My first experience as a journalist dates back to 1979. At the time, I co-authored a major investigative report for L’Orient-Le Jour on Lebanese youth entitled The Kalashnikov Generation. I was the same age as the young people we interviewed, and the war had already become deeply entrenched in the country. It was then that I caught the journalism bug.
And yet, I would not return to L’Orient-Le Jour until 10 years later, during the presidency of Michel Edde, never imagining that this institution would become my professional home, or that its president would place such trust in me. I had the privilege of serving as its director for 20 years and, in recent years, as its chairwoman.
After 38 years as part of the L’Orient-Le Jour family, the time has come for me to pass the baton.
These years have been woven together through encounters, friendships, and challenges met collectively. They began with the youth supplements Les Copains and later Junior, before continuing alongside the teams of the main newspaper in the daily adventure of producing a newspaper.
Along the way came several defining milestones: the integration of Le Commerce du Levant into the group, which established it as the leading French-language media group in Lebanon; the digital transition, which enabled us to strengthen our ties with the Lebanese diaspora and with all those who seek to remain connected to this complex Middle East; the launch of our English-language edition, L’Orient Today, our first step beyond the Francophone world; the integration of artificial intelligence; and, of course, the celebration of our centenary — a moment of remembrance, archival exploration, and transmission as we prepared for the future.
Throughout all these stages, one guiding principle remained constant: a commitment to informing with rigor, responsibility, and independence — an independence that has unfortunately become increasingly rare in our profession.
Today, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone with whom I have shared this remarkable journey: journalists, employees, partners, and shareholders. Each, in their own way, contributed to this collective endeavor — sometimes demanding, but always profoundly human.
Alongside the teams who carried the newspaper forward for decades, a new generation is now coming into its own. I watch them with emotion, and above all, with pride and confidence. They bring the energy of renewal, a creative spirit, and a remarkable ability to reinvent themselves, as demonstrated by recent initiatives such as Voix du Moyen-Orient in Arabic and the L’Orient-La Nuit podcasts. Nothing will stop this momentum. Platforms will change and methods will evolve, but what will endure is this abundance of ideas, this intellectual richness, and this freedom of thought that are the hallmarks of a vibrant newspaper.
I leave my position to the sound of drones overhead. Wars continue to follow us, just as they did when I entered this profession nearly half a century ago. It is a sad twist of history, but also a reminder of the essential role journalism plays in moments when people seek understanding and hold their breath waiting for what comes next.
I will never be very far away, as I will remain a member of the Board of Directors. After all, one does not leave a family. One simply continues to support it from a distance.
More than ever, L’Orient-Le Jour and its teams play an essential role in shaping the thinking and conscience of a Lebanon and a region that move forward each day along a razor’s edge, often with anxiety, but never abandoning hope for tomorrow.
As of today, Maroun Michel Edde, appointed by the shareholders, will assume the presidency of the group. Maroun knows the newspaper well. As a member of the Board of Directors, he has closely followed its evolution and supported it through its challenges. His attachment to the institution and his understanding of the issues at stake are invaluable assets as he guides L’Orient-Le Jour and its talented leadership team toward new achievements.
Finally, I would like to thank all those who read us, watch us, and listen to us for their loyalty and support. They have always been — and will remain — the purpose and strength of our media organization.
Safe travels and long life to L’Orient-Le Jour.
Nayla de Freige
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Dear readers,
Through the geopolitical tidal waves that have ravaged our region, and the industrial upheavals that have transformed the global press, L’Orient-Le Jour has remained one of those rare stars illuminating the long night our country is going through. We owe this to generations of free journalists and to leaders of the caliber of Nayla de Freige.
In the midst of the worst years that led to the disintegration of our state, Michel Edde defended with all his strength the founding principles of the newspaper. Nayla de Freige carried and developed them up to the present day. Michel Helou gave it a powerful forward-looking boost, later consolidated by Fouad Khoury-Helou. Nayla has been the cement and the connecting thread of these difficult decades.
Today, the exceptional team of the newspaper, under the leadership of its new director, Rima Abdul Malak, fully inscribes itself in this rich history and proudly carries its values. Together, they are already projecting L’OLJ toward new heights with remarkable intelligence and dynamism.
The Board of Directors of L’Orient-Le Jour, on whose behalf I am writing these lines, will provide them with reliable, lasting, and discreet support and remains particularly committed to preserving the editorial independence of the newsroom. More than ever, Lebanon and the entire region need this open, rigorous, and fiercely independent journalism.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Nayla, on behalf of your professional family. The story continues with you.
Maroun Edde
