Awan, launched on 18 November 2007, is the first Arabic newspaper to employ a convergent newsroom approach in the Middle East. The newsroom is a beehive of activity, working in a systematic and coherent way to publish to paper, web and mobile platforms.

The editors and journalists of Kuwait-based Awan newspaper work in a professional environment in which the news is written, edited and then published from one single newsroom. As a result, the boundaries between editorial and production are fast disappearing and the journalists have continuous deadlines to cover breaking news. This is the theory of the convergent newsroom, the most advanced technological and cultural development that the newspaper industry is witnessing today.

Awan has succeeded in reaching this stage with the partnership of KnowledgeView, which has implemented the design of the newsroom, training of journalists and the integration of KnowledgeView’s RAPID Browser and RAPID Archive systems.

“We wanted to have a modern and innovative technology in running our newspaper from the start and that is why we employed a convergent newsroom. Our newspaper will be a role model for other Kuwaiti newspapers,” said Dr. Mohammad Al Rumaihi, founder and editor-in-chief of Awan.

The editors and journalists interact with each other through an open system with the editorial secretariat in the core, in order to publish breaking news in an efficient manner. All teams can eliminate the use of paper through a powerful but easy-to-use editorial system based on the integration of KnowledgeView’s RAPID Browser with Adobe’s Indesign and InCopy.

RAPID Browser manages news and shares editorial content in an effecient and systematic way, to deliver news to readers through the use of multi-platform publishing mediums like internet, print and mobiles services.

Al Rumaihi said that Awan will be a platform for citizen journalism whereby anyone will be able to express his opinion and views in this newspaper through a new medium that will be launched soon: Awan Plus.

He added that Awan has set up two offices in Beirut and Cairo in order to have wider representation and expanded coverage of all Middle Eastern news and events.

With the Web-based Rapid Browser, working in a virtual newspaper environment has never been easier, with Awan’s correspondents in Beirut or Cairo being able to deliver their work to the newspaper’s headquarters in Kuwait in the same way as the journalists do in Kuwait. Senior editors can securely monitor editorial flow and page construction progress over the Internet from anywhere.

Dr. Ali Al Assam, CEO of KnoweldgeView, said “We are delighted to be the engine of modernity in Kuwait’s newspaper industry through the employment of our RAPID Browser and RAPID Archive software. We believe that with our systems, and our consulting services, cooperating with Ifra, we can provide publishers with the ability to greatly extend their reach and increase their circulation”.

In order to enable Middle Eastern journalists and newspaper managers to embrace the technology and the new methods of work necessary for convergent Newsroom, Ifra, the world’s largest consultancy on newspaper publishing and new media, with support from KnowledgeView, is holding a series of NewsPlex training courses in he Middle East, the first one in Kuwait on 28-31 January. Contact KnowledgeView or Ifra for more details by following this link: http://www.ifra.com/website/website.nsf/weblistall?ReadForm&TR&E&TRAININGS_CALENDAR