10 Years of Continuous Progress [Archives:2001/09/Viewpoint]

Tomorrow Yemen Times will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. When looking back, we can see how the newspaper evolved into what it is today. It was  surely not an easy task. The challenges and obstacles that faced the newspaper were enormous. Let us go back to the first days after its birth. When Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf founded the newspaper in 1991, he had some objectives in mind. There was a statement of his that I would never forget my whole life, I founded Yemen Times to be a mouthpiece of the oppressed, the poor, and the unattended for. I founded Yemen Times to say the truth, openly and with no hesitation or fear. I founded Yemen Times to promote freedom of press and human rights. I founded Yemen Times to be the light that other newspapers would follow, I wanted Yemen Times to it be a model for others. I founded Yemen Times to be the source of enlightenment for me personally, to feel that I have done something useful for others in a way that would satisfy my conscience. 
Indeed, this is why Yemen Times was founded, and this is its spirit that still lives among us today. We know that every admirer of Yemen Times would admire its founder and would be curious to know how he lived and why he decided to build this great enterprise.
Going back in time, we would see that Yemen Times was a newspaper with only two computers and no more than three staff members. Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf, the founder of the newspaper was also the editor, the advertising manager, the administrative manager, and even the distributor. I remember the days when he used to say, Thats that! and print the paper on transparent paper to be sent to the printing unit for printing. He used to supervise the whole printing phase and worked with the staff at the printing unit. After the paper was ready for distribution, he would carry the bundles to the car and drive all the way to the -by then- few YT subscribers. There were times when he would use plastic bags to cover the computers from being damaged by the water leaking from the old buildings ceiling. After all, there were two computers, one for design, and one for typing. Both were of vital importance, so he used to take good care of them. He suffered a lot, but gained more. He was threatened and blackmailed for his courageous stands, but gained the respect of readers and even of those who used to threaten and oppose him. It was certainly not an easy task, but it surely paid off.
As I look at the situation today, I could see that we have gone a long way. Now we have our own two-storey building, more than 20 computers, with the most advanced pre-press equipment. Our readership is more than 10 times what it was at the beginning, and our distribution reaches areas as far as Denmark in the north, Australia in the south, Japan in the East, and the US in the west, and we are still growing. We have one of the most well organized administrative structures, not only in Yemen, but also in the Middle East. Our online website is the number one site on Yemen on the World Wide Web, and the list of achievements goes on. 
Even though we are celebrating our tremendous success through the years, we should always remember our humble start. This reminds us that everything with hard work is possible. As the founder used to say, hard work never hurts!
Today, we are at the top, with little competition from others. It is a pity however, to see that who are trying to compete against us are most of the time imitate Yemen Times all the time. This in itself is not what bothers me a lot because all our readers know this fact, and it only harms the clone competitor. But what is truly disappointing is that they still think that the external view is what matters. They are deceived in thinking that artificial things are what make a difference. It is pathetic that they are wasting their time, as they are yet to realize that having a classified advertisement section, a competition, or certain advertisements is not what makes a newspaper readable and admirable. It is the substance, the objectiveness, and the core that matter. To succeed in journalism and to get readership, a newspaper should not be biased in its stand. But it should rather say the truth even if it contradicts with its bosss interests. Only then will a newspaper be credible and gain more readership, otherwise it will stay as a semi-newspaper, with little credibility, and perhaps, a distorting image as an imitator. Even if some supporters, sponsors, or advertisers are deceived in one or two or even ten issues, they would eventually realize that the low readership is for a reason that is straight forward and justifiable, because of credibility.
In any case, the originality of Yemen Times extends from its founder to every single employee working in the paper. Our journalists are never turned away because of an article that is true but may be against the government or a certain powerful figure. Our power lies in our ability to gain the trust of you, our reader. Our strength lies in our commitment of delivering the truth no more no less.
This is why we are moving on into our second decade with confidence and trust in growth and prosperity. We already see it coming: more success, greater readership, and stronger presence in the market and in the houses of Yemenis and foreigners alike.
On this special occasion I would like to say,  Happy Birthday Yemen Times, and keep on growing!

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