TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRY
Executive magazine was the first Lebanon-based pan-Arab Publication to successfully be audited by Business Publications Audit (BPA) Worldwide.
By becoming a BPA Worldwide Member, Executive Magazine instigated a new culture within the Middle East and North African publishing industry—one that is based on trust, transparency and credibility.
By appointing the largest media auditing organization in the world as their official auditors, Executive Magazine reasserted its loyalty to its clients, advertisers and media agencies by providing them with accurate circulation figures to further its strategic relationship.
Executive has proven itself to be the primary source of business and economic news in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). With circulation audits becoming crucial in the communications industry, Executive Magazine has taken a giant step forward championing a culture of learning and healthy competition in the Middle East and North Africa region in the hope of encouraging other publications to follow in its footsteps and change Lebanon by creating a truly transparent and professional market.
A conference entitled "Transparency and Accountability in the Media Industry" was held at the Metropolitan Palace Hotel in Beirut. During the event Mr. Yasser Akkaoui, Managing Director of NewsMedia SAL and Editor-in-Chief of Executive Magazine, announced that the publication has become the first Lebanon-based pan-Arab Publication to successfully become a Business Publications Audit (BPA) Worldwide member.
Over 200 guests attended the event from various sectors of the communications industry. Professionals in advertising, media and civil society were invited to engage in a constructive debate, moderated by Mr. Akkaoui, focused on promoting transparency in the MENA publishing industry.
Executive Magazine’s total qualified circulation across the MENA came to 20,766 after completing this rigorous yearlong auditing process in January 2010: Lebanon (39 percent), Saudi Arabia (13 percent), Kuwait (12.5 percent), UAE (12 percent), Jordan (8.5 percent), Egypt (5 percent), Bahrain (3.9 percent), Qatar (3 percent), Oman (2 percent) with the remaining (1.1 percent) circulated around the world.
This is the age of transparency where only a high sense of ethics will guarantee the evolution of the industry. We hope that by leading the way we will encourage other publications to benefit from our experience.
