Damascus, Aug. 20 (SANA) Syria’s liberation marked a turning point not only for the country but also for its national institutions, including the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), which has embarked on a new phase focused on rebuilding its media presence and developing its editorial and digital performance.
Since its relaunch a year ago, SANA has worked to strengthen its journalistic standards and expand its coverage, guided by a vision that reflects the country’s new phase and a commitment to delivering accurate and responsible news while presenting Syria and its developments to audiences around the world.
Today, SANA continues to develop its role as a national news agency, building on professionalism and continuous improvement to strengthen its position as Syria’s voice to the world.
Languages Department: A window to the world
At a time when geographical borders no longer limit the reach of news, SANA’s Languages Department has become a key component of the agency’s media operation, delivering its coverage to diverse audiences while preserving the accuracy and journalistic character of its content.
The department operates services in English, French, Turkish, Spanish and Kurdish, with editors and translators working together to deliver SANA’s content to audiences from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds and present Syria’s developments in languages accessible to the wider world.
One editorial vision, one message to the world
SANA Editor-in-Chief Omar Faraoun described the first year following the agency’s relaunch as an important foundational stage in its development.
“Since its relaunch on Aug. 20, 2025, our primary goal has been to rebuild confidence in the national media institution and adopt a new approach to journalism based on professionalism, credibility and the public’s right to accurate information,” Faraoun said.
He noted that under the ousted regime, the agency operated within a narrow margin shaped by political considerations and a one-sided narrative that did not fully reflect reality, stressing that SANA is now more open to national issues and committed to reporting facts and highlighting Syrians’ voices and aspirations in line with professional and ethical standards.
He emphasized that multilingual coverage serves as a bridge for presenting an accurate picture of Syria by delivering the same journalistic message to diverse audiences while taking into account the linguistic and cultural characteristics of each language.
“At SANA, we rely on a unified newsroom and precise editorial and review mechanisms, with all language services based on the same journalistic source,” Faraoun said, adding that content is reviewed before publication to ensure that meaning is conveyed accurately and without losing context.
He also stressed that translators and editors are partners in the editorial process rather than merely text transmitters.
Looking ahead, Faraoun said SANA aims to become a trusted news reference for following Syrian affairs by expanding multilingual production, strengthening digital and visual content, building media partnerships and developing staff capabilities.
A year of work
Fadi Marouf, head of SANA’s Languages Department and head of its Spanish service, said the department is a key pillar of the agency’s work, delivering news and journalistic content in five languages to a broad audience inside and outside Syria.
He explained that the selection of these languages reflects their wide reach and the importance of addressing international and local audiences. Turkish, he noted, has particular relevance given Syria’s geographical position and relations with Türkiye, while Kurdish helps reach Kurdish-speaking audiences inside Syria and neighboring countries. Spanish, meanwhile, helps build bridges between Syria and countries across the Atlantic.
Multilingual content has expanded SANA’s reach to audiences across five continents, from Latin America and North America to Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia, including Syrians and people of Syrian origin living abroad, particularly younger generations who do not speak Arabic.
Marouf said the department recorded both quantitative and qualitative development during its first year, including increased news output and coverage, improved editorial standards, staff training and greater use of modern technologies, while maintaining accuracy, objectivity and reliance on credible sources under SANA’s motto: “News is accuracy and responsibility.”
A bridge to a wider audience
Yaşar Hassan, head of SANA’s Turkish service, described the department as an important media bridge between Syria and Turkish-speaking audiences, extending beyond Türkiye to other countries where Turkish is spoken, including Azerbaijan.
He said Syria’s geographical, historical and economic ties with Türkiye, together with Turkish public interest in Syrian affairs, make professional and reliable Turkish-language coverage essential.
The service goes beyond literal translation, he explained, producing political, economic, humanitarian, cultural and sports content adapted to the linguistic and cultural characteristics of its target audience and helping readers understand developments in Syria through an official source committed to professionalism and accuracy.
Hassan said the service’s first year had established a positive foundation for further professional development, adding that it had consolidated its presence within SANA’s multilingual platform and continued to provide daily coverage of Syrian and regional developments in Turkish.
Reflecting Syria’s diversity
Ahmed al-Haj, head of SANA’s Kurdish service, described the service as an important step toward more inclusive media that reflects Syria’s cultural and linguistic diversity.
He said the launch of Kurdish-language coverage was not simply the addition of another language, but a means of enabling a broad segment of Syrians to access news and information in their native language.
The service, he added, reflects SANA’s openness to addressing different segments of Syrian society through a national and professional media message, while strengthening communication with Kurdish-speaking audiences and expanding the agency’s following.
Accuracy at the heart of journalism
Mohammad Fares, a journalist with SANA’s English service, said accuracy remains one of the key challenges in news translation, particularly in stories attracting the attention of Syrians abroad and international audiences.
He explained that maintaining the accuracy of the journalistic message begins with carefully understanding and reviewing the original text before rendering it using terminology appropriate to the target language and its journalistic conventions.
Materials undergo joint review by the translator and the senior editor, he said, allowing the content to be checked and any observations discussed before publication in pursuit of the highest possible standards of accuracy and quality.
From newsroom to reader
Raghdaa al-Bitar, head of SANA’s French service, said French-language stories pass through several stages, beginning with selecting news produced by the agency or international stories relevant to French-speaking audiences.
The material is then read, understood and re-edited according to the characteristics of the French language before undergoing translation and review prior to publication on SANA’s website and social media platforms.
The service reaches French-speaking audiences across Europe, North America, Africa and several Asian countries.
One responsibility in multiple languages
All news materials undergo editorial, review and verification processes before publication, supported by continuous coordination between the newsroom and language services to ensure accuracy, sound translation and the delivery of the journalistic message without compromising its context or substance.
One year after its relaunch, SANA’s Languages Department continues to consolidate its role as one of the agency’s principal bridges with audiences inside and outside Syria.
Through its Turkish, Kurdish, English, French and Spanish services, the department continues to deliver news with professionalism and accuracy, reflecting the agency’s evolving media performance and strengthening its regional and international presence.
The department is continuing to develop its work through its journalists and translators, guided by the principle that news is accuracy and responsibility, and that communicating with the world in its diverse languages is an essential part of SANA’s mission to present Syria to global audiences.
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