User:Stefan J. Bos

BosNewsLife
BosNewsLife (www.bosnewslife.com) is an independent Christian news agency on the Internet raising awareness among both Christian and non-Christian "compassionate professionals" about people suffering for their faith. Describing itself as "a voice for the voiceless" BosNewsLife provides news regarding Christians and Jews living in difficult circumstances for whatever reason, including persecution, and other hard hitting, news stories related to its mission.

The agency says its targeted "compassionate professionals" often travel and include decision makers such as politicians and other diplomats, business leaders, as well as advocacy groups, aid workers, missionaries, journalists and others "on an assignment for a better world." In addition BosNewsLife (also known as BosNewsLife News Agency or BosNewsLife.com) wants to be the trusted news source for churches and individual believers "to spark prayers and actions for those who are persecuted or otherwise suffering for their faith and vision."

Without any organization or church backing it, either directly or indirectly, BosNewsLife claims its independence fills "a crucial niche in the crowded news and information segment as it aims to provide high standard, impartial, well-documented, professional reports using several sources, key elements for decision makers and human rights groups to act."

OTHER ACTIVITIES
While persecution news is at the heart of BosNewsLife's coverage, it also deals with freedom of expression issues in for instance current and former Communist nations and other countries with dictatorships as well as related world news stories, in an effort to provide a more complete news package than other specialized agencies.

BosNewsLife says it produces stories in a style between Reuters and The Associated Press news services. Among BosNewsLife's apparent successes were the role its coverage played in the release of three 'cyber dissidents' in Vietnam from a labor camp as well as the decision of a court in Iran not to execute a Muslim who became a Christian.

Its website (www.bosnewslife.com) also provides constantly updated Real Simple Syndication (RSS) news feeds of hundreds of sources from around the world updated 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, for each country and disputed territory, to help its audience better understand societies in which persecuted believers are living. In addition the site carries BosNewsLife Radio stories.

BOSNEWSLIFE HISTORY
BosNewsLife was founded May 1, 2004, in Budapest, Hungary, when that country joined the European Union along with nine other mainly former Communist nations. It is Eastern Europe’s only Christian news agency and the only international news agency with its world headquarters in a former Communist nation.

BosNewsLife was founded by Stefan J. Bos, a long-time Central and Eastern Europe contributor or correspondent for radio and television networks Deutsche Welle, Voice Of America, Vatican Radio, CBS News, Dutch and Belgian networks and others, along with his wife, Agnes R. Bos, who has reported for the Russian Services of the BBC and currently works for Radio France International.

The founders say Budapest is a good base for the news agency as it adds an independent voice to news services and media located in Western Europe or the United States.

With a network of correspondents and researchers, BosNewsLife recently is developing a Russian service to provide an alternative independent, pro-freedom-of-expression vehicle in the former Soviet Union. It says the move was sparked by "concerns over attempts by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders in the region to control media."