Being a journalist in Lebanon is dangerous. For years, those that publicly criticize the government, political system, or injustices, have been persecuted, imprisoned and even assassinated.

Dozens of newspapers that have pushed for freedom of the press have been shut down overnight. AnNahar editor-in-chief, Gebran Tueni, fought vehemently for the right to speak freely. He wrote against occupation and ruling authorities, writing that inspired a revolution, but ultimately cost him his life in 2005 when he was brutally assassinated on his way to work.

Now, almost two decades later, newspapers are struggling with even more political pressure, threats, and economic uncertainty brought on by incompetent governments, which have forced many to shut down forever.

AnNahar wanted to use the legacy of these extinct publications to send a clear message – the press will never be silenced.

The Newspapers-Inside-The-Newspaper Edition sold out on December 12th, and became one of the newspaper's highest selling editions.

The campaign started trending on Twitter and earned more than $13 million worth of media impressions, powering the fight against the oppression of the press.

The words of newspapers that had gone extinct were read afresh again all across Lebanon, in open defiance to anyone who had tried to silence them, igniting a conversation about freedom of the press that snowballed into a movement. Even Members of Parliament who champion freedom of speech commented on the edition, promising a brighter future for Lebanon.

The edition solidified AnNahar newspaper as the ultimate defender of free speech, continuing a legacy more than 90 years in the making.

AnNahar Newspaper is one of Lebanon's loudest and most courageous voices. In the 1980s, An-Nahar was described by the New York Times and Time Magazine as the newspaper of record for the entire Arab world. It has consistently fought for the rights of the Lebanese people, and in the process has lost a number of its journalists, including the editor-in-chief who was assassinated for his stand.

The World Press Freedom Day Index for 2023 mentions "The Middle East is the world’s most dangerous region for journalists." Add to this the rampant corruption at high-levels of government, and dire incompetency which have collapsed the economy and run several news publications out of business, and you have quite possibly the worst place in the world to run a publication free of threats.

AnNahar's insight was based on the core belief that a free and fair press shall never be silenced. And to demonstrate that, we proved it by giving back a voice to publications that had been thought to be silenced forever.