New voice for a determined island nation

Seychelles will have a new voice in the world's media with the development of an online communications project this year. 

As 2014 kicks off under the banner ‘International Year of Small Island Developing States: Seychelles – A Determined Island Nation’, the Department of Information is developing a project to provide the first Seychelles online news service called the 'Seychelles News Agency'.

The Seychelles News Agency is tasked with the mission to create awareness of the Seychelles and its people in the global community, and position Seychelles regionally and internationally as a small island developing state with a unique experience of social, economic and cultural development.

The Seychelles News Agency will have a website with an online text and photo news service in English and French which will be set up and managed by two co-editors, Rassin Vannier and Sharon Uranie, who are professional Seychellois journalists with extensive experience in Seychelles news reporting and international news writing.

They will be working with freelance journalists in Seychelles and the Indian Ocean region to provide the latest news and information on Seychelles to the world with the aim of becoming the leader in Seychelles online news distribution and cultural diplomacy.

The project was initiated by the honorary consul for Seychelles in Bulgaria, Maxim Behar, who owns and manages a leading PR and social media corporation M3 Communications Group, Inc. 

He presented the idea to President James Michel and offered to make the concept and software development a donation to the Seychelles, during his visit to Seychelles in November 2013. 

The Seychelles News Agency co-editors and M3 Communications Group are currently developing the project, which is expected to be completed by April.
 

About the two co-editors

Rassin Vannier

Rassin Vannier has twenty years experience as a journalist in print press, television and radio reporting. He started his first journalism job at the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation in 1994 as a junior journalist, where he progressed over the years to become a senior journalist as well as editor of the 8pm Creole television newscast.

In 2006 he became a correspondent for the RFO Réunion (now Réunion Premiere).

In 2008, he joined the office of the Mayor of Victoria as director of operations, and continued reporting for RFO, as well as additionally in 2011 becoming the Seychelles correspondent for
Agence France-Presse, which he continues today.

Mr Vannier has produced TV documentaries for the SBC, TV5 Monde, and Espace Francophone.

He was born on Mahé island in 1971, he is half-Seychellois and half-French, and is married with three children.

Sharon Uranie

Well-known in Seychelles since 2009 as one of the principal news anchors of the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation TV, Sharon Uranie started her career at the SBC as a junior journalist in 2005.

She worked her way up to the post of senior journalist, becoming principal editor/deputy-Chief Editor of the SBC News in 2012.

Since then, Ms Uranie has reported on every major Seychelles news event and has edited and presented the TV and radio newscasts in English, French and Creole.

Ms Uranie has also co-produced documentaries and features on politics and current affairs in Seychelles for the SBC.

She was born on Mahé island in 1984, she is Seychelloise, and is married with two children.

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