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SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom - Samir Kassir Foundation

Independent Media in Lebanon: An Economic Outlook

Wednesday , 21 April 2021

Lebanon is facing an unprecedent economic, sanitary, political and security crisis, which didn’t spare the media and advertising industries.


The traditional, existing business models of media agencies have been challenged by this multi-faceted crisis, at a time when advertising expenditures have dropped tremendously, and where political interference in the media has also impacted the sector.


New alternative and independent media platforms that have seen a surge in popularity during the past couple of years in the country; they have made it somehow through the storm thanks to donor grants, mostly in fresh foreign currency.


But is there a more sustainable way for these independent platforms to continue operating without being restrained by donors’ funding cycles and agendas? Is there an advertising model that could eventually become a mechanism of economic sustainability for independent media in a highly politically controlled country?


The following data summarises the findings of individual interviews conducted with representatives of independent media platforms, media agencies, and advertising agencies in Lebanon.

This report was produced with the support of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, in partnership with and thanks to guidance from ERIM.

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