Baladna

Baladna (Arabic: بلدنا, lit. 'Our Country') is a privately owned, government-aligned[1] Arabic daily newspaper published in Syria. The paper has also an English edition which was launched in December 2009 but later shut down.[2][3]

This article is about the Syrian newspaper. For the Qatari dairy company, see Baladna (company). For the Egyptian talk show, see Baladna bel Masry.

Baladna
بلدنا
TypeDaily newspaper
PublisherUnited Group for Publishing Advertising and Marketing
Editor-in-chiefHaidara Bahjat Suleiman
Political alignmentPro-government
Ba'athism
LanguageArabic
HeadquartersDamascus, Syria
Sister newspapersAl-Balad (Lebanon)
WebsiteBaladna

History and profile

The owner and publisher of Baladna is the United Group for Publishing, Advertising and Marketing,[3] the Syrian media conglomerate seen as the media arm of the Assad regime in various Arab countries owned by sons of former intelligence chief Major General Bahjat Suleiman (Majd Bahjat Suleiman and Haidara Suleiman) and Muhammad Bashar Kiwan.[4] Haidara Bahjat Suleiman serves as the editor in chief.[1][5][4]

In October 2009, Baladna launched and English edition with a UK-educated chief editor. Since English is not understood by a wide audience in Syria, the aim was to transmit a positive image of Syria to foreign observers and diplomats. The English edition was subsequently shut down.[6]

Baladna is one of two private daily newspapers covering political topics that have succeeded in staying open, due to ownership by businessmen closely tied to the Government of Syria.[7]

In an article published in the paper on 21 February 2012, the newspaper stated that that gay Syrians are "social germs ... who have infested our society and took the opportunity to strike once the first signs of weakness appeared," and that the Syrian uprisings "gave homosexuals a freedom they would've never dreamed of" as the Mukhabarat secret police, who would have arrested gays at popular cruising locations, are coping with the uprising now taking up all their time.[8]

References
  1. Judith Pies; Philip Madanat (June 2011). "Media Accountability Practices Online in Syria" (PDF). MediaAct (10/2011). Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  2. "Baladna English first edition review". Syria News Wire. 12 December 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  3. Greenslade, Roy (8 December 2009). "English-language paper for Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  4. "من نحن". بلدنا نيوز - موقع الكتروني من المجموعة المتحدة UG (in Arabic). Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  5. Lazkani, Alimar (23 November 2018). "Local Actors in the Syrian Coastal Area: Characteristics and Prospects". Arab Reform Initiative.
  6. Hertog, Steffen (2013). Business politics in the Middle East. Giacomo Luciani, Marc Valeri. London: Hurst & Company. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-84904-235-2. OCLC 801606470.
  7. Houry, Nadim (16 July 2010). "A Wasted Decade: Human Rights in Syria during Bashar al-Asad's First Ten Years in Power". Human Rights Watch.
  8. Andrew, Mike (16 March 2012). "Syrian newspaper says Gays 'infest' society". Seattle Gay News. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
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