The Downfall Of The Daily Star

What’s wrong with Lebanon’s best selling English newspaper? Why is its readership in steady decline since February 14? (see Graph above.) Perhaps John Kerry can give us a clue.



Mr Jamil Mrouwwe, The Daily Star’s Editor-In-Chief, has never failed to impress me with his T.V. Appearances. He always speaks with passion and conviction; He is opinionated, refreshingly progressive, admiringly focused and seems to be determined to make a difference.
Why these qualities failed to trickle down to the Newspaper he founded still strikes me as a great mystery.

In its effort to have a “balanced” reporting, The Daily Star has failed to rise up to the challenges of our historic and transformative times. It often reads like a history textbook: Accurate, authoritative, diverse, yet alas: Passionless.

With bland editorial titles like “Lebanon Needs an Electoral law that reflects the people’s interest” and “Lebanon’s politicians must set aside differences in favor of the common good”, no wonder why readers are moving to more exciting stuff from different sources like Annahar.

One only has to read a Jubran Tweiny, a Rajeh Khoury or a Ali Hmedeh to know what I’m talking about.These opinionated veterans from Annahar Speak from their hearts without compromising their journalistic principles.
Ali Hmedeh and Jebran tweiny exude conviction and passion when they speak in historic language of the eventual downfall of the “last of the Stalins.”
My dad loves Rajeh al Khoury and follows him religiously because of the scathing (sometimes personal) criticisms of Omar Karami he relishes in.

When I read editorials, I like to think that actual people like me have written them. People with aspirations, hopes, vulnerabilities and the occasional rant;
The Daily Star needs more provocative people like Ann Coulter and Maureen Dowd and less know-it-alls, experts, and big-picture Analysts like Rami G. Khoury.

What has John kerry to do with all of this?
Well, like the Daily Star, John Kerry (with whom I agreed on most topics) lacked radiant conviction. Unlike George Bush, he tried to be “balanced” and tried hopelessly to please every body. As we all know by now, this doesn’t work.

The Daily Star has to seriously reconsider its style and image if it wants to regain the readership it’s losing quickly.