Lebanon media guide

Lebanon' media landscape is dominated by non-state outlets, including those affiliated with political groups and targeting sectarian communities.

TV is the most popular medium, with domestic channels more important news sources than pan-Arab ones.

Beirut is an important base for TV channels operated by, or supportive of, Iran. The state is a major player in the telecoms sector.

Lebanon was the first Arab country to permit private radio and TV and has become a regional media hub. News websites across the political spectrum are a key information source.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says "genuine freedom of expression" exists but political parties have a "stranglehold" and journalism is "a full-fledged weapon in the political conflict".

The financial crisis and the effects of the 2020 Beirut port explosion have forced media outlets to cut their staffing and budgets. The Daily Star, Lebanon's only English-language paper, closed in 2021.

Almost all TVs and radios are privately-owned and many are affiliated with political groups. Al-Manar TV is operated by militant group Hezbollah. Take-up of satellite and cable is widespread.

Lebanese TVs are known for hosting some of the most daring cultural and social talks shows in the Middle East. There are dozens of private radio stations. BBC Arabic and Radio France Internationale are carried by partner stations.

There is no large-scale filtering of online content. However, Freedom House said in 2021 that "the state has started to block more content, often failing to provide transparency about its decisions."

There were 5.6 million internet users by July 2022, comprising 84% of the population (Internetworldstats.com) and around 5 million active social media users (We Are Social/Hootsuite, 2022).

There was a 10% jump between 2022 and 2024 in the number of users accessing social media.

• Media guides by BBC Monitoring

Press

• An-Nahar - (The Day) daily

• Nidaa al-Watan - (Call of the Nation) daily

• Al-Akhbar - (The News) daily

• L'Orient-Le Jour - in French

• Addiyar - (The Homeland) daily

• Al Joumhouria - Arabic-language daily

Television

• Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCi) - commercial, market leader and pan-regional broadcaster

• Al-Mayadeen - commercial

• Al-Jadeed - commercial

• Murr TV (MTV) - commercial

• Tele-Liban - state-run

• Al-Manar - (The Beacon), pro-Hezbollah

• OTV - affiliated to the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM)

Radio

• Voice of Lebanon - commercial

• Sawt al-Ghad - (Voice of Tomorrow), commercial

• Radio Orient - commercial

• Radio Liban - state-run

News agency/internet

• Lebanese National News Agency - state-run, pages in English

• Naharnet - news website, pages in English

• Ya Libnan - news site, in English

• Lebanon 24 - news site, in Arabic