‘Paradox’ for journalists in Lebanon: ‘High press freedom, extremely low safety preparedness'
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Lebanese journalists operate under paradoxical conditions of high press freedom but critically inadequate safety protections.
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Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director of the Beirut-based Samir Kassir Foundation, describes Lebanon's media landscape as paradoxical: journalists enjoy relatively high press freedom but face extremely low safety protections, especially in conflict zones where targeting the press has become normalized. The gap between constitutional freedoms and actual security infrastructure leaves reporters vulnerable in a country experiencing both external conflict and internal strain. Mhanna warns that rising polarization within Lebanese society could ultimately prove more destabilizing than the external conflict itself, fracturing the traditions of social solidarity that have historically held the country together. Without adequate protective measures for journalists operating in war zones, the foundation's analysis suggests Lebanon risks losing its press freedom entirely as security deteriorates.
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