The reality of reporting in Syria
There was almost no press freedom in Syria during Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Now he’s stepped down, will free press return to the country?
During the last year of Bashar al-Assad’s rule of Syria, Reporters Without Borders ranked the country second to last in the World Press Freedom Index. The country was incredibly dangerous for journalists who had to manage strict government censorship. But in December 2024, Assad’s rule was toppled by a swift rebel offensive that took the capital city Damascus within a few days. The country then experienced a level of press freedom it hadn’t seen for decades. Dalia Haidar of ѿý Arabic worked as a journalist in Syria whilst Assad was in power, she joins us to describe what it was like and what the hopes are for the future. Plus, a tour of Chiclayo, the Peruvian city Pope Leo XIV used to call home, with José Carlos Cueto from ѿý Mundo; and how a Ferrari flag became a symbol of protest, with Slobodan Maričić from ѿý Serbian.
Presented by Faranak Amidi
Produced by Caroline Ferguson and Alice Gioia
(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)
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