Websites may look alike, but what makes Syria News special – according to founder Nidal Maalouf – is uniqueness of content, and professionalism of staff, who have crafted a website from scratch, now boasting one million readers inside Syria. “When you read Syria News,” he notes, “you cannot but notice that its content follows international standards, set by giants like CNN and BBC.” The engineer-turned journalist is probably one of Syria’s most prominent media names of today, thanks to the Internet revolution that has swept the country, for the past 10-years. “Journalism is a very sensitive career; because one misplaced word can destroy one’s own life, reputation, or the life and reputation of others,” he adds.

The son of a decorated officer in the Syrian Army, Maalouf grew up under the towering influence of his father, moving about from one city to the next, during his early childhood. He studied electrical engineering at the University of Aleppo, working meanwhile to make ends meet at the maintenance department of a photocopy-machine company. “Honestly, I went into absolute shock after my first encounter with the world wide web – the Internet – back in the mid-1990s. Publishing with no censorship triggered my imagination. We had just established the Syrian Economic Center, which published business related articles and economic feasibility studies, and then began collecting news. This was the spark that eventually triggered what everybody now knows today as Syria News. BBC gave us a grant, teaching us the ABCs of journalism.”

Many of those who launched the site in February 2005, and those who are now working in it, he adds, were newcomers to the scene – young journalists with plenty of passion, and until working with Syria News, very little experience. “Some of them will be prominent names very soon,” remarked Maalouf, who adds that the environment for young journalists today is much better than it was 10-15 years ago, thanks to the rise in private media, Internet-based publications, and an increased respect for reputability and its ability to influence others. Maalouf smiles, “I love writing and have always dreamt of becoming a writer! I have a small book of personal thoughts that I have written over the years, and am now working on a novel, called, ‘When Mount Qassioun disappeared.’ It speaks about corruption, abuse of power, and religion. I hope that one day my writings can be both educational and entertaining, helping to improve society’s shortcomings.”

Websites imitating Syria News have mushroomed in Syria over the past 10-years, but none have been able to match it in terms of content or readership. Maalouf comments, “I do wish that only safe hands work with websites, so that the authority of the pen is not misused. Of course, at the end of the day, it’s survival of the fittest!” He adds, “The space that we are given (by the government) is a very good one. We are raising quite sensitive issues and always find people eager to listen – or read – what we have to say. For example, recently we had an extensive investigation about a blind girl from Deir ez-Zor who felt that she got unfair marks in her baccalaureate examination. President Bashar al-Assad instructed the governor of Hassakeh to take another look at her grades, and permit her to study whatever she wants. He also offered medical treatment for her blindness.” Maalouf adds, “Hot topics, like accidents, murder, and rape, are the most read by far on Syria News. The purpose behind raising such stories is not for thrill and sensation, but to spread awareness among the Syrian public, so that these specific kinds of acts are not repeated.”

BOX
I value: Professionalism
I would walk a thousand miles to: Achieve success
I am reading now: The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli
Favorite author: Gibran Khalil Gibran and Amin Maalouf
Something that makes me smile: Paradoxical situations
A trait that I admire in people: Balance

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