Journalists: events in coastal, Sweida regions expose the decline of media credibility

Journalists from North and East Syria spoke to ANHA agency regarding the recent violent incidents in Syria’s coastal and Sweida areas, which resulted in thousands of casualties, including women and children.

In this context, journalist Avin Youssef issued strong criticisms against Arab and international media for their lack of balanced coverage and evident bias in reporting the massacres in these regions. She affirmed that this reflects a clear subordination to political agendas at the expense of truth and victims’ rights.

Youssef added that the severe violations occurring in Syria, particularly in areas like the coast and Sweida, are being deliberately marginalized or obscured.

She pointed out that certain countries, such as Turkey, which support specific factions inside Syria, directly contribute to this blackout. Simultaneously, she noted that the Interior Ministry of Syria’s Interim Government has prevented media outlets attempting to access Sweida from covering the situation there.

Describing these policies as “systematic,” she asserted that they aim to conceal the truth. She stressed that Arab media allied with these parties not only remain silent but also participate in misinformation by exonerating the real perpetrators, despite evidence implicating some local security forces.

Furthermore, Youssef noted that Western media were not immune to this bias. Despite limited coverage by some global agencies and local outlets, these reports were partial and weak, failing to fully expose the truth or hold responsible parties accountable.

She underscored the urgent need for free and impartial media that report directly from the field and serve as a bridge to amplify victims’ voices rather than as a tool for authorities.

Limited coverage of tragic events

Political analyst and journalist Abdul Halim Suleiman highlighted the international consensus supporting Syria’s transitional process, which influences media coverage through political lenses that serve their respective countries’ agendas.

Suleiman stated that media outlets often ignore or downplay massacres and violations against civilians, despite the availability of information and documentation.

He remarked, “Thousands, including women and children, were killed in the coastal and Sweida massacres over a few days, yet the international media coverage fell far short of what was necessary.”

Bias toward official narratives and exclusion of victims’ voices

He pointed out that sidelining victims’ accounts in favor of official state narratives breaches journalistic ethics. Suleiman warned against the exploitation of certain media platforms to impose political or sectarian narratives instead of professionally conveying the truth.

He affirmed that some international and Arab media have succumbed to bias due to political pressures or dependency on funding sources, adversely affecting the coverage of urgent humanitarian issues in Syria, including the coastal and Sweida massacres.

Concluding, Suleiman said: “The absence of the victims’ authentic narrative and the decline of official media in favor of virtual platforms and unreliable sources highlight the urgent need to reassess media performance on Syria and to move away from narrow political calculations when addressing humanitarian matters.”

ANHA