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Introduction to Media Presence in Syria

The National flag of Syria

The covered media and content from journalists reporting in Syria was initially banned and not release to the bigger world. There is a ban on international news media usage in Syria and therefore majority of the footage from there is videoed on mobile phones, however it is hard to know for sure if the footage is actually from Syria or some other country like Lebanon. Tons of videos were uploaded into the internet (over a million) as New York Times wrote: "allowed a widening war to be documented like no other." Very controversial content was included in the clips eg. cutting of organs and subsequently consuming them.

Laws on Freedom of Press

The presence of the Geneva Conventions: (protocol I) and its effect on the study of foreign cultures involved in civil wars by overseas observers. Article 43 of the Syrian constitution provides for freedom of the press. A 2011 media law prohibits a “monopoly on the media,” guarantees the “right to access information about public affairs,” and bans “the arrest, questioning, or searching of journalists.” In practice, these protections are virtually nonexistent in government-held areas.

The media law bars outlets from publishing content that affects “national unity and national security” or incites sectarian strife or “hate crimes,” and forbids the publication of any information about the armed forces. It holds editors in chief, journalists, and spokespeople accountable for violations, and prescribes fines of up to 1 million Syrian pounds ($4,600).

Article 3 states that the law “upholds freedom of expression guaranteed in the Syrian constitution” and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but Article 4 says the media must “respect this freedom of expression” by “practicing it with awareness and responsibility.” This broad wording gives the authorities leeway to crack down on journalists if they wish.

Death of Foreign Correspondents and Civilians

Anthony Shadid speaking at a conference

Over the years of turmoil in Syria, there have been an estimated 70,000, or more, civilian deaths. Of these occurrences, The Doha Centre for Media Freedom and Syrian Journalists’ Association have reported a combined 276 deaths of professional journalists. The reported deaths of these correspondents begins from 2011 and the last reporting from these associations ends in 2015. Another source states that there were 65 more reported deaths in Syria since the war began, until the article was published in April of 2014. In between these publishing dates, there have been accumulating reports of similar journalist deaths ranging from roughly 60-300 deaths in correspondents' population alone. The Committee to Protect Journalists in 2012 provided statistics stating that the Syrian Civil War has one of the largest recorded numbers of deaths when it comes to the number of war journalists who died abroad. Most of these deaths took place in Syria or adjacent borders and countries where the correspondents did not have any direct protection or were in travel. 

In 2013, Syria’s number of war journalists that were kidnapped, killed, and threatened reached its height and the numbers have since begun to decrease. This declining number of deaths in the population of war correspondents could be viewed as it was by Jason Stern, a senior executive for the Committee to Protect Journalists, in his statement that “…there are simply less journalists left in the country to be killed or kidnapped,” as said in an interview for Syria Deeply. These statistics, which contribute to the overall civilian death toll of the Syrian Civil War have become part of numerous outrages against the occupation.

One of the most famous reported deaths of a journalist was Anthony Shadid which occurred in February of 2012 in Damascus, Syria. Shadid was a foreign correspondent for the New York Times. His work in Syria was significant in that he helped overseas cultures to comprehend the extent of the civil war and the amount of deaths caused by such a war. The knowledge he had on the tension in the Middle East came from his previous work on diplomacy for The Boston Globe and subsequently his work in Cairo for The Washington Post as a foreign correspondent. He received two Pulitzer Prizes for International Reporting (in 2004 and 2010) as a result of his work covering the Iraq War. Anthony Shadid's death was caused by an asthma attack while attempting to leave Syria for Turkey. His body was carried by New York Times photographer, Tyler Hicks, across the Turkish border where it was brought to Istanbul.

Marie Colvin after her eyesight was wounded in an IED strike

Another correspondent whose death was significant to the politics of foreign correspondence was Marie Colvin an American-born British newspaper correspondent for the The Sunday Times who died while reporting on the siege of Homs in Syria. She worked initially as a Middle East correspondent for the United Press International before beginning her work as a Foreign Affairs correspondent for the Sunday Times. Her death occurred when she illegally crossed the Syrian border to broadcast the conditions of those in the siege, against Syrian governments’ commands to keep foreign correspondents from entering the area. She was killed, along with French photographer Rémi Ochlik, by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) filled with metal shrapnel. 

A war correspondent who has often commented on the number of deaths during this civil war has been Francesca Borri, who is still alive as of 2017. Her statements on the deaths of other journalists revolve around the idea that “...most of those journalists have been kidnapped because of their own stupidity or naivety. They are usually young freelancers who do not follow any basic rules of safety.” In reference to this quote in particular, Borri shows the precautions necessary for inexperienced journalists and the dangers of the work they have done in Syria.

Value of Journalism In Syria

Francesca Borri, who often does interviews on the topic of the causes and effects of the Syrian Civil War, has stated that “In many aspects the Arab culture is much more advanced than ours. For me, the idea that a community is more important than an individual, that you are who you are because of the influence of your friends, family etc. is something extraordinary”. Her understanding of how the Arab culture has provided a culture for those who 'follow what they believe in' also led her to say, “Look how persistent are families of refugees, at the youth, at the Arab Spring. They know how to fight for what’s theirs. And us? I work with no contract. I have nothing. Young people in Europe often receive financial help from their parents. And we do nothing about it. We do not rebel. They have the courage we lack”. Her opinions on the culture that is perceived by some as a cause of war in these times of turmoil further supports the importance of journalistic insight by these correspondents. Borri, who has been reporting from Syria since 2012, has published two books on the dynamics of the war within the country and within refugee communities as a result.

Controversy on War Correspondence

As a war correspondent, Francesca Borri, works to consistently portray the reality of the situations. Many of her interviews revolve around explaining that the Syrian people were victims to a war that does not directly include their country or political stance, for example as she stated that, “They are trapped somewhere between the regime, rebels and ISIL. Even if tomorrow I was to be kidnapped, I would not want someone to write that Syria is an evil state.” Opposes other journalist who blindly report and don’t have the first hand experience she had, she believes they are “blind” and are reporting inaccurately due to the propaganda of the US, Ukraine and Russia. “Most journalists want to simply earn money.” “The truth is that in Europe we know very little about Islam.” Some of the correspondents often received massive backlash, as they were not shy of portraying what the seemed to acknowledge was ‘the reality of the situations’ they were reporting from Syria. Some explained that the Syrian people were victims to a war that doesn't even include them, an unconventional belief. “They are trapped somewhere between the regime, rebels and ISIL. Even if tomorrow I was to be kidnapped, I would not want someone to write that Syria is an evil state.” Francesca Borri states, who openly opposed other journalist who blindly reported and didn’t have the first hand experience she had, calling them out on just simply reporting to earn money, she believes they are “blind” and are reporting inaccurately due to the propaganda of the US, Ukraine and Russia. However, she has been labeled as unpatriotic as a result.