Four thousand years ago, Babylonians and Assyrians recorded their laws, events and news about wars, as well as feats of their kings and horsemen, using stones and mud. Those records were the first harbingers that paved the way for the discovery of the press.

In 1750 BC, Egyptians used papyrus to write down their official newspaper ‘Royal Court’. Then, a series of discoveries followed in succession from China to Rome until the mid-sixteenth century when Europe invented the printed press industry in its modern form.

Four thousand years ago, Babylonians and Assyrians recorded their laws, events and news about wars, as well as feats of their kings and horsemen, using stones and mud. Those records were the first harbingers that paved the way for the discovery of the press.

In 1750 BC, Egyptians used papyrus to write down their official newspaper ‘Royal Court’. Then, a series of discoveries followed in succession from China to Rome until the mid-sixteenth century when Europe invented the printed press industry in its modern form.

The Arabs had to wait for the introduction of the printing press to their most important capital of culture before they issued  ‘Egyptian Gazette’ in Cairo in 1828— Egypt’s first newspaper. In the following year, a few copies were sent personally to a notable of the State of Tripoli.

In Libya, the State of Tripoli knew press as a local industry during the second Ottoman period under the Restricted Freedom Law (RFL) – issued by Ottoman Sultan Abdul Aziz in 1865 as the first Ottoman decree regulating journalism. As such, Libyan press was born in Turkish and Arabic through the first official newspaper, Tripoli, published in September 20, 1866. Libya became the sixth Arab country to have press after Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon, Tunisia and Syria.

The local development of the industry was obviously linked to the modern printing press that replaced the stone one. Many official and private newspapers and magazines were issued by the state or people who admired and were faithful to the profession. Towards the end of the second Ottoman era, newspaper foundings gained momentum in a very short period not exceeding three years — drawing on the new Turkish Constitution of 1908 that allowed for a margin of freedom. Tripoli began to establish its cultural scene as an ancient city, which is perhaps the world’s second oldest inhabited capital, after Damascus.

The press movement resulted in social and cultural changes that helped raise awareness and promote a sense of patriotism. The city’s cafes, clubs and elite intellectuals, as well as gatherings of writers, seemed more revived and responsive to the words impact. However, the Fourth Estate was soon muzzled under the Italian occupation’s repressive practices.

During the British administration of Cyrenaica and Tripoli regions (1942 – 1951), Libyan press regained some margin of freedom, but freedom of opinion remained in a state of ebb and flow, mostly conditional on the restrictions of the administration. This margin further prospered after independence, causing increasingly regular issuance of and more newspapers. Following the September (1969 by Muammar Gaddafi) coup d’état, however, the RFL was re-enforced in a stricter manner through control tightening practices, closure of newspapers and opinion suppression.

During the first three years after the February 17 Revolution, we were optimistic, but it seems that the RFL’s curse is still looming in Libya. It is sufficient to mention the fierce campaign that targeted Libyan journalists and activists, to the extent of assassination, kidnapping, detention and torture. It led to the displacement and migration of most of the intellectual elite of journalists, media professionals and writers, which is another story.

Journalism should be rehabilitated, not only by state institutions, but also by journalists, especially those who have deviated away from the word honor code. In order for Libya to unite and promote security and stability, a heavy responsibility lies with journalists. They have to keep aloof of delusion tricks and any demonization that would trigger dissension and tribal, territorial and ideological conflicts. They have to support the unity of Libya only.