The logo of the daily newspaper Nidaa al-Watan. (Credit: Nidaa al-Watan Facebook page)
The Arabic-language daily Nidaa al-Watan has been acquired by Michel Gabriel Murr, CEO of MTV Lebanon a publication aligned with the March 14 coalition and the Lebanese Forces, and critical of Hezbollah. This acquisition marks a significant shift in Lebanon's media landscape.
In light of this development, L'Orient-Le Jour examines the current state of Lebanon's daily print media, drawing on a detailed study by the Samir Kassir Foundation. The landscape has drastically contracted due to the rise of social networks, the Lebanese crisis since 2019, and a decline in advertising revenues.
Out of 110 authorized print media outlets, Lebanon now has just eight daily newspapers in print — also available online — with only one French-speaking paper, L'Orient-Le Jour. The rest are Arabic-language dailies.
Here is a list of the dailies currently published in print and online in 2024, in alphabetical order:
Ad-Diyar
Ad-Diyar began publishing in 1941 as an Arab political daily. In 1988, it was acquired by Charles Ayoub, a journalist and former Lebanese Army colonel. However, in January 1990, then-Prime Minister Michel Aoun briefly shut down the paper due to its founder's political views. Even though his appointment was disputed, Aoun served as prime minister from Sept. 1989 to Oct. 1990.
The daily newspaper has been known for its pro-Syrian stance. Ayoub, a former member of the Syrian Nationalist Socialist Party and a proponent of Greater Syria rather than Lebanese independence, has acknowledged receiving funds from the Syrian regime. Despite this, the publication maintains its independence from partisan interference. Ayoub serves as chairman of the board and editor-in-chief.
Ad-Diyar is published by al-Nahda SAL, of which Charles Ayoub owns nearly 98.6%. The remaining 1.4% of al-Nahda SAL's shares are held by Kingdom Holding SAL, owned by the Solh family. Kingdom Holding SAL is part of the Saudi conglomerate Kingdom Holding Company, which is 95% owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Al-Akhbar
Al-Akhbar was founded by journalist Joseph Samaha (1949-2007), with its first issue published on August 14, 2006, by Akhbar Beirut media company. This was after acquiring the license of an earlier newspaper of the same name, established in 1953.
The daily is known for its pro-Hezbollah and pro-Syrian regime stance, and typically opposes Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the March 14 Alliance. Ibrahim el-Amine, who is both the editor-in-chief and the founder and chairman of Akhbar Beirut, leads the publication. The paper’s shareholders include Ibrahim el-Amine, Youssef Wehbi, and The Sun Press SAL, which is associated with MP Moustafa al-Husseini and his children, Firas and Dima.
In December 2010, the paper's website was hacked following the publication of U.S. State Department cables leaked by WikiLeaks. In 2016, al-Akhbar and its founder were fined by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) for contempt of court and obstruction of justice due to articles that purportedly disclosed confidential information about protected witnesses.
In 2019, al-Akhbar faced a wave of resignations in response to its coverage of popular movements against Lebanon’s ruling class. Pierre Abi Saab, the paper’s deputy editor-in-chief, also resigned in 2021.
Al-Joumhouria
Al-Joumhouria was founded in 1924 by journalist Saji Asmar. The publication faced interruptions due to the Lebanese civil war from 1975 onward and had two unsuccessful attempts at revival in 1985 and 2005. It was relaunched in 2011 by former Defense Minister Elias Murr.
The paper operates from the same building as the former office of Elias Murr's father, the late Deputy Prime Minister Michel Murr, and is connected to the family of an-Nahar CEO Nayla Tueni. Elias Murr's son, MP Michel Elias Murr, serves as chairman of the board, while Georges Soulage is the editor-in-chief.
In the 2022 parliamentary elections, Michel Elias Murr won the Orthodox seat in the North Metn constituency, a position held for decades by his grandfather, the late Michel Murr Senior.
On July 12, 2021, al-Joumhouria announced its expansion into new media with the launch of “al-Joumhouria TV,” focusing on Lebanese domestic affairs.
Al-Liwaa
A political daily newspaper founded in 1963 by Abdel Ghani Salam, al-Liwaa supports the March 14 alliance and opposes Hezbollah's political alignment in Lebanon, including its foreign policy and domestic affairs. Most notably, it strongly opposed Hezbollah's intervention in Syria and its military dominance in Lebanon.
The newspaper includes a section entitled “Islamiyyat,” which deals with Islamic religious topics. Adnan Ghalayini is administrative director and Salah Salam is its editor-in-chief. It is published in Arabic in Beirut by Dar al-Liwaa for Press and Publishing.
Salah Salam's three daughters, Nisrine, Sirine and Nadine, own 98% of the shares. Salah Salam and his wife Najwa also hold 1%.
An-Nahar
One of Lebanon's oldest political dailies, an-Nahar was founded by Ambassador Gebran Tueni and first published on August 4, 1933. The founder's son, Ghassan Tueni, worked at the paper from 1948 to 1999, becoming a prominent journalist and holding various diplomatic, parliamentary, and ministerial roles. Ghassan's son, Gebran Tueni, continued this legacy until his assassination in a car bomb attack on December 12, 2005, following his election as a MP for Beirut. He was well known for his anti-Syrian regime stance. Earlier, on June 2, 2005, an-Nahar columnist Samir Kassir was also assassinated under similar circumstances.
The newspaper faced a financial crisis in 2009, leading to the layoff of more than 50 employees. The situation recurred in 2016. In January 2019, an-Nahar launched its Web TV.
Nayla Tueni, former MP and daughter of Gebran Tueni, serves as the newspaper's general manager and editor-in-chief. Ghassan Hajjar is the publishing director.
Al-Sharq
Founded in 1926, al-Sharq is one of Lebanon's oldest newspapers. It supports the March 14 Alliance and the Future Movement, opposing Hezbollah's political stance in the country. Lebanese journalist Aouni al-Kaaki, who has served as president of the Lebanese Press Association since 2015, is the newspaper's chairman of the board. Khalil Khoury is the editor-in-chief.
Despite the paper's general orientation, Aouni el-Kaaki maintains close contact with all major political parties and forces in Lebanon.
Al-Sharq is registered as a sole proprietorship. Aouni el-Kaaki also owns Nadine, a weekly social and gossip magazine.
Nidaa al-Watan
Nidae al-Watan was founded by Henri Sfeir in the early 1990s but ceased publication in 2000 due to financial difficulties. In 2012, there were rumors that then-Prime Minister Najib Mikati had acquired the newspaper’s license, but the transition did not occur.
In 2019, businessman Michel Mecattaf purchased the newspaper’s license, and Nidaa al-Watan resumed publication on July 1 of that year. The newspaper is now owned by Free Media Company SAL and positions itself as an independent and sovereign political publication, advocating for freedom, sovereignty, democracy, and human rights. At the time, Beshara Charbel was the editor-in-chief and Georges Berbery was the general manager.
Michel Mecattaf, who also owned Mecattaf Exchange Company and served as publisher of Nidaa al-Watan, passed away from a heart attack on March 18, 2022. In March 2024, the publication announced it would cease printing a paper version.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour
