Colombian Journalist Óscar Gómez Agudelo Assassinated in Targeted Attack
January 31, 2025
Court releases 7 journalists arrested for protesting colleagues’ deaths in Turkish drone strike
January 31, 2025
January 31, 2025 – Lebanon –
Nayla Tueni, the fourth-generation publisher of Lebanon’s Annahar, leads one of the Arab world’s most iconic newspapers through crises while fiercely defending independent journalism. Since its founding in 1933 by her great-grandfather Gebran Tueni, Annahar has withstood wars, assassinations, and economic collapse.
Her leadership was shaped by tragedy. In 2005, her father, Gebran Tueni, was assassinated in a car bombing widely attributed to Syria or its allies. Thrust into the spotlight at a young age, she entered both journalism and politics, serving nearly a decade as a Lebanese parliamentarian. Yet, she identifies first and foremost as a journalist: “Journalist, journalist, journalist,” she declares.
Despite Lebanon’s deepening crises, Tueni has led a dramatic transformation of Annahar. The 2020 Beirut port explosion destroyed their downtown offices but became a catalyst for renewal. The newsroom was fully rebuilt within eight months, combining modern open-plan design with new digital platforms. Tueni spearheaded Annahar’s shift into a “viewspaper,” focused on analysis and interpretation, alongside traditional reporting. Digital subscriptions, AI-powered translation, regional bureaus, and foreign-language editions are all part of her vision to expand the newspaper’s reach beyond Lebanon.
She emphasizes that Annahar will remain non-sectarian and independent, opposing all foreign interference and armed groups, including Hezbollah: “We are not asking them to disappear but to become a political party.” While critical of Hezbollah’s armed role, she equally rejects any gratitude toward Israel, which has weakened Hezbollah militarily: “We cannot be grateful to Israel for being at war.”
Despite Lebanon’s economic collapse, Tueni highlights the resilience of its people, balancing widespread poverty with a still-vibrant social scene. Though once involved in politics, she currently has no plans to return but leaves the door open: “Now, I don’t feel it.”
Looking ahead, Tueni’s priority remains safeguarding press freedom, preserving Annahar’s independence, and adapting to the evolving media landscape: “We will always be independent, innovative, technology-driven, business-oriented, and non-sectarian.”
References –
https://www.agbi.com/media/2025/01/nayla-tueni-lebanon-annahar-interview/
