Media Ownership

Lebanon has one of the most politicized landscapes, with nearly two thirds of the surveyed media belonging to active political figures or political parties. Moreover, the most popular media outlets of each sector are in the hand of eight families with political interests, reinforcing the polarization of the media landscape. 

The TV sector is the most popular when it comes to news, with the four major companies reaching 80% of the audience. Out of the eight national TV stations, four belong to the state or are owned or co-owned by currently active politicians, three are owned or co-owned by former or aspiring political figures or affiliated businessmen, and one belongs to a political party.

The radio sector demonstrates relative concentration, with the major four companies gathering more than 50% of the audience. It is also very politicized, with four radio stations belonging to political parties and three to the state or currently active politicians.

The print sector is highly concentrated with the four major companies reaching more than 85% of the audience. All of the print outlets owners under study are politically affiliated. 

The online sector, relative to other sectors, reveals both alternative independent and politically affiliated media. Out of the 11 outlets under study, 5 are politically affiliated. 

And who owns these companies?

Although most of the media outlets surveyed belong to a sole legal entity, it can be stated that 15 families are involved in media ownership, hence gaining influence over public opinion. When shedding light on those families, three trends appear: some families have been in the media sector for decades and entered politics after building a strong name for themselves in the media; some have begun their public life in politics and later on invested in the media sector as a means to exert more influence; and some have been running the two lives in parallel, as their political role has always been backed by a presence in the media sector. And the number of women as media owners is worryingly low.