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Published on Saturday, 10 May 2008
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Written by Risto Popovski
Makfax was born following the political changes that took place in the region at the end of the 20th century. It has been producing unbiased, impartial and objective news from the [[Republic of Macedonia]] and the wider region ever since the first item was delivered on 5 May, 1993.
During those years we have been proud to remain independent and build a reputation as a trustworthy source of truthful news that is professionally written and delivered to our users as quickly as possible.
To mark the 15th anniversary of the agency, journalists, diplomats and friends of Makfax attended a celebration held at the Macedonian Journalists’ Club in [[Skopje]] where those who have worked with, and benefitted from the work of the agency, gathered to celebrate “15 Years of Providing the Fastest Way to the Truth”. Many letters of support and congratulations were read out.
The Head of EU Mission in Macedonia, Ambassador Erwan Fouéré , reconfirmed Makfax's reputation as a reliable source of professional news.
Makfax's news is used by media, journalists, ambassadors, diplomats, business people, and the general public, with the number of visitors to the Makfax web site doubling over the past year and still growing month by month.
Makfax’s independence has been recognised and supported by donors from Norway, Sweden and USA. In addition, consultants from Great Britain, USA and Sweden have been included in the agency's working activities.
During its 15 years, Makfax has also been influential in the formation of the Association of Private News Agencies of the wider region (APNA), comprised 16 news agencies. APNA is headquartered in Skopje, and Makfax holds the APNA presidency.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, Makfax organised a round-table meeting entitled "The Role of Private News Agencies in Media Space and Regional Networking". The owners and managers of the private agencies FoNet from Belgrade, Alpa from Tirana, Kosovapress and Kosovalife from Pristina and Eurolang from Athens took part in the round table.
The hope is that this initiative will prepare Makfax and its partner agencies with a successful strategy for offering trustworthy and reliable news from across the region in order to enhance understanding and inform and educate.
The writer, Risto Popovski , is director and editor in chief of the Independent news agency Makfax in Skopje, the Republic of Macedonia.
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