LEBANON: NOW LEBANON NEWS PORTAL SAYS BUSINESS IS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000694 SIPDIS NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: NOW LEBANON NEWS PORTAL SAYS BUSINESS IS BOOMING Classified By: CDA Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) To learn more about the on-line media phenomenon providing fast-breaking updates during the recent violence, Poloffs met with NOWLebanon.com staff writer Ben Ryan in the organization's Beirut offices on May 13. Ryan said NOWLebanon had recently received a 150 percent increase in hits on its on-line news portal and added that the organization plans to expand its area of operations. Although clearly pro-March 14 in its orientation, Ryan said that the organization is striving to present English and Arabic news updates in a factual manner. It's editorials and longer articles are more partisan and intended to counter the opposition's media advantage in Lebanon. End Summary. NOW LEBANON'S SUCCESS GROWS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) In a May 13 meeting with PolOffs, NOW Lebanon Staff Writer Ben Ryan (Amcit) reported on NOWLebanon's growing success as an on-line media outlet for up-to-the-minute updates on events in Lebanon. According to Ryan, NOWLebanon has grown exponentially since the site had its debut in July ¶2007. ¶3. (SBU) Ryan reported that NOWLebanon typically receives around 40,000 hits a day on its web-site, but that since May 7, during the most recent conflict between Hizballah and pro-government militias, the NOWLebanon site had received more than 100,000 hits per day. NOWLebanon is able to provide its up-to-the minute updates through a variety of sources, Ryan said, including news networks, print media, and a network of other local journalists. ¶4. (C) NOWLebanon is technically an NGO, according to Ryan. which receives funding from a number of private donors, from within Lebanon and also from the Lebanese diaspora. When asked by POLOFF about the primary backers, the NOWLebanon team clamped up and said that they could not disclose such information (Note: Many Beirut political insiders are aware of the link between NOWLebanon and Eli Khoury, a Beirut advertising executive who is pro-March 14 and linked to Saad Hariri. End Note.) ORGANIZATION SET TO GROW -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Ryan said the organization is small at the moment but will expand in the near future. He added that the recent popularity of the site and the increased demand from readers will force the organization to increase its services into new areas of operation. Ryan said NOWLebanon will also be looking to increase its ties to affiliate news organizations. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) Many Lebanese on-line media portals in Lebanon are partisan in nature, but NowLebanon is quickly developing a reputation for accuracy in their "real time" reporting. (Note: EmbOffs have found this to be a useful and fairly reliable tool. End Note) A well-designed site, NOWLebanon is providing an important boost to March 14 in a media market largely dominated by the opposition. End Comment. SISON