In a complex and pluralistic media landscape, the roles of Syria’s state-run media and the independent outlets that emerged amid the country’s civil war have increasingly intersected. Despite their differing foundations and loyalties, there is now a growing recognition that collaboration, not rivalry, must take precedence to better serve the public interest and uphold journalistic standards.
Syria’s government-supported media has maintained its presence through a network of longstanding institutions. Meanwhile, independent media outlets have faced significant challenges related to funding, safety, and legal recognition. Despite these hurdles, many private news platforms, both inside Syria and abroad, have managed to establish a resilient presence, often driven by individuals and emerging institutions committed to exposing truth and holding power to account.
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No Such Thing as Complete Neutrality
Mouhammad Al-Shahhoud, head of the Executive Office of the Syrian Journalists Union, emphasized in an interview featured in the 9th issue of +963 that media independence is essential for effectively serving the public. “This applies equally to both state-run and independent media,” he said. “Each plays a complementary role: independent media helps raise public awareness and highlight weaknesses, while official media informs citizens about public institutions and future plans.”
He added: “There is no consensus on what neutrality truly means, complete neutrality doesn’t exist. National media, whether private or public, ultimately serves the interests of the state and its people. Information may be refined to protect the public good. Nonetheless, we value coordination and have made it a priority within the Journalists Union. We are working to build strong, transparent relationships with state institutions to defend journalists’ rights and foster a free working environment, aligned with international charters while acknowledging Syria’s specific context.”
Persistent Challenges
Sakhr Idris, former Secretary-General of the Syrian Journalists Association, provided a perspective grounded in the realities of independent journalism. In his remarks to +963, he noted that “the challenges remain numerous.” The absence of a supportive legal framework and the fragmentation of political narratives have stymied the development of an independent media sector. He also highlighted ongoing security risks and funding issues.
Idris pointed to the dangers of politicized funding and the dispersal of media professionals across the globe as core challenges, which have sometimes led institutions astray from their mission of independence. “Journalists have faced both direct and indirect threats for doing their work,” he said.
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Regarding the relationship between official and independent media, Idris noted that “if the will exists, there is genuine potential for collaboration. Independent media offers flexibility, while state media has institutional robustness. Joint efforts and knowledge exchange can foster synergy.” He emphasized the Syrian Journalists Association’s role in offering training, legal aid, and psychosocial support, as well as in building partnerships with international organizations to support field reporters.
Last year, the Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that 717 journalists and media workers had been killed in Syria since March 2011, including 53 who died under torture, by various factions and controlling forces in the conflict.
Fragmented and Localized Media
Journalist Mohammad Al-Mudheeb, who has worked with several independent outlets, shared his personal account of a tumultuous career that began with his defection from government forces in 2011. “I started my journalism work in Daraa at the end of 2011. At that time, revealing my identity or image was impossible until 2013, when I made my first televised appearance,” he said in +963.
He recounted being arrested after a settlement agreement in Daraa while trying to reach Idlib. “I was charged with inciting terrorism and communicating with the enemy. I had already been sentenced to death in absentia four years earlier. After my arrest, I was sentenced to life in prison with hard labor. I spent three years in prison, two and a half of them in Sednaya. My release was secured after my family paid $160,000 in bribes.”
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Despite these ordeals, Al-Mudheeb resumed his media work in Daraa under an alias. He later discovered that he was on a military intelligence hit list, prompting his escape, first to Lebanon, then Iraq, Libya, and eventually to Europe via the Mediterranean.
He concluded, “Independent media remains marginalized in Daraa and Syria at large, despite its vital role during the revolution. Most funding continues to flow toward factional or local media, and in recent years, several independent journalists have been assassinated.”
