VZCZCXYZ9601
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLB #0334/01 0650856
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 050856Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1195
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 3157
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 2504
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3725
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2017
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA PRIORITY

UNCLAS BEIRUT 000334 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA - SOMERSET, NEA/PPD, R, INR/R/MR 
INR-PARENT 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
LONDON/POL 
PARIS/POL 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC 
USCENTCOM FOR CCPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR OPRC KPAO PREF PREL KISL KPAL LE
SUBJECT:  Lebanon: Print Media -- Newspapers 
 
 
¶1.  This cable is sensitive but unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
¶2.  (U) Summary: This cable provides information on Lebanese 
newspapers including political affiliations and circulation figures 
where available.  Lebanon's print media is diverse, vibrant and 
often opinionated.  There are twelve local newspapers; among these 
are one French-language newspaper, L'Orient-Le Jour, and one 
English-language newspaper, The Daily Star.  There are also two 
pan-Arab newspapers, Al-Hayat and Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat.  In addition, 
there are over one hundred Lebanese magazines covering political, 
social, and economic issues.  End Summary. 
 
Arabic Language Newspapers 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) An-Nahar:  An-Nahar is moderate and anti-Syria. Gebran 
Tueni founded An-Nahar on August 4, 1933; following his death in 
1947, his son, Ghassan, assumed leadership of the paper. In 2000, 
Ghassan retired and his son, Gebran Tueni, succeeded him.   On 
December 12, 2005, Gebran Tueni was assassinated; Ghassan took over 
the paper, assisted by his grand-daughter Nayla, Gebran's daughter. 
An-Nahar is receptive to requests for coverage of U.S. policies. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  As-Safir: As-Safir is characterized as an Arab 
nationalist newspaper. As-Safir was founded in 1974 by Talal Salman, 
who was funded by and cooperated with Libya and the Palestine 
Liberation Organization (PLO).  Since the alleged kidnapping of 
Al-Imam As-Sadr to Libya and the 1985 battles between the Lebanese 
and the Palestinians, Libya ceased funding As-Safir.  Saudi Arabia, 
Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar funded the paper 
following Libya's withdrawl.  When Rafiq Hariri became prime 
minister, he totally financed As-Safir.  As-Safir always criticizes 
U.S. policy, the Embassy, and the Chief of Mission, no matter who it 
is, harshly. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Ad-Diyar:  Ad-Diyar was founded in 1988 by a retired army 
officer, Charles Ayoub, who became known for his pro-Syrian, yet 
independent views.  Ayoub frequently criticizes U.S. policies, 
although the paper does include other views and it is sometimes 
sensationalist. Ad-Diyar's political persuasion changes every few 
years; currently, it is characterized as pro-Syrian. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Al-Mustaqbal:  Al-Mustaqbal supports the Hariri family and 
it is well-financed.  Rafiq Hariri founded the paper in 2000; his 
sons now control it. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Ash-Sharq:  Ash-Sharq supports the Hariri family now, 
whereas initially it was pro-Syrian.  Founded by the Ka'ki family in 
1950, Ash-Sharq was the first Lebanese newspaper to enter the Syrian 
market and to be sold along with Syrian dailies. Because of Rafiq 
Hariri's financial support, the paper aligned itself with his 
family. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Al-Anwar:  Al-Anwar was founded by Anis Freiha in 1959, 
and is a part of Dar Al-Sayyad ("House of Fishermen"), which also 
publishes eighteen topical magazines.  It is financially supported 
by various Gulf countries.  Al-Anwar is considered centrist and 
independent. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Al-Liwa':  Al-Liwa' is pro-Sunni Muslim and moderate. 
Al-Liwa' was founded by Abdel-Ghani Salam in 1962.  It addresses the 
mainstream Sunni Muslim audience primarily in Beirut, but it is a 
popular newspaper in Tripoli as well.  Its financial support comes 
primarily from Saudi Arabia. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Al-Bayraq:  Al-Bayraq was founded in 1912.  It is owned 
and directed by the head of the Lebanese Editors' Syndicate, Milhem 
Karam.  This daily is a prestige publication of its owner, and it 
always follows the policies of the Lebanese President.  Since Emile 
Lahoud left the presidency (November 23, 2007), it has reported news 
without any clear political affiliation. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Al-Akhbar:  Al-Akhbar is characterized as pro-opposition, 
i.e., pro-March 8.  Founded in 2006, it is owned by a group of 
businessmen, mostly from the Gulf.  It also has considerable support 
from a group of Lebanese businessmen who have relations with Michel 
Aoun and Hizballah.  Some say Al-Akhbar is owned by Hizballah and 
financed by Iran, but the editor-in-chief denies this.  The paper is 
well-connected to Hizballah sources, as well as other Islamic 
militant groups.  The staff members include editorialists of various 
affiliations.  Lebanese usually read Al-Akhbar because it is 
believed to have the most information.  Al-Akhbar frequently 
criticizes U.S. policy and, in the past, it has critiqued the Chief 
of Mission's activities and statements. 
 
¶12. (SBU)  Al-Balad:  Al-Balad started in December 2003 and is owned 
by a group of Kuwaiti businessmen.  It started with a clearly 
moderate policy and was able to attract an audience quickly.  In an 
environment where the highest circulation of any newspaper reached 
18,000, Al-Balad reached a daily circulation rate of 52,000.  During 
the July 2006 war, however, Al-Balad's circulation decreased 
drastically.  Following the war, it focused on reporting the news 
without any clear political affiliation.  Circulation improved as 
the paper changed into a daily semi-socio-political newspaper, which 
also entertains. 
 
French and English Newspapers 
----------------------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) L'Orient-Le Jour:  Originally, there were two newspapers 
-- L'Orient and Le Jour.  L'Orient was founded by Journalist George 
Nakkash in 1925; Le Jour was founded by prominent Lebanese 
intellectual Michel Shiha in 1934; L'Orient and Le Jour merged in 
¶1971. This paper is the only French-language daily and is a result 
of the dominant francophone society which emerged with the French 
Mandate over Lebanon following the demise of the Ottoman Empire. 
This paper's audience is the Lebanese elite and, traditionally, the 
diplomatic corps.  The paper's policy is similar to An-Nahar's -- it 
is considered moderate and pro-Christian. 
 
¶14. (SBU) The Daily Star:  The Daily Star, characterized as 
independent, was first published in 1952 by Kamel Mroue. Following 
his assassination in 1966, supposedly by Nasserites, the paper 
ceased publication.  It was re-launched in November 1996 by his son 
Jamil Mroue.  The Daily Star is the only Lebanon-based, 
English-language newspaper.  It has the highest turnover average of 
among journalists of all Lebanese newspapers because of the lack of 
qualified English journalists; and, recently it has had severe 
financial difficulties. 
 
Pan-Arab Newspapers 
------------------- 
 
¶15. (SBU) The pan-Arab newspapers, Al-Hayat and Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, 
are Saudi-owned. Each newspaper has a "Lebanon page," focusing on 
news events.  The Paris and the Washington Lebanese Al-Hayat 
correspondents are senior journalists with excellent connections. 
Both the in-country journalists and the external ones consistently 
contact Embassy Beirut. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶16. (SBU) Newspaper headlines and prominent lead stories are read 
daily on television and radio talk shows.  Political talk shows 
frequently have journalists as guests and the editorials are 
discussed. Every television channel has a daily political talk show; 
and, once or twice a week, depending on the television channel, 
there is an evening political talk show.  Typically, these shows 
host a politician and journalists with different political 
affiliations.  Newspaper reports generally frame the discussions. 
Print journalists have become the television or radio talk show 
commentators. 
 
¶17. (SBU) Understanding the political affiliation of Lebanese 
newspapers may assist in understanding specific stories, editorials, 
analyses, or commentaries.  Individual politicians and political 
groups use the newspapers as platforms to express their opinions and 
persuade the public to support certain positions as well as to 
ameliorate or escalate situations.  Lebanese newspapers are not 
independently financed; and, circulation numbers remain mostly 
unknown.  Ad-Diyar publishes its circulation figures as 
10,000-12,000 per day; Al-Balad says its circulation is 40,000 per 
day.  End Comment. 
 
Sison