms.
- Building solid databases, information, studies and policy papers on the Palestinian media.
- Future collaborations with international organisations
The PMSCG also envisions future collaborations with international organizations to support the resilience and independence of Palestinian media. The goal is to create a permanent platform for cooperation with international organizations, where technical teams can develop joint programs in media freedom, development, and workers’ rights. This collaboration will be further institutionalized through agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with international media development agencies.
Challenges in securing sustainable funding
Since the escalation of the war in Gaza and the West Bank, Muammar Orabi, the Director General of Wattan Media Network, noted that his organisation encountered serious financial and operational obstacles. According to him, securing sustainable funding has become increasingly difficult due to several critical factors. Wattan’s Gaza office was completely destroyed on November 6, 2023, during an Israeli attack. Journalists in the West Bank also face systematic assaults, leading to the destruction and confiscation of essential equipment such as cameras, sound and lighting gear. The repeated loss of resources makes it challenging to rebuild and continue operations.
Reporting in Palestine is life-threatening, with over 200 journalists killed since the Gaza war began.
“The recent killing of more than 200 journalists during the Gaza war and violent assaults on Wattan’s team in the West Bank highlight the dangers of reporting in Palestine. The presence of military checkpoints, area closures, and direct attacks on journalists create logistical and financial obstacles for Wattan. For instance, Wattan’s journalist was detained for hours and attacked by settlers while gathering and covering news in the West Bank”, said Muamar Orabi.
He also mentioned that the network operates in a highly politicized environment where donor priorities are often influenced by international political dynamics. Funding sources fluctuate based on geopolitical shifts, with some donors withdrawing or redirecting funds due to changing diplomatic relations or foreign policy decisions.
The economic challenges in Palestine make it difficult for local businesses to invest in media advertising, forced the media organizations such as Wattan to rely on donor funding. This reliance on donor funding without a sustainable alternative revenue model increases financial vulnerability.
Shifting donor priorities and its geopolitical factors
- Increased Focus on Humanitarian Aid Over Independent Media: Since the war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, donors have prioritized emergency relief over independent media, making it harder for Wattan to secure funding for journalism and advocacy.
“While these priorities are critical for the survival of Palestinian communities, they have left independent media organizations like Wattan struggling to secure funding for investigative journalism, media production, and advocacy work”, Muammar Orabi said.
- Reduced International Support: Political pressures and policy shifts have led some Western governments and organizations to cut or restructure funding, while stricter vetting and banking restrictions delay grant access. Wattan has faced delays in receiving grants due to heightened scrutiny, compliance requirements, and banking restrictions, which hinder its ability to respond rapidly to crises or invest in new projects.
- Declining Local and Regional Private Sector Support: Economic hardships in Palestine have reduced advertising revenue and corporate sponsorships, as businesses struggle to survive amid conflict and instability.
Areas at risk due to funding constraints
Funding constraints have severely impacted Wattan Media Network’s operations, leading to the loss of essential broadcasting equipment after the destruction of its Gaza office. Limited financial resources prevent journalists from covering critical events in high-risk areas like Gaza and the West Bank, while equipment destruction and confiscation further disrupt reporting. The lack of funding for safety gear increases risks for journalists, making field reporting more dangerous and less frequent. Travel restrictions and security threats require additional financial resources, further straining operations. Insufficient support for Wattan Academy weakens media training programs, threatening the future of independent journalism. Budget cuts have also diminished fact-checking efforts, allowing misinformation to spread unchecked and eroding public trust in reliable news sources.
Expanding its external support
Wattan Media Network requires financial, technical, and strategic support to maintain and expand its operations.
- Financial Support: Immediate funding is needed to replace destroyed broadcasting equipment, while sustained support would enable on-the-ground reporting in high-risk areas like Gaza and the West Bank. Additional funds are required for journalist safety gear, secure transportation, and continued media training through Wattan Academy and Factchecking initiatives.
- Technical Support: Capacity-building in digital security is essential to counter cyber threats, alongside support for rebuilding Wattan’s fact-checking unit. Investment in advanced editing software, secure cloud storage, and AI-driven content verification tools would enhance reporting accuracy. Psychological first aid for journalists exposed to trauma is also crucial.
- Strategic Support: Assistance in diversifying funding sources, engaging international donors, and exploring alternative revenue models would strengthen Wattan’s long-term sustainability. Partnerships with global media and advocacy organizations can amplify its voice and offer protection. Legal aid is also needed to navigate media restrictions and defend press freedom.
Success stories amidst adversity
Despite these challenges, Wattan Media Network has successfully amplified marginalized voices through its humanitarian journalism. They include:
- “Voices from Gaza” Initiative: Since October 7, 2023, Wattan has produced and broadcasted over 3,000 human-interest stories, ensuring that the voices of women, children, the elderly, and displaced families are heard despite the ongoing crisis.
- Coverage of Marginalized Communities in the West Bank: Wattan has shed light on forced displacements, economic hardships, and restricted access to basic services, ensuring that these stories reach international audiences and humanitarian organizations.
Looking ahead: Wattan’s strategic objectives and priorities
Moving forward, the Director General explained that Wattan Media Network is committed to strengthening its role as an independent media outlet in Palestine. Their strategic objectives according to him include:
- To improve accountability and keep Wattan’s audience engaged by continuing core programs, focusing on marginalized communities, and enabling their participation in creating lasting solutions.
- To enhance the knowledge, capacity, and skills of young journalists, social media activists, and future media professionals.
Strategies to navigate challenges
- Prioritise human-interest stories focusing on displaced populations, refugees, women, and youth in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Invest in digital platforms and interactive media for real-time, comprehensive news coverage. Upgrade broadcasting equipment to improve quality and accessibility across TV, radio, and social media. Expand social media and live reporting tools for immediate and accurate coverage.
- Protect journalists and enhance their skills for effective reporting in high-risk areas.
- Expand educational and capacity-building programs to support Palestinian journalists and youth.
- Combat misinformation and disinformation, especially on the Palestinian cause. Rebuild a specialized fact-checking team to ensure news accuracy. Launch awareness campaigns to educate Palestinians and global audiences on the dangers of misinformation and the importance of credible news sources.
To learn more about how to support journalism and media, sign up for MediaDev Insider, your guide on supporting journalism and media from the Global Forum for Media Development and GFMD IMPACT. Join our growing community!