Newspapers of Syria and the media of the transition

In Syria, news is followed in Arabic via the SANA agency, Al-Watan, Enab Baladi, Syria TV or Zaman Al-Wasl, and in Kurdish and English via North Press Agency and The Syrian Observer, mostly free online since the fall of the Assad regime.

From the Ottoman paper Suriya to the Baath era

The first newspaper published in Damascus, Suriya, appeared in 1865 under Ottoman rule. A lively press grew under the French Mandate, then almost vanished after the 1963 Baathist coup, which imposed official titles such as Al-Thawra and Al-Baath.

Which dailies to read after December 2024?

The fall of Bashar al-Assad on 8 December 2024 upended the landscape. The future of the old state titles, Al-Baath, Tishreen and Al-Thawra, was called into question, while Al-Watan, a private daily launched in 2006, had long been seen as close to power.

Arabic, Kurdish, English: Syria in several languages

Arabic dominates, but Kurmanji Kurdish is widely used in the north-east, around Qamishli and Hasakah, where North Press Agency also publishes in English. SANA still runs English and French services, handy for French-speaking readers.

Aleppo, Idlib, Deir ez-Zor: covering a fragmented country

Years of war have splintered local news. Enab Baladi and Zaman Al-Wasl maintain correspondents in Aleppo, Homs, Idlib and Daraa, while neighbourhood Facebook pages spread news from Latakia or Deir ez-Zor, with variable reliability.

Enab Baladi, born in Daraya in 2011

Enab Baladi appeared in 2011 in Daraya, near Damascus, as a citizen newsletter before becoming a reference outlet, long based in Istanbul. Levant24 offers infographics and videos, and Telegram remains widely used for quick alerts.

SANA, the state agency since 1965

The Syrian Arab News Agency, founded in 1965, was for decades the mouthpiece of the presidency. It now carries the decisions of the transitional authorities in Damascus and remains the place to check a decree, an appointment or a ministry statement.

Public television and Syrian broadcasting

Syrian television and the Al-Ikhbariya channel long embodied regime messaging. After December 2024, public broadcasting was reorganised, while Syria TV, launched in 2018 from Turkey, established itself as a widely watched news channel.

Istanbul, Gaziantep, London: the press in exile

During the war, many Syrian outlets worked from Turkey, as the Turkish press recalls, or from Europe. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the United Kingdom, documented the conflict day by day through a network of sources on the ground.

Syrian pound, reconstruction and football

The economy takes up growing space: the Syrian pound's exchange rate, the gradual lifting of sanctions, reconstruction and returning investors. The Syria Report follows these topics in English. On the sports side, the press covers the football league and the national team.

What remains of censorship?

Under the Assad regime, independent journalism was banned and many reporters were jailed or killed. Since 2025, exiled media have been returning to work in Damascus, but the legal framework is still being built and coverage of sectarian violence remains sensitive.

Cross-checking sources on Syria

With no paywalls, the Syrian press is free to read. To cross-check, compare SANA with Enab Baladi, North Press Agency and the Lebanese press, which watches Damascus closely. The Syrian Observer translates a wide selection of Syrian articles into English.

Reading Syria in its regional context

Syrian stories touch on refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, relations with Israel over the Golan Heights and the border with Iraq. The Arab world press and pan-Arab channels round out what readers get from the Damascus media.

How to follow Syrian news

1. Combine the SANA agency for official announcements with Enab Baladi for an independent view from the ground.
2. Add North Press Agency for the Kurdish north-east and Zaman Al-Wasl for regions far from Damascus.
3. Watch Syria TV or public television live when the transitional authorities make announcements.
4. Read The Syrian Observer for a translated English selection of the Arabic-language Syrian press.
5. Turn on Telegram alerts from identified outlets rather than anonymous channels.
6. Confirm the date, location and author of every video before relaying it.

Access and subscriptions for Syrian media

Landmarks for reading the Syrian press

• Languages: Arabic; Kurmanji Kurdish in the north-east; English and French on SANA
• News agency: SANA, Syrian Arab News Agency
• Public broadcasting: Syrian television and Al-Ikhbariya, reorganised after 2024
• Major independent media: Enab Baladi, Zaman Al-Wasl, Syria TV
• Time zone: UTC+3 all year round
• Currency: Syrian pound (SYP)

Mistakes to avoid with Syrian news

• Confusing Damascus's Al-Watan with the dailies of the same name in Oman, Qatar, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia.
• Quoting a SANA article from before December 2024 as if it reflected the position of the current authorities.
• Relaying footage of past bombings presented as recent, a common occurrence whenever tensions flare up.
• Reading an outlet without regard to its history: exiled opposition, Kurdish affiliation or former state media.
• Treating an unidentified local Facebook page as a verified source during violence in Latakia or Sweida.

Frequent questions about the press in Syria