‘Paradox’ for journalists in Lebanon: ‘High press freedom, extremely low safety preparedness'

Haxie Meyers-Belkin is pleased to welcome Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director of the Beirut-based Samir Kassir Foundation. He describes a media landscape in which expressive freedom coexists with insecurity. The conditions necessary to protect journalists remain dangerously insufficient, particularly in war zones, where targeting the press has become normalised. Mhanna sees tension within Lebanese society, between enduring traditions of solidarity and a rising tide of polarisation. If left unchecked, this internal fragmentation risks becoming more damaging than the conflict that provoked it.