Description
Syrian media outlets which trumpeted the glories of Bashar al-Assad's oppressive rule quickly adopted revolutionary fervour after his ouster, but uncertainty shadows the sector. For decades, Syria's ruling Baath party and the Assad family dynasty heavily curtailed all aspects of daily life, including freedom of the press and expression. Some local media platforms have been gradually returning to work or relaunching but others have not including private radio station Sham FM, which launched in Damascus in 2007, announced it was ceasing production "following a decision from the Ministry of Information in the transitional government." "An unknown future awaits us and all media who worked under the control of the old regime," says founder and general manager Samer Youssef. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES