Credible information during war and unrest in Syria and Palestine

Syria

For decades, Syrians lived in a so-called “Kingdom of Silence”, where critical voices faced brutal suppression and censorship stifled the free flow of information.

Syrians endured 14 years of conflict, until Bashar al-Assad’s regime was finally ousted in December 2024.

The political upheaval saw state institutions collapse, and a fractured Syrian society is now seeking to carve out a new era of stability while turning around an economy affected by years of sanctions.

Independent media in Syria and exiled news operations are relishing the greater editorial freedom. As the country embarks on a recovery and reconstruction journey, public interest journalism is even more important to the lives of Syrians.

IMS media partners such as Irada, Radio Rozana and Enab Baladi are reporting on issues such as:

— Ongoing fatalities and injuries from land mines.

— Hepatitis A and cholera outbreaks.

— Basic services such as sanitation, water and electricity supply.

— Warnings about vicarious trauma for people watching torture videos from Syrian prisons that are circulating on social media.

— Efforts to rebuild housing for Syrians displaced to tent cities.

— Grassroots community efforts to get food and emergency supplies to massacre-hit coastal communities that are slipping through the cracks.

— Urgent need for blood donations.

But at a time when good reporting and accountability journalism are needed the most as a building block for democracy, many independent media outlets are struggling for economic survival.

Palestine

During war, accurate information can be the difference between life and death.

In January 2025, a Palestinian father loaded his seven children onto a donkey cart, thinking it was safe to travel home to eastern Khan Younis because a ceasefire was starting.

Little did he know that the ceasefire had been delayed by three hours and that Israeli military aircraft laden with bombs were still circling the sky above Gaza.

The cart was hit and the father and two children were killed, according to Al Jazeera.

As bombs rain down, the death toll climbs, aid is blockaded, families go hungry and the healthcare system collapses, IMS media partners continue to courageously report the plight of those affected by the
war on Gaza.

Among the partners is Wattan News Agency, an award-winning, independent media network in Palestine. Its offices have been physically destroyed and three journalists’ entire families killed.

But Wattan News Agency continues to report on the unfolding humanitarian crisis, delivering credible, life-saving information to its audiences.

Recently, it devoted an entire TV programme to trauma and mental health, encouraging viewers to seek help and access available services, including group therapy sessions and counselling. It has also reported on how the trauma of war affects children in Gaza, and efforts by local educational organisations to use dance, games and art activities to help children’s social and emotional learning and build their resilience.

Wattan’s reporting also puts the spotlight on the special needs of vulnerable groups including women, children, elderly, divorcees and people with disabilities. It told the story of displaced cancer patients who are unable to access the medical treatment they need, as well as displaced people with disabilities trying to navigate damaged roads and rubble with mobility scooters.