Middle East News Sources

Last reviewed: July 2026

Middle East News Sources

A working directory of news sources for the Middle East and North Africa, covering major outlets and significant independent and new media, in native languages and English. Descriptions are factual: ownership, funding model, and editorial reputation, not bias scores. Several countries in this region place serious restrictions on independent press; where domestic independent journalism is thin or largely conducted in exile, that is stated directly rather than padded out. This directory currently covers six larger countries plus a pan-regional and “other sources” list. More countries will be added over time.

Pan-Regional Sources

  • Al Jazeera English (Qatar; English) — State-funded international broadcaster, one of the most widely cited English-language sources on the region.
  • Middle East Eye (London-based; English) — Independent outlet covering the region, generally more critical of Gulf and Egyptian governments than most regional outlets.
  • Reuters, Middle East Desk (Global wire; English/Arabic) — International wire service with an extensive regional bureau network.

Turkey

Reporters Without Borders ranked Turkey 163rd of 180 countries in 2026, down from 99th in 2002; RSF estimates roughly 90% of media outlets are politically or commercially aligned with the government. A resilient but embattled independent press continues to operate under recurring detentions, website blocks, and broadcast license penalties.

Major / Mainstream

  • Hürriyet (Turkish) — One of Turkey’s largest-circulation dailies.
  • Sabah (Turkish) — Major daily generally aligned with the government.
  • TRT Haber (Turkish; TRT World in English) — Turkey’s state broadcaster.
  • Anadolu Agency (Turkish; English) — Turkey’s state news agency.
  • NTV (Turkish) — Major private broadcaster.

Independent

  • Bianet (Turkish; English) — Independent news agency and press-freedom monitor based in Istanbul; had its Turkish-language social media accounts blocked by court order in 2025.
  • T24 (Turkish) — Independent news site; several of its reporters have been detained in police raids.
  • Duvar English (Turkish/English) — Independent outlet, the Turkish-language edition ceased print operations in 2022 under financial and political pressure; the English edition continues.

Israel

A competitive commercial press coexists with a public broadcaster and a small independent-left media sector that reports critically on the occupation and government policy, including for Arabic-speaking audiences.

Major / Mainstream

  • The Jerusalem Post (English) — Major English-language daily.
  • Haaretz (Hebrew; English edition) — Israel’s oldest daily, generally left-leaning and known for investigative and critical coverage of government policy.
  • Ynet / Yedioth Ahronoth (Hebrew; English edition) — One of Israel’s highest-circulation news brands.
  • The Times of Israel (English) — Widely read English-language digital outlet.
  • Kan (Hebrew) — Israel’s public broadcaster.

Independent / New Media

  • +972 Magazine (English) — Independent outlet run by a joint Israeli-Palestinian collective of journalists, focused on the occupation and civil society.
  • Local Call (Sicha Mekomit) (Hebrew) — Hebrew-language sister site to +972 Magazine.

Saudi Arabia

Media ownership is concentrated in state hands or among individuals closely tied to the royal family. There is no meaningful domestically based independent press covering Saudi affairs from inside the country; critical coverage largely comes from pan-regional or international outlets based abroad, which are listed under Pan-Regional Sources above rather than padded into this section artificially.

Major / State-Linked

  • Saudi Press Agency (SPA) (Arabic; English) — State news agency.
  • Al Arabiya (Arabic; English) — Pan-Arab broadcaster owned by Saudi-controlled MBC Group, based in Dubai.
  • Arab News (English) — Saudi Arabia’s oldest English-language daily.
  • Asharq Al-Awsat (Arabic; English) — Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily, printed in London.
  • Al Riyadh (Arabic) — Major domestic daily.

Iran

All broadcast media is constitutionally required to operate under the state monopoly, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). A layer of domestic “reformist” print outlets publishes more critical economic and social coverage within permitted boundaries. Because independent domestic journalism is tightly restricted, most independent reporting on Iran is produced by Persian-language outlets based abroad; these outlets vary in funding transparency and are noted accordingly.

Major / State Media

  • IRIB (Persian) — Iran’s constitutionally mandated sole broadcaster, state-controlled.
  • Tasnim News (Persian; English) — State-aligned news agency with reported ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
  • Mehr News (Persian; English) — State-aligned news agency.
  • Kayhan (Persian) — Hardline daily whose editor is directly appointed by the Supreme Leader’s office.

Domestic Reformist Press

  • Shargh Daily (Persian) — Domestic daily offering relatively more analytical and critical coverage within permitted limits.

Independent / Diaspora

  • BBC Persian (Persian) — UK-funded, London-based; the most-watched foreign-based Persian broadcaster, though it has drawn criticism from segments of the Iranian diaspora over specific coverage decisions.
  • Iran International (Persian; English) — London-based broadcaster; independent media researchers and reporting have raised credible questions about Saudi financial backing, which the outlet disputes.
  • Radio Farda (Persian) — Persian-language service of US-government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
  • IranWire (Persian; English) — Independent outlet founded by exiled journalist Maziar Bahari, combining professional and citizen journalism.

Egypt

Reporters Without Borders ranks Egypt 166th of 180 countries; nearly all broadcast media and the three largest newspapers are state-owned, and most nominally private outlets are controlled by businessmen with close government ties. One independent outlet has continued publishing despite being blocked domestically since 2017.

Major / State-Owned

  • Al-Ahram (Arabic; English edition) — Egypt’s oldest and most prominent state-owned daily.
  • Al-Akhbar (Arabic) — State-owned national daily.
  • Middle East News Agency (MENA) (Arabic; English) — State news agency.

Privately Owned, Government-Aligned

  • Al-Masry Al-Youm (Arabic; English edition Egypt Independent) — Privately owned daily operating within government-set boundaries.
  • Youm7 (Arabic) — High-traffic privately owned digital outlet.

Independent

  • Mada Masr (Arabic/English) — Independent news site blocked inside Egypt since 2017 and accessible domestically only via VPN; its editor and staff have faced repeated prosecution and office raids over their reporting.

United Arab Emirates

All UAE media operates under government licensing, and there is no domestically based independent press in the sense used elsewhere in this directory. The country is nonetheless a major regional media production hub, hosting the offices of several pan-Arab outlets.

Major / State-Linked

  • WAM (Emirates News Agency) (Arabic; English) — State news agency.
  • Gulf News (English) — UAE’s largest English-language daily.
  • Khaleej Times (English) — Major English-language daily.
  • The National (English) — Abu Dhabi-owned English-language daily with broad regional coverage.
  • Sky News Arabia (Arabic) — Pan-Arab broadcaster, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Media and Sky.

Other Middle East Sources

A working list of additional sources across the region, to be expanded into full country sections over time.

  • The Jordan Times (Jordan; English) — Jordan’s main English-language daily.
  • The Daily Star (Lebanon; English) — Historic English-language daily, resumed digital publication after a print hiatus.
  • Middle East Monitor (UK-based; English) — Independent outlet focused on Palestinian and broader regional affairs.
  • Al-Monitor (US-based; English) — Independent outlet with correspondent networks across the region, known for sourcing from local journalists in each country covered.
  • Tunisie Numérique (Tunisia; French/Arabic) — Major digital news outlet.
  • Morocco World News (Morocco; English) — Independent English-language digital outlet.
  • Rudaw (Iraqi Kurdistan; English/Kurdish) — Major Kurdish regional outlet.
  • Iraqi News (Iraq; English) — English-language coverage of Iraqi affairs.