Syria Today

The mass media in Syria consists primarily of television, radio, Internet, film and print. The national language of Syria is Arabic but some publications and broadcasts are also available in English and French. While television is the most popular medium in Syria, the Internet has become a widely utilized vehicle to disseminate content. Transcending all available media, the government seeks to control what Syrians see by restricting coverage from outside sources. Publications and broadcasts are monitored by members of the government. Syria is ranked as one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. There were 28 journalists killed in combat in 2012.

Media

Public media journalists practice self-censorship. Public media consists of television, print, film, radio and internet and social media.

Print

According to Human Rights Watch, ''The Arab Establishment for Distribution of Printed Products'', which is affiliated with the Ministry of Information, vets all newspapers prior to distribution. The only two private daily newspapers covering political topics that have succeeded in staying open are owned by businessmen closely tied to the regime: ''Baladna'' and '' Alwatan''. ''Alwatan'', a private daily published by businessman Rami Makhlouf, President Assad's cousin, was launched in 2006. United Group, a major advertising group owned by Majd Suleiman, son of a former senior intelligence officer (Bahjat Suleiman), owns and operates the private daily ''Baladna''.

''Aliqtisadi'' and ''Forward Magazine'' are two private newsmagazines, published by businessman Abdulsalam Haykal, Assad's friend. ''Forward Magazine'', which carries the same name as the New York Jewish weekly, addresses the American audience.The only other political publication ''Abyad wa Aswad'' (White and Black) is owned by Bilal Turkmani, son of the former defense minister, Hasan Turkmani. Other government-friendly businesspeople started a satellite television channel called Addounia TV, which excludes political news.

Television

There is one main broadcaster for both television and radio called the General Organization of Radio and Television of Syria (ORTAS). It was founded in 1960 and is based in Damascus. The channel has programs in Arabic, English and French. TV is the most popular media in Syria.

Satellite channels

*Addounia TV
*Arrai TV
*Cham TV
* Massaya TV
*Lana TV
* Sama TV
* Spacetoon
*General Organization of Radio and TV (Syria) (RTV)
**Noor Al-Sham
**Syria TV
**Syrian Drama TV
**Syrian Education TV
**Syrian Medical TV
**Syrian News Channel
**Talaqie TV

Terrestrial channels

* Channel 1 (Terrestrial, with Arabic focus)
* Channel 2 (Terrestrial, with sport, family and health focus including regional variants)

Newspapers

* '' Al-Ba'ath''
* ''Al-Thawra''
* '' Tishreen''
* ''Syria Times'' (defunct)
* '' Al-Watan''
* ''Baladna''
* ''Al-Iqtissadiya''
* '' Enab Baladi''

Film

The Syrian film industry is state-run by the Ministry of Culture, which controls production through the National Organization for Cinema. The industry is largely propaganda based, focusing on Syria's successes in agriculture, health, transportation and infrastructure.

Radio

There are over 4 million radios in Syria. They tend to broadcast music, ads and stories relating to culture.
* Syrian Arab Republic Radio

Alaan FM
Al Aan FM Launched in Syria in October 2012 broadcasting live from the UAE. Al Aan FM is available in the following cities and frequencies:

* FARAH FM 97.3
*Al-Bukamal 96.6 MHz
*Aleppo 96.6 MHz
*Al Qunaitra 98.2 MHz
*Atimah Camps 99.7 MHz
*Azaz & Afrin 96.6 MHz
*Al Bab & Manbij 104.4 MHz
*Damascus 96.9 MHz
*Daraa 96.9 and 99.4 MHz
*Hama, Homs 97.6 MHz
*Idlib 96.6 MHz
*Kobani 96.7 MHz
*Latakia 96.6 MHz
*Qamishli & Amuda 97.6 MHz
*Suwayda 96.9 and 99.4 MHz
*Shaddadi (Ash Shaddadi) 97.6 MHz

* FARAH FM: www.farah.fm
* FARAH FM 97.
Radio FARAH FM Syria
* Al-Madina FM: Syria's first private radio station

Online

Providing hosting services is a violation of United States sanctions. Some of the official Syrian government websites include:
* Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
* Ministry of Religious Affairs site
* General Authority for Development site
* Government of Hama, city website

News agencies and online news services based in or targeted at Syria, several of which launched during the Syrian civil war, include:
* '' Al-Masdar News'', sometimes criticized as sympathetic to the Syrian regime
* Al-Watan, an online edition of Damascus-based ''Al-Watan'' newspaper, the 33rd most visited website for 2010 in the MENA region.
* Amaq News Agency, a news outlet linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
* ANF News ( ku, Ajansa Nûçeyan a Firatê), a Netherlands-based multilingual online news service.
* '' ARA News'', an online news service focussed on the consequences of war in Syria and Iraq.
* '' Hawar News Agency'' (sometimes abbreviated ''ANHA'') ( ar, وكالة أنباء هاوار) is an online Kurdish news service based in Al-Hasaka, Syria, said to be linked to the SDF.
* ''Ekurd.net'', an English language online newspaper for Kurds since January 2015, based in New York. The editorial team is known, though its owners are not.
* NOW News, a Beirut-based news website focused on the Middle East, with a special section on the developing situation in Syria.
* Orient Net, a Dubai-based Arabic and English language online newspaper concerned with Syrian affairs.
* '' Rumiyah'' is a multi-language Raqqa-based online magazine used by ISIL for propaganda and recruitment.
* SMART News Agency, SMART standing for "Syrian Media Action Revolution Team", a France-based Arabic language opposition media network.
* Syria Direct, an Arabic and English language news desk covering Syria's war and politics.
* Syria-News, an Arabic language online press agency intended to report news about Syria.
* Syria NewsDesk, a Beirut-based Arabic news agency, focussed on the ordeal of the Syrian population, supported by the Dutch foundation "Free Press Unlimited".

Pro-rebel media

The public does have access to Western radio stations and satellite TV, and Qatar-based Al Jazeera has become very popular in Syria.

In August 2012, a media centre utilized by foreign reporters in Azaz was targeted by the Syrian Air Force in an airstrike on a civilian area during Ramadan.

Television

There are also satellite stations which broadcast outside Syria. Two of the primary satellite networks, Eutelsat and Nilesat, have recently expressed frustrations over the Syrian government preventing satellite TV transmissions broadcast from international outlets.

Satellite channels

* Orient TV
*Aleppo Today
*Syria TV (Private)

Press

* Enab Baladi
* ''Al-Ghad'': opposition paper
*Al-Ahd (The Vow)- published by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood
*Brigades: published by a military brigade to raise questions about the origins of extremist Muslim fighters
*Shaam-published by the Shaam News Network, which is an activist news organization. It is privately financed. Each 16-page edition includes coverage of culture, translation from foreign news sources and cartoons that are critical of the Assad government.

Radio

Internet and social media

With the breakdown of many traditional media outlets during the civil war, much of the current events are reported by individuals on Facebook and Twitter. However, the reliability of such reports can in many cases not be independently verified by credible news agencies. While many websites have appeared and publish a pro-opposition alternative to regime media, the lack of robust journalistic standards has often benefited the government since correctly denying news reports gives them more credibility.
* Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently : Citizen journalism effort exposing human rights abuses by ISIS forces occupying the northern Syrian city of Raqqa.
*Rojava Information Center: Journalism from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

Prohibitive measures against media

State of emergency law

The constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic guaranteed the right to a free press and freedom of expression, but Syria was under a highly restrictive state of emergency law since the Ba'ath Party came to power in 1964 until 2011. Anyone wishing to establish an independent paper or periodical must apply for a license from the Ministry of Information.Syria country profile
Library of Congress Federal Research Division (April 2005). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.'' In 2011 the state of emergency was lifted. This seems to have had no effect what-so-ever on the way the government conducted itself regarding the media, with Syria's ranking actually worsening the following year with journalistic organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders both ranking Syria as one of the top four most repressive countries in the world.

Internet censorship

There are over 5 million Internet users in Syria. Reporters Without Borders lists Syria as an “internet enemy” due to high levels of censorship. The Internet is controlled by the Syrian Computer Society (SCS) and the Syrian Telecommunications Establishment (STE). The government monitors activity through the hacking of emails and social networking accounts and phishing. Simultaneously, the government releases pro-Assad propaganda and false information to support its cause. The law requires Internet cafes to record all comments in the online chatrooms. There was a two-day Internet blackout in 2012, which was likely orchestrated by the government. Authorities have blocked journalists and bloggers from attending and reporting on events by arresting and torturing them. This is not limited to Syrian journalists as members of the Associated Press and Reuters have been arrested and expelled from the country for their reporting.

Press freedom

Reporters Without Borders ranked Syria 171st out of 180 countries in the world on the Press Freedom Index in May 2022. On the Press Freedom Barometer for 2022, the organization reports that 1 journalist has been killed, while 27 journalists and 2 media workers have been imprisoned.

See also

* Cinema of Syria
* List of newspapers in Syria
* List of radio stations in Syria
* List of Syrian films
* Syrian Civil War
* Media coverage of the Syrian Civil War
* Telecommunications in Syria
* Television in Syria

References

Further reading

Joseph Dahe
Syria, the uprising and the media scene
''OpenDemocracy'' 26 October 2017

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Media Of Syria

Syria
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