Lebanese Paper Forced to Halt Print Edition Due to Funding Crisis
(AWP) - The Lebanese newspaper Nida al-Watan has joined other publications that have stopped issuing print editions due to a funding crisis, reflecting the protracted economic crisis in Lebanon.
Over the past few years, several renowned Lebanese newspapers, such as As-Safir and Al-Hayat, have been forced out of the print business due to a lack of funding.
Bechara Charbel, Editor-in-Chief of Nida al-Watan, explained the decision saying, “The reason is the lack of funding. After five years of funding, the family of financiers decided to stop the funds.”
“We are looking for new funding with the same political line that rejects the violation of the country’s sovereignty and rejects the wars that are being fought in the name of the Iranian axis. With this framework, we are trying to resume our print editions. If we do not find funding, we will stop, both paper and digital.”
Awni al-Kaaki, President of the Lebanese Press Syndicate, described how funding issues have become a recurrent problem for newspapers across the world.
He explained, “This problem exists worldwide, not just in Lebanon, but each country deals with this problem according to its circumstances. Gulf countries, for example, are not affected as much because they have a large financial surplus and available purchasing power. There are also countries that [financially] help their media institutions, such as France and Europe, and there are countries like Lebanon, which are financially weak, with the state in deficit – so how can something helpless assist others?”