Damascus, Aug. 20 (SANA) On December 8, 2024, Syria entered not only a political transition but also a new phase that affected state institutions and their roles. Media was among the sectors facing the challenge of redefining its mission and relationship with the public.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) faced, at the center of this transformation, a challenge extending beyond administrative changes and personnel, requiring a rebuilding of its media model to reflect the new Syria, move closer to Syrians and their concerns, and give news and information a greater role in shaping content.
In the period following the fall of the deposed regime, SANA’s work witnessed notable changes in its content, media approach, news production mechanisms and field coverage, alongside developments in technical work and visual identity, as the agency sought to move from a traditional media model toward a faster, more diverse and more engaged news production.
Toward Citizen-Focused Media
One of the most visible changes in SANA’s new experience has been the shift in coverage priorities. News is no longer limited to officials’ activities and institutional affairs, but has expanded to include issues related to Syrians’ daily lives, including social, economic and service-related concerns inside and outside the country.
Syrians who have followed the Agency’s performance in recent months have noticed this change. Architect Firas Mohammad Hassan, a Syrian living in Saudi Arabia, said SANA has become closer to reality and more objective and professional since liberation, describing the difference between its current performance and its previous approach in the ousted regime era as clear, particularly in terms of media discourse.
Hassan said the Agency now reflects “the modern Syria and the Syria we want,” after its previous role was, in his view, linked to promoting the authorities.
Safwan al-Barkoumi, a Syrian shop owner living in Jordan, said SANA has become more focused on Syrians’ concerns, whether for those living inside the country or abroad, adding that one of the main changes has been conveying “the real voice” away from distortion.
The change is not limited to topics covered but also extends to the way citizens are viewed, from news recipients to key sources of information and partners in producing journalistic stories.
News First, Then Analysis
The transformation also includes the way news is produced, structured and presented to audiences.
Before the liberation, the official media operated within the framework of the political stance that determined the angle of addressing the event. The new experience seems more focused on conveying facts and information, and then placing them in their political, economic and social context.
From Belgium, Syrian journalist Ahmed Makkiyah said the year following the fall of the deposed regime represented a transitional period for SANA, with changes extending to the mechanisms of news production itself.
He pointed to a difference between the two stages, saying that previously news often served the political position of the authorities, while the priority now is reporting the event and information first, then presenting related context, allowing audiences a greater opportunity to understand developments and their implications.
Building this approach is essential for creating professional journalism, as trust depends not only on speed of reporting but also on separating information delivery from interpretation and commentary.
Wider Space for Syrian Issues
Alongside changes in news priorities, SANA has expanded coverage of issues that previously received less attention in official media.
Raghid Razza, a Syrian living in France, said the change is evident in the nature of topics highlighted by SANA, noting that coverage is no longer focused to the same extent on leaders and political changes, but has become closer to people, their problems and their needs.
Razza said the space for expression has expanded and that focusing on Syrians’ issues represents an important shift in media discourse.
The importance of this change goes beyond increasing social coverage. It reflects a broader redefinition of news itself, as news is no longer limited to what happens within official institutions but includes what affects people’s lives, from services, economy, education and healthcare to success stories, community initiatives and daily challenges.
Jihad al-Hassan, a Syrian living in the Netherlands, said SANA has witnessed noticeable development in covering social and national issues, while stressing the importance of continuing improvement and focusing more on problems facing Syrian society, alongside highlighting success stories and opportunities.
From Reporting News to Producing Integrated Content
SANA’s transformation has not been limited to content, but has also extended to tools of production and methods of presentation.
Modern news coverage no longer relies solely on text, but on an integrated system combining reports, images, video, field coverage and digital content. This has required parallel development in technical departments, including photography, editing, production and digital output.
The development of visual production tools allows the Agency to present events more professionally and reach wider audiences, particularly younger generations who increasingly receive news through digital platforms.
Technology has become part of the editorial transformation itself, as faster filming, image transmission, editing and publishing provide greater ability to be present at the center of events, while visual development allows stories to be presented more clearly and effectively.
A Visual Identity for Different Phase
Rebuilding the relationship with audiences is also linked to how the institution presents itself. SANA’s visual identity and the way it displays news, images and videos contribute to the public perception of the Agency.
The development of SANA’s visual style therefore comes alongside changes in content, as transformation requires not only different topics but also a more modern and clear visual presence reflecting the new phase and enabling content to compete in a diverse media environment.
Restoring Trust: the Greatest Challenge
Despite the changes witnessed in SANA’s experience during the new phase, rebuilding trust remains a gradual process that cannot be achieved through changes in appearance or administration alone.
Audiences who lived for years in a media environment closely linked to authorities and their policies need time to see changes in daily performance, including the approach to truth, correction of mistakes, diversity of voices, field presence of journalists and the ability to report events as they are.
The views of Syrians inside and outside the country highlight the importance of continuing this path. While some see clear changes in discourse and content, others link the success of the experience to its ability to remain close to society, address its concerns, expand expression and highlight diverse Syrian stories.
The challenge facing SANA is therefore not simply moving from one phase to another, but building a professional model capable of continuing in a new media environment where sources are multiplying and news is accelerating.
SANA: A New Space for the Syrian Story
After December 8, 2024, SANA entered a different stage in its history, requiring it to redefine its role in line with Syria’s transformations.
This transformation is not limited to one aspect but represents an integrated process beginning with news and content, continuing through topic selection and editorial approaches, and extending to photography, production, digital work and visual identity.
While testimonies from Syrians inside and outside the country reflect positive impressions of this path, they also place responsibility on the Agency to continue developing, as professional credibility is not gained overnight but built through every report and every coverage.
In a Syria entering a new phase, SANA is redefining itself not merely as an official news provider, but as a news institution seeking to remain close to people, present in the field, fast in reporting events, accurate in delivering information and more diverse in covering Syrian, Arab and international issues.
The real challenge for any media institution in the coming period will not only be possessing the news, but earning the trust of audiences.
That trust is built through more professional coverage, more accurate reporting, broader voices, timely information and media that places Syrians first, listens to them and tells their stories as they are.
MHD
