Syria’s Ministry of Information and its provincial directorates began holding sessions across the country on Tuesday, July 21, to discuss proposals for drafting a new media law. The proposed law is intended to replace legislation adopted under the former Syrian regime before being presented to members of the People’s Assembly for approval.
Information directorates in several Syrian governorates held sessions with journalists and media workers. Enab Baladi correspondents attended the meetings in Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, and Raqqa.
According to Enab Baladi’s correspondents, the provincial directorates organized the discussions around three areas:
- The professional and institutional environment, including the regulation of television channels and news agencies, and the legal and physical protection of journalists working in the field.
- Digital media and content creators, including the regulation of digital news platforms and influencers in a manner that protects their rights and clarifies their responsibilities.
- Digital and community safety, including establishing clear boundaries between freedom of expression and cybercrime to ensure a safe environment for everyone without undermining freedoms.
According to a document circulated by the ministry to the directorates and session organizers, a copy of which was obtained by Enab Baladi, the sessions aim to produce a regulatory law that protects and frees the media rather than restricting it. The organizers said the law should guarantee three principles:
- Credibility and professionalism by combating rumors, falsehoods, misinformation, and hate speech.
- Independence by preventing the political use of the media and protecting it from the influence of political capital or directed funding.
- Freedom and empowerment by regulating journalistic work in a way that guarantees freedom of opinion and expression and facilitates access to information without imposing restrictions that limit the flexibility of media work.
Discussions Across Several Governorates
According to Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Damascus, participants discussed media workers who had promoted the former regime but had not yet been held accountable.
Some media workers who operated in Rural Damascus during the Syrian revolution also called on the state to officially recognize them, including those who had been unable to obtain formal academic qualifications.
Participants discussed the need to quickly establish legal rules governing the release of information, particularly during unfolding events, as well as ensuring fairness when inviting media outlets to attend public events.
According to Enab Baladi’s correspondent, participants also discussed influencers active on social media and called for their work to be regulated. They also requested the establishment of official communication with Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram.
In Aleppo, the discussions were similar to those held in Damascus, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent. Journalists called for the legal recognition of the right to access information, stronger protections for journalists, and greater operating space for unions and nongovernmental organizations.
Participants submitted their proposals and recommendations in writing so they could be sent to the Ministry of Information, which is drafting the law, the correspondent in Aleppo said.
Abdul Karim Laila, director of the Aleppo Information Directorate, said the law would pass through several stages and workshops before being presented to the People’s Assembly after the drafting process is completed.
Laila added during the session that the ministry was working on a plan to develop the work of the information directorates and make it easier for media workers to perform their jobs.
The Aleppo Information Directorate director also explained the difference between a code of conduct and a media law. He said the media law is legally binding and includes penalties, while a code of conduct is limited to internal institutional procedures and is not legally binding.
In Hama, discussions focused on defining media work and presenting proposals and recommendations related to drafting the media law, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent.
In Raqqa, participants called for the protection of journalists, an end to government bodies’ monopoly over information, and measures to combat hate speech and defamation against media workers. They also emphasized the media’s role in guiding society and called for financial penalties to be used when media workers are held accountable.
Committee Drafting the Law
Omar Haj Ahmad, director of the Press Affairs and Licensing Department at the Syrian Ministry of Information, previously told Enab Baladi that a specialized ministry committee had begun drafting the first version of the media law. The draft would then be presented for public discussion before being referred to the People’s Assembly for deliberation.
Regarding the most significant proposed amendments, Haj Ahmad said preliminary discussions had focused on:
- Removing vague terms that could be interpreted broadly and used to impose restrictions.
- Adding provisions related to human rights.
- Amending some licensing requirements.
However, Haj Ahmad said the sessions and discussions concerning the new media law remained at an early stage.
Six Prohibited Categories
The Ministry of Information published a video through its official accounts stating that six categories of publication and media content are prohibited.
The six prohibited categories are:
- Publishing confidential information or documents related to the military, security services, or matters involving state sovereignty, as well as content that incites unrest, violence, or violations of public laws.
- Publishing content that ridicules or disparages divinely revealed religions, religious beliefs, or religious symbols.
- Publishing content that promotes hatred or discrimination among citizens based on race, color, religion, sex, or sectarian or tribal affiliation.
- Violating privacy, revealing details of individuals’ private lives, or publishing images and information about their families without prior permission. The prohibition also includes attacks on personal honor, reputational damage, and insults directed at individuals or institutions.
- Publishing false news, misleading content, or unverified information that could mislead public opinion. The prohibition also covers rumors that harm the national economy.
- Publishing or promoting material that violates public decency or the moral order.
The ministry told Enab Baladi at the time that the widely circulated video about restrictions on media work in Syria was an informational and advisory video outlining the main prohibitions contained in the current media law and the code of conduct adopted by the ministry.
Haj Ahmad said the Ministry of Information had based its legal and professional approach on the media law, the code of conduct, and several other laws containing provisions related to media work.
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