On July 13, 2012, a group of elite journalists, academics, and intellectuals gathered in the city of Amuda to announce the formation of the Free Media Union (YRA) in NE Syria, dedicated to protecting journalists' rights and advocating for freedom of expression. Since its inception, YRA has worked to uphold values of freedom, justice, and gender equality while enhancing journalistic performance through training programs, safeguarding journalists’ rights, and fostering relationships with local and international media institutions. It has also promoted a culture of tolerance, coexistence, and the right to access information.
The establishment of the YRA was an urgent necessity to regulate the operations of emerging media institutions in northeast Syria and to ensure the reception of visiting media delegations seeking to explore the region’s unique and pioneering resistance. Additionally, there was a pressing need for a media entity capable of embodying truth and expressing the aspirations of the revolution with integrity and strength. This need was not merely a response to rapidly unfolding events but became an essential duty in confronting significant challenges, most notably the blatant interventions of international and regional powers in the Syrian context. These powers employed vast media tools to distort the revolution’s course and align it with their agendas. Here, YRA played a pivotal role in guiding media institutions and journalists to counter these attempts, contributing to amplifying the voice of truth and portraying reality as it is.
The YRA operates through an organizational structure comprising the General Conference, Co-Presidency, General Council, Administrative Body, and specialized committees overseeing training, rights, and finances. Across its successive conferences, the YRA has prioritized enhancing its performance and updating its structure to align with the region’s evolving political, administrative, and security developments.
In 2015, the YRA underwent a qualitative leap by adopting a co-presidency system to manage its operations, a groundbreaking step among media and union organizations. It developed strategic plans and periodic programs, with membership becoming a source of pride for journalists and media professionals, earning the YRA widespread recognition locally, regionally, and globally.
Through its successive conferences, the YRA has sought to advance the media movement in line with the revolution’s transformations. At its second conference in 2015, it addressed shortcomings and restructured its framework, adopting a new internal regulation to ensure greater effectiveness. In the third conference in 2017, significant amendments were approved, including the establishment of new branches in Raqqa and Manbij and the preparation of an annual report documenting the state of media and violations against journalists. At the fourth conference in 2018, challenges posed by the Turkish occupation’s attacks on Afrin were discussed, leading to revisions in the internal regulation, including reducing the General Council’s membership from 22 to 9 and ensuring gender equality across all YRA bodies. It was also decided to hold the conference biennially.
At the fifth conference in 2020, participants emphasized the need to enhance media professionalism and counter the media war targeting northeast Syria, alongside forming a dedicated committee to organize events and electing a new co-presidency. Amid the complexities of the Syrian context, where war and occupation have left profound societal impacts, media emerged as a critical tool for conveying truth and resisting misinformation. This was clearly reflected at the sixth conference in 2022, held under the slogan “Together Toward a Conscious and Ethical Media,” which focused on strengthening YRA’s role in driving change and restructuring to meet the demands of the next phase.
Among its notable achievements, the YRA officially joined the International Federation of Arab Journalists in August 2023, headquartered in Britain, which includes numerous journalistic unions and media institutions across the Arab world, the Middle East, and Africa.
Throughout the journey of free media, which began in 2011 and continues to this day, a cadre of journalists has sacrificed their lives in defense of truth and accurate reporting. Among these heroes are YRA members and correspondents, including Dilishan Ibish, Hawkar Mohammed, Rizgar Deniz, Saad Ahmed, Essam Abdullah, Jihan Bilkin, as well as journalist Mustafa Mohammed, the correspondent for Ronahi TV, Nazim Dastan, and Akid Roj. Their pens have etched enduring sacrifices that will not be forgotten.
Attention now turns to the seventh conference, scheduled for tomorrow, June 15, the first to be held following the fall of the Baath regime amid profound changes sweeping Syria and the Middle East. Expectations are high that the YRA will evolve into a comprehensive institution with influence spanning all of Syria, serving as a genuine voice reflecting the will and aspirations of the people for a free and professional media.
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ANHA
