Rima Abdul Malak Returns to Beirut to Lead L’Orient-Le Jour

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Founded in 1924, L’Orient-Le Jour has long stood apart in the region: fully independent, committed to press freedom, and recognized for the rigor of its French-language journalism. It is Lebanon’s only daily in French and one of the rare Middle Eastern titles to have received the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification developed by Reporters Without Borders.

The centenary, marked in 2024 with the “Un Vent de Liberté” festival in Beirut, was a celebration of its legacy — and a reminder of the challenges facing free media today.

For Abdul Malak, the appointment represents both a homecoming and a mission.

Born in Beirut in 1979 before emigrating to France during the civil war, she has built a career spanning humanitarian work, cultural diplomacy, and politics. She directed Clowns Without Borders, worked at the Institut Français and Paris City Hall, and later became France’s cultural attaché in New York. From 2019 to 2022, she advised President Emmanuel Macron on cultural affairs, before serving as France’s Minister of Culture in the Borne government, the first French-Lebanese to hold a cabinet position in Paris.

Her track record includes protecting media and cultural institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic, bolstering public broadcasting, and championing media pluralism through the EU’s Media Freedom Act.

Abdul Malak’s rare mix of cultural diplomacy and policy-making positions her as a bridge-builder. 

Since leaving government, she has remained close to Lebanon, supporting the Samir Kassir Foundation, the Sursock Museum, Metropolis Cinema, and Saint Joseph University, while sitting on the board of Reporters Without Borders.

“Rima Abdul Malak will bring renewed energy to extend the newspaper’s reach, adapt its business model to new industry challenges, and strengthen its influence both in the Middle East and internationally,” said Nayla de Freige, Chair of the Board. “Her international experience, strategic skills, and deep attachment to Lebanon are essential assets to secure the future of L’Orient-Le Jour at the helm of a committed team.”

For her part, Abdul Malak framed her new role as a democratic duty: “Nothing is more essential today than the cause of information. Defending it is a democratic struggle, the foundation of freedom, justice, and trust. L’Orient-Le Jour has a crucial role in fostering informed and free debate. I am honored to dedicate my energy to consolidating its independence, amplifying its impact, and strengthening the vital link between Lebanon and all those who continue to believe in its future.”

The move signals L’Orient-Le Jour’s intent to play bigger — both digitally and internationally — at a time when legacy media across the MENA region are rethinking their models under pressure from political instability, audience fragmentation, and the digital duopoly. 

One thing is sure, the appointment of Abdul Malak underlines the newspaper’s ambition to convert its centenary gravitas into a forward-looking newsroom strategy — one that could set a new benchmark for independent media in the Arab world.