A lengthy report with a sensational title about who "rules" the Syrian economy under President Ahmad al-Sharaa. "Syria is secretly reshaping its economy" report examined what it claims were secret settlements with businessmen from the Assad era, but its timing and content raised legitimate questions about its purpose.
According to exclusive information confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl, neither the Ministry of Information nor the Syrian government were given any real opportunity to respond to the accusations contained in the report, despite Reuters' indication to the contrary in the text. This does not conform to professional standards, which require that relevant parties be given sufficient time to clarify before publication, especially in reports of a sensitive nature. Businessmen also confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl that they refused to answer Reuters' closed-ended questions, stressing that communication with them had often become annoying.
The report focuses on specific figures, such as Hazem al-Sharaa and Ibrahim Sukkarieh, using a dramatic style of presentation that is constantly haunted by a "beard"! ...which sometimes appears more like a narrative than a documented investigative piece. The agency employed suggestive phrases and stereotypes, and relied on anonymous sources without providing supporting documents. This raises doubts about the accuracy and reliability of the information, especially since the report refers to deals, acquisition figures, and sovereign decisions, matters that should require a higher level of documentation and disclosure.
Reuters has made a point of talking about acquisitions with astronomical figures ($1.6 billion in assets from businessmen in a country whose GDP barely exceeds $6 billion) that do not align with the current reality of the Syrian economy. Where are the documents? Where is the transparency the report claims? All we have is "an informed source said" and "according to documents reviewed by Reuters," without publishing or verifying their authenticity.
The choice of this particular timing, coinciding with the return of regional investment to Syria and the beginning of a new phase of reconstruction, may not be a coincidence. Such media coverage is often viewed as part of a media influence tool used to delay or obfuscate recovery efforts, by exclusively highlighting past suspicions while ignoring any ongoing transformational context on the ground.
This is not to deny the importance of media oversight or independent assessment of post-Assad developments, but presenting a one-sided narrative in unbalanced language undermines the confidence of viewers and creates an additional gap between the international press and Syrian public opinion.
A longtime source emphasized to Zaman al-Wasl the obvious weaknesses in the Reuters report, most notably the lack of documentation and the absence of a single document confirming the allegations. He indicated that the Saudi investment may have prompted some at the agency to accelerate the publication of the report ahead of schedule to counter this investment.
Finally, the source called on Syrian journalists to focus on the Syrian economy and cover it from within, rather than importing stereotypical reports from abroad.
Hussein al-Shishakli - Zaman al-Wasl
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