Damascus, Aug. 20 (SANA) The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) marked the first anniversary of its relaunch under the slogan “SANA… A Turning Point,” highlighting efforts to restore its identity as a national media institution and bring back journalists who had left the agency.
Senior editor and digital media chief Yahya al-Haj Naasan said he left because the ousted regime’s media system had begun “demonizing the Syrian people and justifying the killing,” making it impossible for him to remain in a system he said conflicted with his principles.
Ahmad Ibrahim, an editor at SANA’s Idlib bureau, said he left despite sacrificing years of service and his family’s livelihood because the agency’s policies at the time conflicted with professional ethics and credibility.
After leaving, al-Haj Naasan continued documenting violations and established media projects in Ghouta before moving to Idlib and then Türkiye in 2015. He later earned a master’s degree in international relations and media and wrote a book on digital journalism. Ibrahim continued working in media and completed several professional training courses.
Al-Haj Naasan said the new management welcomed his return and valued his experience. “I left SANA as an editor and returned as a senior editor and head of digital media,” he said, adding that returning journalists were assigned positions according to their qualifications.
Ibrahim said SANA’s new policies and adoption of a professional code of conduct encouraged his return. He described a shift from journalists “waiting for instructions” to field reporters verifying information, alongside expansion into five languages and a correspondent network, with accuracy and professionalism becoming the standard.
SANA’s administration has also worked to facilitate journalists’ return by regularizing their employment status and safeguarding their rights and entitlements.
Administrative Development Director Mohammad Zuhair Saleha said each case is reviewed and its documents verified to ensure a legal process that protects rights and helps returning journalists adapt to professional developments.
He stressed that returning expertise complements existing staff, with the goal of working as one team under a shared vision. SANA announced its relaunch under the slogan “SANA… A Turning Point” on August 20, 2025, at a ceremony in Damascus attended by ministers, representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Syria, media organizations and unions, and cultural and artistic figures
R.D/MF
