Syria published the first print issue of the official Al Thawra Al Souriya newspaper on Monday, the latest government-owned media outlet to be launched since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar Al-Assad, AFP reported.
The move marks the return of print media for the first time in five years. Assad’s government halted daily newspapers during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing rising printing costs and distribution challenges.
“Al Thawra Al Souriya”, which means “The Syrian Revolution” in Arabic, replaces “Al Thawra”, the Assad-era state daily.
At the launch ceremony, Information Minister Hamza Mustafa said he wanted the paper to be “a mirror to people’s pain, their daily lives and their hopes in a space of free discussion.”
Under Assad, media freedoms were tightly restricted, with heavy security control over content and harassment of journalists. State outlets repeated the government narrative, while only a few private publications aligned with the regime were allowed to operate under strict oversight.
Since Assad’s fall, Syria’s new authorities have relaunched existing outlets, including state media such as news agency SANA, while permitting private publications to operate.