The media ownership in Lebanon is highly politicized, with many outlets controlled by a handful of owners. According to the Chouf TV Media Ownership Monitor, 29 of the 37 outlets are owned by members of the state, political parties, and parliamentary candidates. The resulting bias in reporting and opinion is alarming. But how can the public get the news they need in a country with such a fractured political landscape?

The Media Ownership Monitor (MOM) is an analysis of 37 media outlets in Lebanon. It shows that the country's media landscape is incredibly concentrated, with the top four TV companies combined accounting for nearly 87% of all viewers. Additionally, the top four print companies are owned by the Aoun and Khayat families. Together, they account for 77.9% of the daily readership. As a result, the influence of political leaders on the content of media organizations is enormous in Lebanon.

The findings from the report reveal that political affiliations are the primary reasons why political media are so partisan in Lebanon. Approximately 95% of TV viewers are political, and 79.3% of radio listeners subscribe to a political party. The lack of political balance in the media industry in Lebanon increases the risk of politicization of news. In addition, the lack of transparency and accountability in media ownership in Lebanon results in an undemocratic, laissez-faire environment that favors wealthy family clans.

While the media ownership in Morocco remains relatively transparent, the audience shares are concentrated among a handful of political and economic players. There are no rules requiring owners to disclose their political affiliations, and the lack of legal transparency makes media ownership more opaque. This is a concern for the public, but the media ownership in the country is highly politicized. And while it is tempting to view the political context in an unfavorable light, the fact is that there is little transparency in media ownership.

The Media Ownership Monitor in Lebanon analyzed 37 media outlets, including newspapers, radios, and TV stations. As one of the few media outlets owned by a single family, it is easy to see why this is the case. The top four TV stations together account for more than half of the country's audience. And a majority of these outlets are owned by a family. This means that the ownership of the Arab world is highly consolidated, and a small minority of ownership will dominate the majority of outlets.

Despite the concentration of media ownership, most media outlets in Lebanon are owned by one family. The biggest four chouf TV companies combined have almost eight in ten viewers, and the top four print companies are owned by the Aoun, Daher-Saad, and Gabriel Murr families. This means that the majority of the country's daily readership comes from a small group of family-owned media.