The year 2024 marked the deadliest year for journalists, with nearly 70% of them killed by Israeli forces, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Among the victims were journalists from Al Jazeera, who were killed while covering the war in Gaza.
Journalists seek to report the story, not become a part of it. But in times of war, that normalcy often vanishes. In a landscape rife with information and disinformation about rapidly unfolding events and competing narratives, Between Us cuts through the noise to provide an honest and intimate perspective amid the chaos.
The concept for a reporter notebook-style program emerged during the era of 'fake news' accusations. With Between Us, we aim to provide a transparent glimpse into Al Jazeera’s journalism, offering viewers an authentic insight into the experiences of journalists navigating major stories. This program is personal and educational, essential for helping people connect with current events. Now more than ever, this series serves as a vital documentation of the reality unfolding in the world.
In 2024, we set out to capture stories from within Gaza and the occupied West Bank, despite facing challenges imposed by the Israeli state. Safety was our primary concern, compounded by intermittent electricity, internet access, and communication disruptions. We encountered similar obstacles in other conflict zones, such as Ukraine, Syria, and Sudan.
To bring Between Us to life, we implemented a comprehensive plan of action that focused on three key phases: planning, execution, and adaptation.
Planning:
In collaboration with our digital and TV colleagues, we closely track our journalists' deployments and story outlooks. For evergreen assignments, we engage with journalists to explore innovative ways to present their stories to a digital audience. This might involve discussing techniques for shooting content tailored for social media or identifying key elements they can gather during their investigations. In some cases, this is as straightforward as encouraging them to keep their notes, which we can later use to illustrate the real-time story-gathering process.
In the context of rapidly unfolding events, it's vital for us to remain part of the conversation. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of journalists who generously volunteer their time to share their experiences. However, executing this in a war zone presents its own set of challenges.
Execution:
Every episode of Between Us is united by two key visual elements: a striking black background and engaging animations. This consistent visual identity enhances the storytelling experience.
The ingenuity of our camera crews is remarkable; they can transform any environment into a makeshift studio, whether it's within a destroyed shelter or a tent in southern Gaza. When replicating a traditional studio setup isn’t feasible, we adapt by meeting journalists where they are: in the midst of the burned remnants of the Los Angeles wildfires, the open spaces of Gaza. Or even at the Lebanon-Syria border, capturing refugees as they return home following Bashar al-Assad’s fall.
In collaboration with Al Jazeera’s creative unit, each episode features beautifully crafted animations that not only enhance storytelling but also convey the emotions of the journalists and the experiences they encounter. This innovative approach to visuals serves as a bridge when traditional footage is unavailable. It’s also a fresh way to share news that resonates with everyone, especially new audiences looking for engaging and accessible content.
We don’t create content for the sake of it. We genuinely want to know if people enjoy what we’re doing. To find out, we assess our return on investment, engagement levels, and the number of views. These three benchmarks give us a solid understanding of how our episodes are being received and who’s tuning in.
Between Us is featured on Al Jazeera’s website, YouTube, Instagram, and across our social media platforms. In 2024, we released 19 episodes, attracting a diverse audience from countries like India, the US, Pakistan, the UK, Canada, Bangladesh, Australia, South Africa, the UAE, and Malaysia. Our content particularly resonates with viewers aged 25-34 and 18-24, with these age groups showing a 10 to 20% higher engagement compared to the channel’s average.
In less than two years, we doubled our video views to over 10.5 million. However, it's not just about the numbers. We continuously ask ourselves: are people truly engaging with our content? They are. Total engagement for the 19 episodes was 531,000.
As for return on investment, judging by our numbers and engagement, Between Us is hitting all the right benchmarks, demonstrating that our approach resonates with viewers and fosters a deeper connection with the stories we tell.