Reporting the conflict in Gaza
The conflict in Gaza was the biggest reporting challenge in the Middle East, where the audience for 大象传媒 Arabic's multimedia interactive news and information service grew rapidly.
大象传媒 World Service was at the heart of the story during the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The challenge was to provide accurate and impartial information from both sides in conditions that were difficult and dangerous.
For the first time during a major conflict, audiences in the Middle East, around the world and in Gaza itself could watch 大象传媒 Arabic news and interactive programmes on television and online as well as listening on radio.
The number of users of hit an all-time high in January.
In Gaza itself, a limited telephone survey, conducted immediately after the shelling stopped, revealed that 58% of those polled had listened to or watched the 大象传媒 during the crisis.
High ratings were given for trust and impartiality.
During the conflict, when foreign correspondents were being prevented from entering Gaza by both Israel and Egypt, 大象传媒 News correspondents were deployed on the borders and at Israeli towns targeted by Hamas rocket attacks.
The local Arabic team at the 大象传媒's Gaza bureau were able to continue reporting from inside the territory.
"We complemented our reporting by getting people on the phone in Gaza and running special editions of the interactive programme World Have Your Say," says Liliane Landor, Editor News and Current Affairs.
"That is how we brought it down to people's lives and the impact it was having in the region and across the world".
"It was a very emotional issue and we reflected that whilst doing what we do best, which is trying to remain totally impartial and objective."
Safety concern
Safety of the 大象传媒's Gaza bureau staff and their families was a major concern.
There was anxiety that the 大象传媒 office would be targeted by Israeli forces, who claimed Hamas had taken the building.
The local team worked under constant pressure.
大象传媒 Arabic reporter Shahdi Al Kashif feared for his family after the windows of their house were blown out.
大象传媒 News producer Rushdi Abu Alouf became part of the story when his home was surrounded and hit by three tank shells. After 16 hours in the building he escaped with his family, carrying his four-year-old child over his shoulder.
"They did a remarkable job," says Hosam El Sokkari, Head of 大象传媒 Arabic.
"Without our locally recruited people on the ground we would not have been able to sustain the output and provide our audiences with information."
Multimedia coverage in Arabic
The Gaza conflict was the biggest test so far for 大象传媒 Arabic's multimedia service.
Less than a year after launching its new television channel, 大象传媒 Arabic was gearing up to increase its airtime from 12 to 24 hours a day when Israel began its offensive.
Transmissions were extended to cover key moments, such as the UN Security Council resolution urging an immediate ceasefire.
The service moved to a full 24-hour schedule on 19 January, when five new presenters from across the Arab world joined the team.
The multimedia interactive programme Nuqtat Hewar (Debating Point) provided an opportunity for radio, television and online audiences to discuss every aspect of the conflict, including the 大象传媒's decision not to broadcast the Disasters Emergency Committee Gaza crisis appeal.
"The Gaza story was not just about Israel and Palestinians, it was also about Arabs and their different ways of dealing with the crisis," says Hosam El Sokkari.
"大象传媒 Arabic provided the only opportunity for Arab audiences to have equal distance from all parties involved with the story".
"We did not spare anyone from scrutiny, even ourselves."
There was a five-fold increase in traffic to bbcarabic.com's mobile Wap site during the conflict, demonstrating the importance of recent linking agreements with mobile phone operators, including Vodafone Live in Egypt, Orange in Jordan and Zain in Bahrain.
In Saudi Arabia, video news bulletins are available via operators STC and Mobily.
Breaking news alerts are offered via mobile operators as a subscription service in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, UAE, Yemen and the Palestinian territories.
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Hearing all sides of the story
大象传媒 Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen travelled throughout the devastated Gaza region immediately after the conflict, reporting for programmes including 大象传媒 World Service's .
He interviewed Israeli-trained Dr Izzeldeen Abuelaish at his home in Gaza, which had been hit by Israeli tank shells, killing three of his daughters and a niece.
"As Dr Izzeldeen stood in the wreckage of his family's life, I asked him if he still believed in peace," reported Bowen. "He said he did, and so did his Israeli friends, but their army and those who gave it orders did not."
Bowen also talked to Israeli friends of the Palestinian doctor, living a short drive from Gaza.
Shaul Geffen told of life within range of the Hamas rockets, the "horrible feeling that you are a target". He insisted that Israel's attack was necessary, though he wished it were not.