Somalia is the most dangerous country in Africa for journalists.[1][2] Bilan Media was founded in April 2022 with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is composed of a team of six journalists.[3][4] Shortly before the launch of Bilan Media, one of the group's journalists survived an Islamist attack by the al-Shabaab group.[3] This is the first entirely female-run media outlet in the country,[2] advocating for greater visibility on issues affecting women.[5][6][7] The term "bilan" was chosen because it means "bright" in Somali.[8]
Since the establishment of the organization, the editor-in-chief has been Fathi Mohamed Ahmed,[2] and the director is Nasrin Mohamed Ibrahim.[7] Since its inception, the media outlet has focused on social issues, including sharing news about period poverty in Somalia and interviewing women and girls.[9][10] It also addresses traditionally taboo subjects, such as drug use among disadvantaged people in Somalia.[2][4] The content is distributed via radio, television, and online print media.[10]
In 2024, the group launched the first Somali political television show organized by women.[11] In June of the same year, it won the One World Media Press Freedom Award.[3]
