Owners Database

Most of the people owning Lebanese media outlets are either politically affiliated, or belong to powerful Lebanese families, or have major business interests – sometimes all of the above combined. Women are under-represented, holding mostly minor shares as part of a bigger family.

Media and Politics Come Hand in Hand

Forty-three current or former Ministers or Members of Parliament own shares in the selected media companies. Out of them 15 are incumbent Members of Parliament or Government. Many more are politically affiliated. High-level politicians are amongst the owners: the former President of the Republic, the former (and current) Prime Minister, and the Speaker of Parliament all own media outlets directly or through their family members. Six political parties (including five represented in Parliament) and the Lebanese State also appear as owners. Out of the 37 monitored media outlets, 31 are owned by families, individuals or parties currently or formerly part of the Parliament or the executive.

Business, Politics, and Media

Amongst the media owners are well-known businessmen with various investments besides their shares in media companies, like the Khayat Family (Tahseen Khayat Group) and Al Waleed Bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding. In some cases, media owners and businessmen are also directly involved in politics, like the Mikati family (M1 Group), Hariri family (various companies), and Issam Fares (Wedge Group).

Very Few Women

The research shows that media ownership in Lebanon is male dominated; with very few women identified as individual owners. Women holding minor shares being the daughters, wives, aunts, in-laws, etc. of powerful men in prominent families. Exceptions include former MP Bahia Hariri, owning 99.4% of the company that controls Radio Orient. However, she is part of the Hariri family, being the aunt of Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the sister of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Other exceptions revolve around alternative media which have been co-founded and co-owned by women journalists; Megaphone News (Jamal Saleh) and Daraj Media (Diana Moukalled and Alia Ibrahim) exemplify this.