The Al Wahda Foundation is Syria’s largest state-owned print media conglomerate, historically responsible for overseeing the publication of major national newspapers including Tishreen, Al-Thawra, and Syria Times. For decades, the foundation functioned as the official mouthpiece of the regime, steering the editorial direction of the country’s primary dailies and operating firmly within the government’s ideological boundaries.
Media assets
Publishing: Tishreen, Al Thawra, Al Ba’ath, Al Fida, Al Furat, Al Jamahir, Al Wahda, Al Ouruba, Syria Times
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
According to Syrian journalists and academics based abroad who were consulted in May 2024, the Ministry of Information had full ownership and operational control over Al Wahda Foundation. All key appointments, editorial guidelines, and publishing directives emanated directly from the Ministry, reinforcing the foundation’s role as a state-controlled media apparatus.
Following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, Al Wahda was formally placed under the provisional authority of the Syrian Transitional Government, which assumed temporary custodianship of all public media institutions pending a broader legislative and constitutional reform process. As of June 2025, the Ministry of Information — now led by Hamza al-Mustafa, an independent figure within the transitional cabinet — continues to administer the foundation, though structural reforms are said to be under consideration.
The transitional government’s Media Oversight Commission, established in May 2025, has reportedly launched a comprehensive audit of Al Wahda Foundation’s governance, funding mechanisms, and editorial policies. Findings are expected in late 2025.
Source of funding and budget
Reliable financial data regarding Al Wahda’s operations remains unavailable, as neither the former regime nor the current transitional authorities have published budgetary disclosures. According to sources interviewed for this report in 2024, the foundation was primarily funded through direct government subsidies, while also deriving a modest share of its revenue from advertising contracts, often awarded under opaque or preferential arrangements.
Since the political transition, no substantive change has been reported in its funding structure. However, there have been public calls from civil society groups and press freedom advocates for Al Wahda to publish its accounts and adopt more transparent financial practices as part of Syria’s media reform agenda.
Editorial independence
Throughout the Assad era, Al Wahda’s newspapers adhered rigidly to the regime’s official narrative, offering uncritical coverage of government initiatives while marginalising or vilifying dissenting voices. The editorial line was heavily curated by the Ministry of Information, leaving little room for independent or investigative journalism.
As of mid-2025, there has been no formal statute or institutional mechanism introduced to safeguard editorial independence at Al Wahda. While some newspapers under its banner — particularly Tishreen — have begun to cautiously include more diverse voices and cover transitional government activities, the underlying culture of state-aligned journalism remains deeply entrenched.
July 2025