Libya's newspapers and media in Tripoli and Benghazi

Libya's press is read mostly online, in Arabic with Bawabat Al-Wasat, Ean Libya or Libya Akhbar, and in English with Libya Herald, Libya Observer or Libya Review, alongside the LANA news agency and television channels often tied to rival camps.

From Tarablus al-Gharb to the Jamahiriya

The country's first newspaper, Tarablus al-Gharb, appeared in Tripoli in 1866 under Ottoman administration. After Italian colonisation and independence in 1951, the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, in power from 1969 to 2011, placed the entire press under state control.

After 2011: a press split between two poles

The 2011 revolution gave birth to dozens of newspapers and channels. Since 2014, the division between the authorities in Tripoli and those in the east, around Benghazi, has been mirrored in the media, many of which are associated with one camp or the other.

Arabic, English and Tamazight: the languages of news

Arabic, both standard and Libyan dialect, dominates websites, television and social media. Libya Herald, Libya Observer, Libya Review and Libya Update publish in English for foreign readers. Since 2011, Tamazight-language media have appeared in the Nafusa Mountains and in Zuwara.

Benghazi, Misrata, Sebha: where to find local news?

Every major city has radio stations and local news pages, often on Facebook, the most used network in Libya. National websites cover Benghazi, Misrata or Sebha, but news from the Fezzan in the south is followed less closely than coverage of the coast.

Al-Wasat and the online news portals

Bawabat Al-Wasat has become one of the most visited Arabic-language portals, covering politics, economy and sport. Ean Libya and Libya Akhbar also publish in Arabic. Several Libyan newsrooms have worked from Cairo, Amman or Istanbul, which shapes their editorial angles.

LANA, an official agency to read with care

The Libyan News Agency, or LANA, distributes statements from the institutions in Arabic and English. During periods of division, rival versions of the agency coexisted in Tripoli and in the east, so always check which authority published the report you are quoting.

Public television and satellite channels

The public channel Libya Al-Wataniya broadcasts from Tripoli, while private channels such as 218 TV or Libya Al-Ahrar, launched outside the country, reach a wide audience by satellite and YouTube. Each station often reflects the positions of a political camp or city.

The Libyan diaspora and the neighbourhood

Libyans settled in Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey or the United Kingdom follow the news through satellite channels and Facebook pages. For regional context, read the Maghreb press and Egyptian newspapers, which pay close attention to Cyrenaica and its politics.

Oil, the dinar and football: economy and sport

Libya's economy is read through announcements from the National Oil Corporation and the Central Bank of Libya, and through the dinar's rate on the parallel market. Arabic sports sites cover the national league, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahly of both Tripoli and Benghazi.

A hard climate for journalists

Without unified institutions, Libyan journalists work under pressure from armed groups and rival authorities. Kidnappings and threats have been reported since 2011, pushing several newsrooms towards self-censorship or exile, particularly in Tunisia, where some outlets now operate.

Free Libyan sites, east-west cross-checks

Libyan websites are free, but their editorial line varies with their funding. Compare an outlet from the west with one from the east, then an outside view, such as the press of the Arab world or the media of neighbouring Chad for the south.

Do you need English to understand Libya?

Libya Herald, founded in 2011, and Libya Observer, based in Tripoli, offer quick access in English to politics and oil. They remain less rich than the Arabic-language press, however, on local affairs, tribes and the life of municipalities across the country.

Tracking Libyan news from abroad

1. Read an English-language site, Libya Herald or Libya Observer, then an Arabic portal such as Bawabat Al-Wasat for detail.
2. Add LANA reports, always identifying which authority, in Tripoli or in the east, has published them.
3. Follow statements from the National Oil Corporation and the Central Bank for the economy and exports.
4. Watch Libya Al-Wataniya, 218 TV or Libya Al-Ahrar live to compare the televised accounts of the different camps.
5. Set up alerts on Tripoli, Benghazi and Misrata to spot clashes or political agreements quickly.
6. Check the date, place and author of videos shared on Facebook before reusing them anywhere.

Access and subscriptions for Libyan media

Key facts about Libya's media

• Languages: Arabic (standard and Libyan dialect), English, Tamazight
• News agency: Libyan News Agency (LANA)
• Public television: Libya Al-Wataniya
• Leading Arabic portal: Bawabat Al-Wasat; in English: Libya Herald
• Economic sources: National Oil Corporation and Central Bank of Libya
• Time zone: UTC+2, no daylight saving time
• Currency: Libyan dinar (LYD)

Traps when reading Libyan news

• Treating a report credited to LANA as a single source, when rival versions have existed depending on which authority controlled it.
• Believing a Facebook page that claims to be an official outlet; fake Libyan accounts are numerous and spread military rumours.
• Forgetting that a Libyan satellite channel is often funded by a camp or a city and defends its reading of events.
• Sharing a video of fighting from 2011 or 2019 as if it showed current clashes in Tripoli.
• Confusing the official dinar rate with the parallel market rate in articles about purchasing power.

Questions about the press in Libya