Where do independent newspapers in Yemen place themselves on the advertising market?
Khairaldin Mohammad Ainsour: I am not sure about other newspapers, but I will tell you about the Yemen Times. Since we target a specific market – the English speaking population, whether intellectual Yemenis or foreigners in Yemen – our task is easy, relatively speaking. Our target market looks more for brand value than price. Since we are the first English newspaper in Yemen, we have secured this image and clients come to us knowing who we are. The problem is that often we lose out on “politically oriented advertisements”. By this I mean ads that come through influential politicians in the ruling system or political parties. For example, VIPs and businessmen who belong to the conservative party rather advertise in a newspaper or media that is in line with their political stance. This does not mean that they never advertise with us, however, we are not their first choice. Another example is state advertisements such as national announcements, tenders, etc. They are directed mainly to t
