Damascus, May 3 (SANA) Syrian journalists have said the working environment for the press in Syria has improved “noticeably” in terms of freedom of expression since the fall of the deposed regime, with fear largely gone and the old era of a single narrative media now over.
The remarks came on World Press Freedom Day, marked worldwide on May 3 each year and observed in Syria with a focus on what journalists describe as a transformed media landscape after the liberation of the country.
The fear has gone
Ali Naif, a journalist at Al Arabiya and Al Hadath Syria, told SANA correspondent that this year’s World Press Freedom Day feels different in Syria because journalists now operate without the fear that prevailed under the deposed regime’s system.
He described the current environment as free of intimidation and coercion, with journalists able to report the truth and contribute to building a new, transparent nation. Naif added that media professionals still apply professional and ethical self discipline, but that this is now voluntary and not imposed by state sanctioned censorship boards.
He also predicted a “glowing and advanced” position for Syria in future press freedom rankings, calling the country a potential regional model for freedom of expression and the public’s right to information.
The era of the single voice is over
Kareema al-Sayyed, a correspondent for Al Mamlaka TV of Jordan, said freedom of the press today comes with both a gain and a responsibility, highlighting the stark contrast between the previous phase and the present.
Under the overthrown regime, she said, the media was effectively a single voice platform, broadcasting only one official narrative. Today, she said, there is space for “one opinion, another opinion, and an opposing opinion,” even if within professional boundaries.
Inherited from the martyrs of the media revolution
Khaled Abu al-Magd, a journalist at TRT Arabi, said Syrians today are living World Press Freedom Day in reality, not in slogans, and described it as the legacy of media workers killed during the uprising who paid with their lives for the freedoms now in place.
He said Syrian journalists now view the state run media with a sense of satisfaction, noting that many had closely watched how the new government would treat press freedom after the change of power. In his view, he said, the current authorities have met Syrians’ expectations in this respect.
Abu al-Magd stressed that credible media is built on accuracy and transparency, not propaganda, and that trusted reporting is the result of a long term accumulation of precise information and high quality coverage across different beats.
Rankings and global context
Earlier this month the rights group Reporters Without Borders released its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, noting a sharp jump of 36 places for Syria, which moved from 177th place in 2025 to 141st in 2026.
The UN General Assembly originally designated May 3 as World Press Freedom Day in 1993, following a recommendation by UNESCO’s General Conference, and this year’s global theme is “Shaping a Future of Peace”, intended to reinforce the link between free expression, technology and human rights protection.
Kh.A / H.H
