NNA - 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.