Like any visionary in the media field, Kassem is constantly looking for ways to develop journalism by studying the local environment and assessing where the need for information is greatest, what kind of information is needed, and how to convey it. In 2007 he left Al Masry Al Youm and began a new project, a first - not only in Egypt but anywhere in the Arab world: a new newspaper using the converged newsroom model.

“My goal was to shift from reporting yesterday's news to carrying out investigative journalism, which required a converged newsroom. It is still important to produce newspapers. But it is equally important to produce audio and video, and provide an offering for mobile phones as well,” he said.

A convergent newsroom integrates all kinds of media and reporting to provide news with a stress on the Web as an outlet. WAN-IFRA estimates that around 500 news outlets were convergent in 2009. It was the same year Singapore’s Mediacorps opened the first convergent newsroom in Asia. It is a feat Kassem would like to emulate in Egypt.

In-line with this innovative effort, WAN-IFRA and DEDI planned the third component of the Arab Newspaper Development Programme (ANDP). Since 2006, WAN-IFRA has provided top consulting to Kassem, which he hoped would result in the launch of his newspaper in 2011. “They taught me about issue-led journalism and the supporting structures it requires in a newsroom, an approach which will be implemented in the new paper when it launches early next year,” he said. Along with that, the convergent newsroom Kassem worked on with WAN-IFRA will include issue-led journalism that delves deep into topics, rather than quick spot news.

In order to bolster the convergent newsroom, knowledge of what is missing with existing news outlets is important. While believing in the importance of enhancing reporting on civil liberties, human rights, accuracy, etc., Kassem plans to bring more comprehensive coverage of the neglected arts and sciences.

Once Kassem’s project is off the ground, he believes others will probably follow in his footsteps. “The old model is dead. It is an inevitable change. We need to understand that the Internet is important and will provide an added source of revenue. Some will be unable to adapt to the new trend.”