Media committee approves 5% state advertising allocation for official media
Parliament’s Media and Communications Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Al-Moussawi and attended by Information Minister Dr. Paul Morcos, approved a draft law requiring state-owned institutions to allocate 5% of their advertising budgets to official media, with the possibility of raising the share later.
Al-Moussawi said official media outlets were facing severe financial pressures while public institutions continued placing paid advertisements with private outlets.
The committee also discussed what Al-Moussawi described as a sharp decline in the tone and quality of public media discourse, warning of its impact on Lebanon’s image, culture and social standards.
He said a separate session would be held to address media discourse and issue recommendations, stressing that responsibility extended across the ministries of Information, Culture and Education.
Al-Moussawi added that several parties had proposed amendments to the Media Law, saying discussions remained broadly positive.
