The Damascus Bureau

Real news and stories from Syria

Syrian activists set up news services on Facebook

SMN No. 17, April 26, 2011 Two new Facebook pages provide news updates in English about the Syrian uprising.The page “Monitoring Protests in Syria” defines itself as “an online page for monitoring human rights violations during the protests in Syria”, and connects itself to the page of the American organization “Human Rights Watch”. [...]

The echo of Tunisia: Syrians demand economic reforms

SMN No. 12, January 17, 2011 A newly-created Facebook group has highlighted the economic difficulties faced by Syrians, calling on the government to take urgent steps to address the crisis. Established immediately after the recent uprising in Tunisia - which started after a Tunisian man set himself on fire in protest against his desperate economic [...]

Cartoons as way of dialogue in the virtual world

SMN No. 11, November 10, 2010 Through the internet, the well-known Syrian cartoonist Ali Farzat is turning caricature from a passive art form into one encouraging interaction and participation amongst the growing Syrian online community. Farzat’s website - which displays cartoons mocking aspects of Syrian and Arab political, social and economic life - as well [...]

Arab Solidarity with Detained Syrian Blogger

SMN No. 9, September 15, 2010 Internet users across the Arab world have been demonstrating their online support to a 19-year-old Syrian blogger held incommunicado by authorities since December. In Egypt, cyber-activists have started campaigns and support groups for Tal al-Mallohi on several social media networks, notably Twitter, which has not still gained as wide [...]

Syrian government websites under attack

SMN No. 8, August 25, 2010 Syrian hackers are increasingly accessing governmental websites to express their discontent with the living situation in the country. According to the local website Syria News, the official website of the ministry of electricity was hacked on August 23 by a Syrian hacktivist who complained about repetitive power cuts during [...]

Fifty Years of Syrian TV Leave Audiences Disappointed

SMN No. 7, Augsut 16, 2010 Syria’s state television, on its fiftieth anniversary, has been severely criticised by Syrian bloggers. While the Syrian minister of information, Mohsen Bilal, praised state broadcaster during an official celebration as “resistance TV” that for five decades has been “concerned about the Arab issues”, audiences have been less impressed. The [...]

A Decade in Power, part 5 : Syrian Media should follow “the maestro’s stick”

Before 2000, the regime had total control over what was being published and broadcast in Syria. With the spread of satellite channels and later the Internet, journalists and ordinary citizens found a limited space of free expression. At the same time though, the crackdown on reporters continues. Many private media outlets have been shut or [...]

What Does the Octopus Predict for Syria?

SMN No. 6, July 28, 2010 The whole world has raved about the accurate predictions of Paul the Octopus regarding July’s World Cup matches - but could he foresee the future of Syria? This question was raised ironically by one Syrian blogger who “asked” the Octopus to envisage the effect of the current Syrian economic [...]

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