Searching for a tragedy: How international media is mishandling coverage in Syria

Days after the fall of the Syrian regime, a journalist from a well-known English news channel contacted me, asking for my help in finding "a Syrian woman who recently came out of detention and speaks English fluently."

This unprofessional request, which shows a lack of sensitivity and understanding of the Syrian context and the suffering Syrians have endured for decades, was not the only one of its kind. One colleague described this surge as resembling a media “circus.”

Since then, with the arrival of hundreds of journalists and reporters from numerous Arabic and Western media outlets eager to cover Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, we at Raseef22 have observed a number of incidents and instances violating professional, humanitarian, and ethical media coverage standards.

Although the experiences of detainees, stories of enforced disappearances, and the notorious prisons of the regime should have been central, media outlets prioritized sensationalism and "scoops" at the expense of the victims, from families mourning loved ones confirmed to have been tortured to death, or those desperately searching for any clue that could reveal the fate of their loved ones. It seems that none of these reporters received training on covering such circumstances or dealing with victims and survivors of such a tragedy.

We decided to document this phenomena to prevent such behavior from repeating, especially since Syria is currently experiencing an unprecedented media surge, one not seen in many years, since the outbreak of the revolution in 2011, due to the strict restrictions imposed by the previous regime.

With the arrival of hundreds of journalists and reporters from numerous Arabic and Western media outlets eager to cover Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, we at Raseef22 have observed a number of incidents and instances violating professional, humanitarian, and ethical media coverage standards.

In search of tragedy

Similar to the Egyptian comedy film “In Search of a Scandal,” several Western media channels—and to a lesser extent, Arab media outlets—have handled the developments in Syria since the fall of the regime in an irresponsible manner.

From the very first day, detention centers, security branches, and the infamous Sednaya Prison—often referred to as a "human slaughterhouse"—were stormed and opened, and tens of thousands emerged in extremely poor physical and psychological conditions. While it is crucial to shed light on this issue and expose the crimes of the fallen regime, many media figures and journalists treated this extremely sensitive moment as a mere "trend," without regard for professional or humanitarian considerations, nor for the sensitivity of the victims themselves.

Perhaps the most notable example of unprofessional coverage was CNN correspondent Clarissa Ward’s fabricated video report about what she describes as the "moment of liberation" for a detainee from Sednaya Prison. It was revealed that the event was staged; the man appearing in the footage was actually a former Syrian intelligence officer.

A Syrian protester holds a sign reading, "She exploited Gaza and exploited our detainees - complicit in genocide and complicit in abuse" in protest against the behavior of CNN reporter Clarissa Ward in Syria.

A Syrian protester holds a sign reading, "She exploited Gaza and exploited our detainees - complicit in genocide and complicit in abuse" in protest against the behavior of CNN reporter Clarissa Ward in Syria.

Searching for the forcibly disappeared in Syria

“I was at Al Mujtahed Hospital in Damascus, examining the bodies there and trying to come to terms with the possibility that my father’s body might be among them,” Sana Mustafa, a human rights activist who returned from the United States to Syria after the fall of the regime to search for her father, Ali Mustafa, who has been missing since 2013, recounts to Raseef22. “Dozens of other families were with me. As soon as the refrigerator door opened, a journalist from a Western outlet jumped in, camera in hand.

“She rushed in before us to take pictures and film the scene, stepping over the bodies without regard for the bereaved families. Of course, everyone argued with her, condemning her behavior."

One journalist asked a former detainee to return to Sednaya Prison to film a "reenactment" of his release just days after the man gained his freedom. Another was specifically searching for a female detainee "who was raped and gave birth in prison." These are only a few of the numerous instances of international media violating professional and moral media standards in their journalistic coverage following the fall of Assad.

This unprofessional and inhumane pursuit of "scoops” and “exclusives" was evident in numerous incidents documented and corroborated by Raseef22.

In one case, a journalist asked a former detainee to return to Sednaya Prison to film a "reenactment" of his release just days after the man gained his freedom. In another instance, a journalist was specifically looking for a female detainee "who was raped and gave birth in prison" who had just "recently" been released. A third instance involved a journalist covering a solidarity gathering for detainees in central Damascus. Upon learning about the presence of a recently released detainee, the journalist bombarded him with intrusive questions, showing no regard for his privacy, emotional and physical state, or a readiness to discuss his "experience."

Turning Sednaya Prison into a melodrama

For many media outlets entering Syria, visiting and reporting on sensitive locations—often devoid of any new information—is now a must. What’s more concerning is the sight of journalists inside detention rooms and interrogation chambers, carelessly trampling on papers and files that should otherwise be preserved and protected against theft, damage, or loss.

According to multiple corroborated testimonies obtained by Raseef22, some journalists took it upon themselves to remove documents, files, and CDs, keeping them for the purpose of creating media content later on, with no oversight from the new administration’s authorities.

The handling of such crucial documents, which are vital for prosecuting war criminals and those responsible for decades of arrests and torture in Syria, should have been approached with utmost caution.

“I was at Al Mujtahed Hospital in Damascus, examining the bodies there and trying to come to terms with the possibility that my father’s body might be among them. Dozens of other families were with me. As soon as the refrigerator door opened, a journalist from a Western media outlet jumped in, camera in hand. She rushed in before us to take pictures, stepping over the bodies without regard for the bereaved families."

"We see the media gravitating toward the most tragic and violent stories, reducing the injustices endured by the Syrian people to the issue of female detainees.” Syrian journalist Mayar Mohanna, based in Damascus and covering recent events, informs Raseef22. “I don’t believe this conflicts with shedding light on other significant issues or the broader spectrum of oppression faced by many under Assad’s regime."

"Prisons and detention centers are spaces in which imagination takes us to different worlds,” Mohanna continues. “At some point, Sednaya and Mezzeh prisons, among others, turned into something resembling museums of violence—spaces journalists, and even the general public, want to visit to ‘experience’ a ‘thrill.’ It’s as if they want to pretend that they too lived through what detainees endured over the past decades.

“The issue of detainees has turned into a sort of dramatic press material that garners views, with people craving more details because of the secrecy around Syria’s prisons before the regime’s fall. But instead of helping survivors and creating safe environments for them, their plight has been exploited irresponsibly."

Nothing illustrates Mohanna's point more than the posts and videos flooding the internet and social media sites featuring content creators, journalists, and influencers posing at prison gates, inside detention centers, or near mass graves. Some also appear to be having "photo shoots" that were prepared in advance.

"What is happening in this context today is utterly brutal. The media is desperate to find the ‘most’ tortured prisoner to tell their story on camera for the scoop,” adds Mohanna, highlighting the psychological impact of these practices on the detainees themselves and the families of victims who were tortured to death or forcibly disappeared. “If someone was just an 'ordinary' prisoner, they’re deemed unimportant. We've even heard rumors about plans for a TV series based on the story of Sednaya. Couldn’t that potentially incite further violence right now?"

“The media is desperate to find the ‘most’ tortured prisoner to tell their story on camera for the scoop. If someone was just an 'ordinary' prisoner, they’re deemed unimportant.”

Mohanna also stressed the need to shed light on many neglected issues the media isn’t covering.

"There are millions living in poverty, fear, and humiliating conditions. What about the rampant unemployment? The shutdown of state institutions? The retaliations we are hearing about in various governorates? The transgressions and abuses of the new authorities in different files and cases?” She continues. “We need the media to ensure we don’t create another oppressive regime, to speak out loudly and critically. The future is thorny, and the media has a significant role to play in it.”

Exploiting and perpetuating stereotypes

Although the issue of detainees is among the most egregiously mishandled topics by the media in Syria recently, many other stories also lack professionalism and fail to accurately present Syria’s turn of events in its proper context with minimal bias.

Sarah Hunaidi, Syrian writer and activist, shared part of an interview she conducted with BBC on her page. In the interview, Hunaida challenges the host's focus on the “sudden media interest in women’s bodies and rights since Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham assumed control as a de facto authority, while the same attention was absent during decades of repression under the Assad family’s rule in Syria.”

She also pointed out the many challenges Syrians are facing today, emphasizing that the issue extends beyond women's rights, important as they are.

A significant number of journalists focused exclusively on interviewing women or discussing issues related to fears and concerns of minorities and public freedoms, including religious practices, drinking alcohol, and freedom of dress. This focus even appeared in veteran journalist Jeremy Bowen's interview with the military operations commander Ahmad al-Sharaa on the BBC. The conversation largely revolved around topics reflecting Western interests and priorities, which, for Syrians today, are less pressing than issues concerning detainees, displaced people and refugees, national reconstruction, security, and the economy.

These biases also extend to the treatment of local journalists in Syria, whose professional and financial rights were often violated by Western journalists failing to engage with them as equals. Syrian journalist Mais Katt shared a list of practices she believes local journalists should avoid when working with foreign media. These include, among the list, “falling into the trap of working on behalf of foreign journalists without proper material or moral compensation, relying on informal and verbal agreements,” and “accepting meager pay under the assumption that working with foreign media is an ‘unmissable’ opportunity.”

Implementing ‘strict’ laws

Amid these and other violations, Bassam Safar, a journalist, writer, and the director of the Syrian Journalists Association office in Damascus, emphasizes the importance of enacting legislation that addresses all aspects of the work of journalists, regardless of nationality, within Syria.

Speaking to Raseef22, Safar said, “in Syria, a country that has endured over 50 years of dictatorship, the Ministry of Information has failed to produce laws that respect the rights of journalists and human rights in general.

“These laws are also necessary to protect people from being exploited by media professionals. For instance, some individuals agree to appear in media reports violating basic professional standards due to financial need or enticement. Therefore, the Ministry of Information, media institutions, and the various associations of Syrian journalists must work together to draft legislation supporting both local and foreign journalists, safeguards the rights Syrians who share information with the media, and curbs the influence of money over individuals, thereby preventing them from being coerced into discussing issues that could lead to personal, journalistic, or institutional violations."

“There are millions living in poverty, fear, and humiliating conditions. What about the rampant unemployment? The shutdown of state institutions? The retaliations we are hearing about in various governorates? The transgressions and abuses of the new authorities in different files and cases?”

Safar also pointed out the lack of press offices and institutions supporting incoming journalists in their media coverage. There is, at the time of writing, no guide outlining the proper mechanisms for conducting media work within Syria or obtaining verified information correctly.

"As journalists, our ability to confront these violations is often limited. It can also be challenging to regulate the interactions of foreign journalists with the people they meet along the way—in the streets, cafes, or elsewhere.

However, as professional and unionized institutions, we must establish laws that clarify the mechanisms of journalistic work and media coverage, define the services provided by each entity, and ensure that everything aligns with international human rights charters, as well as applicable international and local laws. These processes should not be left to the whims or personal preferences of journalists themselves."