The Daily Star: Increase in the number of English speakers and disappearance of the English press

Rosette FadelWith the decision of the prestigious Daily Star to publish its last edition on February 2, 2020, English-language print journalism in Lebanon has been wiped out. While it website, launched in 2016, continued, relying on the content of the print version's team, it has capitulated after a short-lived run that ended on October 12, 2021.Why has this English-language newspaper ceased to exist at a time when English is considered a primary medium of expression in communication, advertising and media?Hanna Anbar, Executive editor of the Daily Star, cannot mention the decision to discontinue the print edition without looking back to its launch in 1952.He recalled that "it was an English-speaking media through which its founder Kamel Mroueh wanted to make known to the world the misfortunes of Arabs and our problems. In fact, the date of its creation coincides with the post-World War II period and the Palestinian cause, to which Mroueh gave a fundamental priority. This was one of the main motivations for launching the newspaper”."In the 1960s, we were able to sell 15,000 copies of the...