Media law reform in Lebanon: parliamentarians have a historic opportunity to pass vital legislation

Decriminalising defamation for journalism, abolishing prison sentences for press offences, making media funding more transparent and creating an independent regulatory body to eventually take over media-related functions currently handled by the information ministry are among the flagship measures of this draft media law. Discussed for the past 16 years, its adoption now appears within reach, despite delays.

After a near-consensus was previously reached, the draft law was temporarily put on hold on 22 April and sent back for a new phase of deliberations initially expected to last 15 days, according to parliamentary sources. The failure to respect that deadline raised fears of obstruction among several stakeholders, but concerns eased on 5 June when the parliamentary subcommittee held its first meeting dedicated to examining the latest version of the bill.

"There is no intention to obstruct the new media law," said Elias Bou Saab, the head of the subcommittee (and parliament vice-president), before the meeting. "We will defend the media law," information minister Paul Morcos confirmed, before joining the deliberations. No date has yet been set for the next session.

A complex negotiation process

For years, the bill has undergone lengthy deliberations within two parliamentary committees: first the Media Committee, then the Justice and Administration Committee. It is the version produced by the latter that incorporated the major improvements now being praised.

However, the days following the bill's referral back for deliberation in April were marked by uncertainty. An alleged disagreement between the two committees, as well as a last-minute alternative draft proposed by MP Ghazi Zeaiter, a member of the Hezbollah-allied Amal Movement, fuelled fears among journalists and lawmakers of a rollback in the negotiation process. "The discussions [on 5 June] were nevertheless based on the latest version issued by the Justice and Administration Committee," said Elsy Moufarrej, president of the Journalists' Union, highlighting a positive point. This view was shared by the Maharat Foundation, the NGO defending freedom of expression that has helped advocate for the reform. "[We hope that] parliamentary discussions will continue to focus on the current version of the draft law rather than restarting the entire process," its representative, Layal Banham, told RSF, adding that this would help preserve the progress achieved.

Risks remain

However, the bill is still subject to further discussion due to articles where disagreements persist, particularly regarding representation mechanisms within the independent regulatory body and its political allocation, RSF's sources said. These were among the topics on the agenda of the 5 June committee meeting.

"This is what still worries us," said Elsy Moufarrej, referring to attempts to grant the government expanded powers to appoint members to the commission. "The commission's independence is essential to ensure a real reform of the law. If it loses its independence, we lose the entire reform." Also on the agenda are discussions on reforms aimed at guaranteeing media independence, such as transparency about media funding. Negotiations are ongoing, a normal phase of the legislative process. "Nothing unusual," confirms Ghassan Moukheiber, human rights lawyer and former MP, author of the original draft law, still deeply involved in the deliberations. "The commissions are still in full negotiations, but I am optimistic. Despite disagreements, a cross-party political will to reform the media law seems to be emerging, in a context marked by increased polarisation and the rise of hate speech in the media space," he said.

An increasingly dangerous context

As the Israeli offensive against Lebanon continues despite an official ceasefire, with the stated aim of disarming Hezbollah, the media discourse in Lebanon has become increasingly polarised. These divisions, fuelled by escalating violence and a fragmented public opinion, have intensified hostility toward journalists, even as they continue to be targeted by Israeli forces. The most recent case was that of Amal Khalil, a reporter for the pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al-Akhbar, who was targeted by Israeli airstrikes and left for dead on 22 April, an act that constitutes a war crime, as RSF has stressed.

Despite repeated calls from RSF, Lebanon has still not opened investigations into the killings of Amal Khalil or her colleagues, including Reuters photographer Issam Abdallah, the first journalist killed by Israel since the start of the conflict in 2023. On 5 June, Israel acknowledged for the first time that it had killed Issam Abdallah, describing it as a "mistake," a justification disproved by RSF's investigation.