The logo of the daily newspaper al-Joumhouria. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — In a significant move, al-Joumhouria newspaper announced on Friday that it is ending its printed edition, which has “limited circulation,” launching “a leading Lebanese-Arab digital media platform,” instead, reported the National News Agency (NNA) citing the newspaper's statement.
The decision, the latest in a slew of Lebanese newspapers shutting down their printed versions, is “driven by a clear future vision and a strong desire to keep pace with rapid technological developments, especially artificial intelligence,” the newspaper's statement read.
“Within the framework of this ambitious strategy, partnerships have been concluded with major international media institutions, including a leading media group in the Gulf and well-established European newspapers,” the statement added. “These partnerships open new horizons for media cooperation, and enrich the content that al-Joumhouria provides through its pages and electronic platforms to its diverse audience in the Arab world and the countries of the diaspora.”
According to L'Orient-Le Jour, al-Joumhouria journalists were informed on Friday that the newspaper's management has decided to suspend the print edition and transition entirely to digital due to economic and financial reasons. The group had planned to form partnerships with a French newspaper and a daily from the Gulf countries to transform al-Joumhouria into a pan-Arab and international publication. However, the ongoing war in Gaza has stalled these plans.
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.
The newspaper landscape in Lebanon 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.
After halting its print edition in late March, the former daily newspaper Nidaa al-Watan shut its doors entirely in June, following internal discussions about "the poor economic and financial situation that has prevailed in the country for five years."
However, 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.
In March 2024, the publication announced it would cease printing a paper version yet maintained its online platform.