Saba News Agency: A pioneer in Yemeni media [Archives:2007/1055/Reportage]
Saba News Agency, Yemen's only news agency, resulted from the merging of two news agencies, one in the north and the other in South Yemen, in 1990 when Yemen united. In essence, the agency dates back to 1970 when both parent agencies were created, one in Sana'a and the other in Aden.
Saba consists of 12 departments in addition to Al-Siyasiah newspaper, which recently became an independent department. The total number of employees at the agency is 500 and continues to expand.
Saba News Agency is a member of the Federation of Arab News Agencies and the Organization of Asian news agencies union, in addition to having cooperation agreements with numerous regional and international news agencies. Nasr Taha Mustafa is director of the agency, as well as chairman of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate.
Director's office
This office of Saba's director is responsible for drawing up the organization's strategy and following up its performance. It also is responsible for coordination and agreements with other news agencies or other parties inside or outside of Yemen. Conferences and activities of the agency also are this office's responsibility.
Editorial department
This department gathers news and reports on local and international events. News is gathered from local offices in Yemen, as well as from Saba's nine international correspondents around the world. The agency also has a branch in Saudi Arabia. The department produces 120 to 130 news items per day from approximately 15 reporters.
The editorial department has three main sections located on different floors of the Saba premises; audio & video broadcast monitoring, the editing department, and the Arab and international news monitoring department.
On the fourth floor is audio and video broadcast monitoring which, according to public relations officer of Saba News Agency the monitoring department is the second highest department of its kind in an Arab news agency.
An average of 40 employees work in the broadcast monitoring department, which is considered a stepping stone for every journalist and reporter at Saba. Most trainees or new recruits spend at least six months to a year working in the department monitoring and documenting various news.
The broadcast monitoring department has two parts where outdated equipment previously was used to record news and relevant reports from television and radio channels, but a new computerized digital system now is used for the same purpose.
Department head explained that staffers in this department work on a three-shift rotation with each monitoring 160 television and radio channels.
The third department is the Arab and international news monitoring department where news and events from the Arab and international world are monitored and retransmitted via Saba's general broadcast transmission.
Special reports
Adjacent to the monitoring department is a seven-member special media department concerned with filtering all regional and international newspapers and media. Staffers select sensitive news, whether about security or politics in Yemen or other parts of the world, and then summarize it into classified reports sent to VIPs and Yemeni decision makers. The department doesn't publish its reports; rather, a list of subscribers receives daily reports every evening.
Research and Information
A floor below is one of Saba's strongest departments run by a woman, Nabiha Al-Haidari, and consisting of a unit for information and another for research.
The information section documents all information reported and collected by Saba and then archives it into a sophisticated digital archive system. In a joint project with the BBC, the agency has created its own style manual called, “Saba Style,” whereby archiving, classification and terminology are fixed. Archives include those for photos, video, audio and text files.
All of Saba's information has been digitally archived since 2000 and there's been a slow transformation of the agency's paper archives since 1970 to the digital system.
The research section is tasked with doing research and producing publications. The department consists of 16 researchers and several trainees and university students who use the department's archives for their research. This section issues an analysis supplement every Wednesday, in addition to producing other regular publications, such as the Saba Yemeni Foreign Affairs Encyclopedia and annual yearbooks.
The “brain” of the agency
This is the computer console containing the agency's server and transmitters. It has wire cable connections whereby information is received and sent. This department controls communications within the agency, as well as satellite connections, in addition to regulating the mechanics of subscriptions and networking.
General news
Including 45 reporters and 10 photographers, this department develops news items in six sections: correspondents, the economy and development, sports and youth, following up and coordination unit, Sana'a International Airport and photo services. The department is electronically connected to 19 offices in Yemen's various governorates.
This department also is responsible for producing news published on Saba's web site. Additionally, it provides a special service where news reports, analysis and a press review of regional and international press is done and sent to subscribers. Reports are available in four languages: Arabic, English, French and German.
Electronic press
This department handles four main tasks: an SMS news service (in English and Arabic), managing Saba web site, investigative journalism and foreign news editing. The department is completely automated and staffers are being trained to use the automated system. Languages used in this department are Arabic, English, French, German and Russian.
The future
Saba News Agency currently is constructing new, larger and more suitable premises for its work. The printing machines are top notch and more equipment is coming in order to facilitate printing the various publications produced by the agency. Offset printers also are used for commercial business to help meet the agency's expenses.
Until recently, Al-Siyasiah was part of the Saba's editorial department, but today it is its own department with a beautifully designed office.
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