Damascus, SANA- Information Minister, Dr. Hamza al-Mustafa, said Thursday that following the fall of the Assad regime, international media outlets flocked to Syria, benefiting from an unprecedented margin of freedom and broad access to information and services.
“We had hoped that such access would contribute to the development of objective and constructive journalism; one that could offer a realistic portrayal of a country undergoing a complex transitional phase., however, the reality proved otherwise,” the Minister twitted on X.
He added that much of the coverage was marked by an orientalist tone, leading to methodological flaws often rooted in preconceived ideological positions, ranging from subtle favoritism to unwarranted hostility.
“Rather than listening closely to the complexities of the Syrian context, many journalists arrived with predetermined impressions they sought to reinforce, disregarding the efforts made and the facilitation extended to them by the Ministry of Information,” the Minister added.
He stressed that while Syria does not claim perfection and openly acknowledges its shortcomings, ignoring the broader context and relying on narrow, formulaic narratives undermines any sincere attempt at a deeper, fairer, and more comprehensive understanding of the situation.
“What is particularly concerning is that those outlets appear not to have learned from the failures of media coverage in previous crises,” the Minister said.
He added that they have shown little genuine willingness to adopt a reconciliatory tone or a balanced approach. Instead of reflecting the complexities of the moment, they have resorted to an outdated “Orientalist” mindset that continues to color their discourse.
This approach disregards the fact that journalism, especially in times of historic transition, carries a profound responsibility; to pursue truth with integrity, and to remain open to facts, rather than clinging to ready-made judgments that only deepen the gap between peoples and narratives, the Minister concluded.
Mazen Eyon
