the New Humanitarian
{{short description|News agency based in Kenya}}
{{Infobox company
| name = The New Humanitarian
| logo = The New Humanitarian logo.svg
| type = News agency
| foundation = Nairobi (1995)
| location = Geneva, Switzerland
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Andrew Gully
(Managing Editor)|Paula Fray
(President of the Board)}}
| industry =
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| homepage = [http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org www.thenewhumanitarian.org]
| footnotes =
}}
{{Other uses|New Humanitarian (disambiguation){{!}}New Humanitarian}}
The New Humanitarian, previously known as IRIN News, or Integrated Regional Information Networks News, is an independent, non-profit news agency. The agency states that it intends to report on stories from regions that it considers overlooked or under-reported.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/content/about-us |title=About Us |publisher= The New Humanitarian |access-date=16 April 2019}}{{Cite web |title=Integrated Regional Information Networks |url=https://unpos.unmissions.org/integrated-regional-information-networks |publisher=UN missions |access-date=16 April 2019}}
Originally a project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), IRIN News operated under the UN until 1 January 2015.{{cite news |last1=Herman |first1=Marc |title=Freed from UN, a 20-year-old news network embraces independence |url=https://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/un_news_independent.php |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=Columbia Journalism Review |date=October 12, 2016}}{{cite news |last1=Hatcher |first1=Jessica |title=Irin humanitarian news service saved after private donor fills UN void |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/nov/20/irin-humanitarian-news-service-saved-after-private-donor-fills-un-void |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=November 20, 2014}} On 21 March 2019, IRIN relaunched independently as The New Humanitarian.{{cite news |last1=Owen |first1=Laura Hazard |title=The New Humanitarian (no longer an acronymed UN agency) wants to move humanitarian crisis journalism beyond its wonky, depressing roots |url=https://www.niemanlab.org/2019/03/the-new-humanitarian-no-longer-an-acronymed-un-agency-wants-to-move-humanitarian-crisis-journalism-beyond-its-wonky-depressing-roots/ |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=NiemanLab |date=March 21, 2019}} The primary language is English, with a smaller number of articles available in French and Arabic.
History
= Early years as IRIN =
IRIN was launched in 1995 after the Great Lakes refugee crisis resulting from the 1994 Rwandan genocide the existing information management systems set up by the humanitarian aid community.{{cite news |last1=Hatcher |first1=Jessica |title=Humanitarian news agency faces closure as UN funding comes to an end |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/apr/10/humanitarian-news-agency-irin-faces-closure-un-funding |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=April 10, 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/c802e3f38aa2740e09d1a85f71a88f5b.htm |title=About IRIN: UN humanitarian news and analysis network launches Arabic service |work= Reuters |date=July 24, 2007 |publisher=alertnet.org}} At that time, its headquarters were in Nairobi, Kenya,{{cite web|url=http://www.irinnews.org/africa|title=Africa|website=IRIN}} with regional news desks in Nairobi, Johannesburg, Dakar, Dubai, and Bangkok, with liaison offices in New York and Geneva. The agency was managed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.{{cite news |last1=Lynch |first1=Colum |title=Gag Order |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/01/14/gag-order/ |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=Foreign Policy |date=January 14, 2014}}Europa Publications Limited. Africa South of the Sahara 2004. Routledge. p. 1035
= PlusNews =
In 2001, IRIN created PlusNews,{{Cite web|url=http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/health|title=Health {{!}} The New Humanitarian|website=www.thenewhumanitarian.org|access-date=2020-03-12}} a news service dedicated exclusively to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The service gradually expanded to include French, Portuguese, and Arabic. It became one of the largest providers of original HIV and AIDS reporting. One of its documentary series, "Heroes of HIV", earned an honorable mention at the 14th annual Webby Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2010/online-film-video/general-film-categories/documentary-series/heroes-of-hiv/?/|title=Heroes of HIV -- The Webby Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-12}}
In 2005, an IRIN video documentary "Our bodies... their battleground" that focused on sexual violence against women in Congo and Liberia won "Best Feature" at the UN Documentary Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2005/iha1046.doc.htm|title=IRIN documentary takes top honours at film festival {{!}} Meetings Coverage and Press Releases|website=www.un.org|access-date=2020-03-12}}
= The New Humanitarian =
On 1 January 2015, IRIN became an independent non-profit news organization.{{Cite news|last=Hatcher|first=Jessica|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/nov/20/irin-humanitarian-news-service-saved-after-private-donor-fills-un-void|title=Irin humanitarian news service saved after private donor fills UN void|date=2014-11-20|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-03-12|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}{{cite news |last1=Cumming-Bruce |first1=Nick |title=Ailing U.N. News Service Gets $25 Million |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/business/media/ailing-un-news-service-gets-25-million.html |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=November 30, 2014}} On 21 March 2019, it rebranded to The New Humanitarian.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/content/irin-becomes-new-humanitarian|title=IRIN becomes The New Humanitarian…|date=2019-03-19|website=The New Humanitarian|language=en|access-date=2020-03-12}}
In 2020, in partnership with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, The New Humanitarian investigated the widespread abuse of women who worked for humanitarian agencies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while responding to the Kivu Ebola outbreak.{{Cite news|last=Nebehay|first=Stephanie|date=2021-10-27|title=More victims complain of sexual abuse in Congo scandal - WHO expert|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/more-victims-complain-sexual-abuse-congo-scandal-who-expert-2021-10-27/|access-date=2021-10-30}}
Audience
A 2018 survey of their readers found that they are composed of: Not-for-profit and NGO (35.9%), Academia (8.6%), United Nations (8.5%), Government (8.1%), Media (7.6%), Business (5.4%), Donor (1.2%), Other (24.7%).{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/content/2018-audience-survey|title=2018 Audience survey|date=2018-05-01|website=The New Humanitarian|language=en|access-date=2020-03-12}}
More than 40 percent of its audience originates from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
The New Humanitarian regularly hosts in-person and live-streamed discussions on issues in the humanitarian sector.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/irin-events|title=Coming and recent events|date=2019-02-10|website=The New Humanitarian|language=en|access-date=2020-03-12}}
The outlet also produces several podcasts, like the flagship Rethinking Humanitarianism and What's Unsaid.
Newsletters
When The New Humanitarian was established as IRIN in 1995, it used fax and email to distribute weekly roundups on the Great Lakes region from its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Its first website was launched In the late 1990s.{{Cite web|url=http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Hornet/irin_w6196.html|title=Great Lakes: IRIN Weekly Round Up 5/26 - 6/1 1996|website=www.africa.upenn.edu|access-date=2020-03-12}}
Today, in addition to its website, The New Humanitarian continues to provide daily and weekly newsletters to more than 70,000 subscribers.
Donors
The New Humanitarian's funding comes from a mix of governments, foundations, and a small number of private donors as well as a membership programme.
Key supporters have included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Canton of Geneva, and the international aid agencies of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/}}
- [http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/photo The New Humanitarian Photo Library]
- [http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/film-library The New Humanitarian Video Library]
- [http://www.cultureunplugged.com/storyteller/IRIN Early IRIN Documentaries Online]
{{News agencies}}
{{Humanitarian Aid}}
{{Portal bar|Journalism|Africa}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:New Humanitarian, The}}