However, to see two beating out many other Arabic language papers is notable. As English has been one of the world’s de facto universal languages, it is no surprise to find English language papers in the MENA region. One surprise to this year’s list was the presence of two English language newspapers (The Daily Star at #3 and Times of Oman at #9). Likewise, Brotherhood members can look towards Doha for news and media outlets sympathetic to their positions, which may explain the uptick in traffic towards these two papers. However, Qatar is the home to the Al-Jazeera news network, thus the country is a major player in the Arabic media landscape. This is especially the case given the current diplomatic crisis among the GCC due to Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood. It may seem strange that two of these papers from a tiny Gulf country occupying higher positions on the list. We also saw two major Qatari papers appear on our list (Al-Watan at #4 and Al Sharq at #6), both of which made huge leaps from their positions on the 2018 list. As such, its juggernaut status is just as valuable of an asset as toeing the party line is for other papers. Even though this independent paper can be critical, Youm7 seems to be too big to repress at this point in time. In this context, one can understand how Al Akhbar managed to rise to the top of our list, and how Youm7 has been able to remain so highly influential. Many smaller, independent, and oppositional newspapers have witnessed reprisals from the government, including raids, arrests, and forced shutdowns. Egypt has earned a negative reputation when it comes to press freedom in recent years. Akhbar el-Yom/Al Akhbar (#8) is the semi-official media arm of the Egyptian Shura Council, which gives it a privileged position within the country’s media landscape. Though many of these papers may have semi-official affiliation with their home governments, or hold pro-government biases, one state-owned paper found its way to the top ten of our list. Thus, papers such as Ad-Dustour and Al Ra’i (#5), both of which hold government-friendly positions, have an easier time promoting their content online with less fear of backlash. The Jordanian government also passed a cyber-crime law in 2015 that imposes jail sentences on internet journalists for social media content that upset the status quo. According to Reporters Without Borders, the government routinely executes gag orders on certain media companies that feature unfavorable coverage. We might explain this fall from grace from the perspective of press freedom (or lack thereof) in much of the MENA region, especially in Jordan.
It seems that the Levant and Gulf regions continue to dominate the news cycles and media markets in the Arabic language.Īnother Jordanian paper, Ad-Dustour, took the top position on our list this year, replacing 2018’s top paper, Al Ghad, which was nowhere to be found on this year’s list. We note the same lack of representation from the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya) from our list, as was the case last year. Youm7 maintains its position from last year at #2. This is no doubt due to the first two’s historic presence in the Arabic media landscape, and the latter’s influential interviews and stories during the early 2000’s. 2020 Analysis of RankingsĪs seen in our last list, we found three of the region’s most famous Arabic newspapers represented in the Top 10 (Al-Ahram at #10, and An-Nahar and Al-Quds Al-Arabi tied at #7). To read the 2018 edition of this list, click here (PDF download). If you have any feedback on the ranking or process, please contact us here. Knowing these facts is essential for understanding the tone of any sort of media. Rather, we wanted to provide a transparent index of each paper’s reach and influence. Please note that the list is not an endorsement of one certain paper or political stance. This list also details the papers’ political affiliation and ownership. Searchers online are more likely to find higher ranking papers in a search due to the number of pages on its site, as well as the number of links referencing the papers’ individual web pages. It considers both the overall footprint of the publication, as well as measures of influence. Our methodology combines quantitative measures of a paper’s reach and impact, with qualitative factors to provide an overall influence score.
That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the most influential Arabic language newspapers. With hundreds of Arabic newspapers across the world, both state-backed and independent, it’s harder than ever to choose between outlets.