Mariam al-Bassam, head of news and political programs at Al-Jadeed TV, and several other journalists have resigned in protest after the channel aired last week a controversial report on the mausoleum of Hezbollah's former slain leader, Hassan Nasrallah. According to a channel employee who spoke to L'Orient Today this Friday under the condition of anonymity.

The nine-minute segment, aired last Friday during a talk show hosted by Josephine Dib, was reportedly not produced by Al-Jadeed and "did not reflect the channel’s editorial stance", according to a clarification cited by the independent news site al-Modon.

The report alleged that "tens of millions of dollars" were spent on acquiring land and constructing the mausoleum, while many Hezbollah supporters whose homes were destroyed during the latest war with Israel have not received compensation. The segment also reportedly identified former and current owners of the land and claimed that the purchases were financed using “non-transparent Iranian money” and “bags filled with smuggled dollars,” bypassing official banking channels.

As of now, the segment appears to have been removed from Al-Jadeed’s official website and YouTube channel.

Other journalists dismissed

The source explains that "star journalists and reporters have also submitted their resignation following Bassam", but declined to give the names of the journalists in question.

According to the same source, Al-Jadeed also dismissed journalists Rawand Bou Dargham and Kassem al-Bassam, Mariam al-Bassam’s brother, after they signed a letter addressed to management and urged other colleagues to do the same. The letter, which has circulated on social media and was confirmed by an Al-Jadeed employee, called on the channel to take "decisive action" in response to editorial decisions that could "incite division in the country."

Employees expressed concern that the channel’s current editorial policies could lead to attacks on staff and their families, particularly amid coverage of ongoing municipal and electoral elections across Lebanon.

The letter, signed by a large number of reporters, photographers, and editors, urged the channel to implement measures to ensure the safety of its employees. According to the source, no staff member has been personally threatened or attacked since the report aired." It emphasized that employees are not seeking "solidarity from the channel after an attack takes place," but rather aim to "prevent such incidents altogether".

In response to the broadcast, some Al-Jadeed employees posted pictures of the mausoleum with heart emojis on social media, as a symbolic protest against the aired segment.

Hezbollah’s media outlet Al-Manar responded on Monday, describing the report as “nine minutes of polite incitement” disguised as investigative journalism. It criticized the piece for lacking basic journalistic standards and accused Al-Jadeed of attempting to stir domestic unrest, claiming that official records contradicted the report’s assertions.

On Saturday, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussawi described the investigation as a “qualified crime” and called on the judiciary to take immediate action.

Who is Mariam al-Bassam?

Mariam al-Bassam is widely known for writing the editorial introductions to Al-Jadeed’s 7:30 p.m. news bulletin. She joined the channel in the early 2000s and became a prominent figure in its newsroom. Before her tenure at Al-Jadeed, al-Bassam worked at Sawt al-Shaab radio and later with Reuters and the BBC.

Al-Jadeed is owned by Lebanese businessman Tahseen al-Khayyat, who is also the founder and chairman of the Tahseen Khayat Group, a conglomerate with operations in publishing, printing, media, energy, and pharmaceuticals. His daughter, Karma al-Khayyat, currently serves as Deputy General Manager of the channel.

Al-Jadeed's headquarters in Cola neighborhood in Beirut have been attacked several times in the past years by unknown assaillants, as the TV station regularly criticizes political parties from different sides in Lebanon.