The961 is home to everything news and engaging content catered to the Lebanese audience.
The961 has become the leading English news and media outlet catered to the Lebanese audience.
The961 develops and presents news/stories in an engaging and easily-consumable manner.
The961 is an independent and registered nonprofit media outlet aimed at providing a reliable alternative to the politically-backed, owned, and affiliated media outlets in Lebanon (which currently make up 80% of all outlets).
Our Story
The961 initially launched in the summer of 2016 as a humble blog aimed at keeping the Lebanese diaspora, an estimated 20-30 million Lebanese descendants, up-to-date with everything Lebanon. Till today, The961 is very involved and integrated within the Lebanese communities around the world – working with business and political leaders to promote Lebanon and its interests.
We quickly evolved to cover breaking news, local daily news, first to break international stories, light-hearted content, magazine stories and much more. The961 covers social issues and developed a fact check section. In addition, we launched dedicated COVID-19 section offering WHO-verified information and resources to reduce the spread, extensive news coverage, and the first live tracker in Lebanon – “supplying“ the Ministry of Information with reliable content.
About the Founder
The961 was launched and is fulled owned by Anthony Beik Kantara, a serial entrepreneur with multiple businesses in the fields of digital marketing, eCommerce, advertising, and media.
At the beginning of 2021, Anthony pivoted The961 to become a fully nonprofit media outlet in order to reinforce its mission of being independent as well as reinforce its commitment to Lebanon.
Core Beliefs & Stances
As over 80% of the media outlets in Lebanon are politically-controlled or linked, our core mission is to decentralize the control of information and counter/limit propaganda.
The961 is an independent and non-profit media company. We have no political-affiliations or backing. This is crucial to maintain our independence.
We aim to present our news coverage in a factual and neutral manner while limiting biases to the best of our ability.
Although independent, The961 is not neutral and will stand up against oppression, human rights abuses, abuses of power, corruption, and the undermining of Lebanese sovereignty and people.
We are anti-colonial (militarily, politically, and culturally).
Although controversial, The961 does not recognize the Lebanese people as being any other identity than being Lebanese first. We are against any labelling such as “Arab” or “Western”. It is part of our core belief that this can responsibly lead to national unity among all Lebanese where we default to being Lebanese before any sects or regional identities and influences.
We recognize present-day Lebanese as the descendants of the Canaanite and Phoenician people.
The961 is an equal opportunity company that is against any sort of discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, religion, age, family status, or sexual orientation. We aim to prevent any sort of discrimination in our hiring process or our coverage.
Although the current Lebanese laws don’t, The961 recognizes children born to Lebanese mothers and non-Lebanese fathers as Lebanese, regardless if in Lebanon or abroad. This will be reflected in our coverage of this topic.