(es) Vienna/ Beirut
updated November 21, 2021
The Daily Star, one of the oldest English-language newspapers in the Middle East, has abruptly closed – leaving its staff hoping they’ll at least be paid months of unpaid salaries.
The paper, a favourite source for the international “camel corps” of Middle East correspondents, has suffered financial problems for years. It is the latest among several Lebanese newspapers that stopped printing in recent years in the struggle to compete with digital media and facing a financial crisis in Lebanon said to be the worst in 150 years.
The Daily Star was a training ground for many Lebanese and foreign journalists who went on to prominent jobs, both in the region and beyond. The closure triggered an outpouring of tributes on social media.
LINKS:
Foreign Policy (20/11/2021) The tragedy of Lebanon and of its famous newspaper
♦ AP (02/11/2021) – report adds description of media scene in Lebanon