Newspapers of Lebanon in Arabic, French and English

In Lebanon, the news is read in Arabic in An-Nahar, Al-Akhbar or on Lebanon24 and Elnashra, in French in L'Orient-Le Jour, in English on Naharnet or The 961, with the NNA agency and channels such as LBCI, MTV or Al Jadeed, often online.

Beirut, historic capital of the Arab press

From the nineteenth century, Beirut printed Arabic-language reviews and newspapers, earning a reputation as the laboratory of the regional press. An-Nahar was founded in 1933 by Gebran Tueni, and the city later welcomed many exiles and pan-Arab titles.

L'Orient-Le Jour, the leading French-language daily

Born in 1971 from the merger of L'Orient, created in 1924, and Le Jour, founded in 1934, L'Orient-Le Jour remains the main French-language daily in the Middle East. It also publishes an English edition and belongs naturally to the French-language press.

An-Nahar and Al-Akhbar, two opposing lines

An-Nahar, long run by the Tueni family, defends a sovereigntist and liberal line. Al-Akhbar, launched in 2006, sits on the left and is sympathetic to Hezbollah and its allies. Reading both together helps in understanding Lebanese political divides.

Defunct titles that left their mark

As-Safir, a pan-Arab daily founded in 1974, stopped publishing at the end of 2016, and The Daily Star, in English since 1952, ceased publication in 2020. These closures, linked to the financial crisis, explain the importance gained by news websites.

Three languages at the newsstand and on screen

Arabic dominates, but French and English remain present in education and the media. A reader can follow the same political day in Beirut through An-Nahar, L'Orient-Le Jour and Naharnet, with headlines and angles that sometimes differ.

Lebanon24, Elnashra, The 961: the digital press

The Arabic-language sites Lebanon24 and Elnashra publish continuously on politics, security and electricity. The 961, in English, targets a young readership, while Naharnet summarises Lebanese news for the diaspora and foreign readers.

NNA, the National News Agency

The National News Agency, attached to the Ministry of Information, reports on Council of Ministers sessions, army statements and declarations by officials. It publishes in Arabic, English and French, which makes checking facts from abroad easier.

Tele Liban versus the private channels

Tele Liban, the public broadcaster, carries less weight than the private channels. LBCI, MTV and Al Jadeed each have their own leanings, and Al-Manar is the Hezbollah channel. Their evening bulletins, streamed live online, shape political debate.

A diaspora reading Lebanon from afar

Lebanese abroad, numerous in France, Brazil, Australia and West Africa, follow the news through websites and live television streams. In Ivory Coast, the Lebanese community also features in the Ivorian press online.

Economy, banks and basketball

The French-language monthly Le Commerce du Levant, founded in 1929, follows banks, property and the financial crisis that began in 2019. In sport, basketball is a national passion, with clubs such as Al Riyadi and Sagesse covered by every newsroom.

Pluralism, assassinations and pressure

The Lebanese press is known for its pluralism, but is often tied to parties or political funding. The assassinations of Samir Kassir and Gebran Tueni in 2005 remain landmarks, and journalists are sometimes summoned over critical posts.

Paywalls, the Lebanese pound and cross-checking

L'Orient-Le Jour reserves part of its articles for subscribers, with prices often shown in dollars since the collapse of the Lebanese pound. To cross-check, compare Beirut media with the Syrian press and international news agencies.

Following Lebanese news from abroad

1. Read L'Orient-Le Jour in French, then compare with An-Nahar and Al-Akhbar to measure the gaps in editorial line.
2. Check the National News Agency for government decisions and statements by the Lebanese army.
3. Install an app such as Lebanon24 or Naharnet for security alerts and power cut updates.
4. Watch the LBCI or Al Jadeed evening bulletin live to follow political debates.
5. Always check the date of a video of a strike or protest before sharing it, especially at tense times.

Free or paid: Lebanese media

Quick reference for reading Lebanon

• Languages: Arabic, French and English
• News agency: NNA, National News Agency
• Public broadcasting: Tele Liban and Radio Liban
• French-language daily: L'Orient-Le Jour; Arabic-language: An-Nahar, Al-Akhbar
• Business: Le Commerce du Levant
• Time zone: UTC+2, UTC+3 in summer
• Currency: Lebanese pound, subscriptions often priced in dollars

Common mistakes with Lebanese media

• Treating a Lebanese television channel as neutral without knowing which party or camp it is close to.
• Citing As-Safir or The Daily Star as current sources when their editions ceased in 2016 and 2020.
• Sharing a screenshot attributed to L'Orient-Le Jour without finding the article on the newspaper's website.
• Confusing an exchange rate for the pound published by an unofficial site with the Banque du Liban rate.
• Reposting images of the port explosion of 4 August 2020 as if they showed a recent event.

Your questions about the Lebanese press