Forty-one years ago, issue “zero” of The Arab American News was published on January 23, 1985, marking the start of a long journey in what is often called “the profession of troubles.” The burdens and challenges of this demanding field were softened only by the steady rise of the Arab American community — growing and thriving across the Detroit area.

With the publication of issue 2084 this week, The Arab American News — which has carried since its earliest days the slogan “The Newspaper of Arabs in North America” — continues its mission as a weekly newspaper that does more than report events. Over four decades, it has evolved into a leading media platform and a primary destination for American and international journalists seeking credible coverage of Arab American affairs across the United States, and particularly in Michigan.

Born in Dearborn and closely tracking and chronicling the growth and development of the Arab community in a city that became known as “the capital of Arab Americans”, The Arab American News has served throughout its history as a truthful mirror of Arab American society and a trusted compass for its aspirations. It has also played a professional role in documenting the community’s history, acting as a “key witness” to the deep demographic, social and political transformations that have shaped local life.

This continuity and achievement-filled journey — as a bilingual newspaper published in Arabic and English — did not happen by chance. It reflects the steadfast determination of its publisher and founder, Osama Siblani, and the efforts of the entire newsroom and staff across generations. The newspaper endured challenges severe enough to bring down many publications locally, nationally and globally.

Despite the sweeping pressures facing print journalism, The Arab American News continues to resist ongoing change and navigate complex financial and logistical difficulties. It remains — despite all obstacles — a bridge of knowledge linking Arab American generations to their identity, and a media institution that has proven, decade after decade, that responsible journalism can survive, continue and shape public life.

A bold beginning in 1984

When the foundation stone of The Arab American News was laid in 1984 as an ambitious media project, the Arab American community in the Detroit area was still taking shape, and the conditions surrounding the launch lacked even the most basic financial resources and technological capabilities available today.

At that time, modern computers, design programs, the Internet, smartphones and digital applications — now central to news production — had not yet entered the workplace. Writing, editing and production in both Arabic and English, followed by printing and field distribution, was an exhausting undertaking requiring extraordinary effort and patience. Many doubted whether the new publication could survive, or even establish itself in the American media market, where major institutions dominated with vast resources.

Those concerns nearly became reality. In the early 1990s, the project approached collapse, hitting a dead end due to a severe financial crisis that forced the founder and publisher of the newspaper to declare personal bankruptcy. As new challenges emerged, The Arab American News continued its steady growth, earning community trust and becoming a media and political platform that helped shape Arab American aspirations toward larger and more influential roles in politics, business and social life.

The Arab American News off the press.

Surviving the digital storm

With the rise of social media and the radical transformation of global journalism, print publishing entered a dark tunnel. Major American newspapers faced closure, acquisition or the abandonment of print editions. Few survived — mostly those owned by large corporations or backed by major investment groups.

The Arab American News did not stand still. In 1996, it launched its website — one of the earliest bilingual Arabic-English news websites — which today attracts hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide. The newspaper also expanded its presence on social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter), with a forward-looking vision to strengthen its digital reach without abandoning the professional discipline and credibility of print journalism at a time when independent media has sharply declined.

The hardest test: the COVID-19 crisis

The newspaper’s journey — from telex and fax to digital expansion — was shaped not only by technological disruption, but also by a crisis of an entirely different kind: the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic created devastating economic consequences, severely undermining the stability of many Arab American businesses whose advertising served as the newspaper’s vital lifeline — supporting its operating costs and staff salaries. During that period, as public life shut down, The Arab American News faced a direct threat as revenue declined dramatically. Suspension became a real possibility.

Yet the founder and publisher refused to surrender. The newspaper entered a new chapter of perseverance, maintaining uninterrupted weekly publication despite severe financial pressure and complex logistical obstacles.

A new era: Visual production and interactive archiving

Today, The Arab American News continues its pioneering media mission as the leading Arab American weekly newspaper still publishing in the United States. It does not simply rely on its history, but looks toward wider horizons of expansion and digital leadership.

Alongside strengthening its presence through its website and multiple social media platforms, the newspaper is preparing to expand into professional visual media production in the near future. To support this step, it has established an advanced studio equipped with state-of-the-art video and audio technology, designed to produce high-quality programming that reflects the newspaper’s responsibility to the local community and presents it with professionalism, accuracy and respect.

At the same time, The Arab American News is moving forward with an ambitious plan to digitize its historical archive through a sophisticated interactive platform on its website. The system will allow readers and researchers to browse decades of published issues using comprehensive digital archiving technology, offering powerful tools such as smart search, copying and quoting text, and easily selecting or extracting full articles.

This transition from image-based archiving to interactive digital archiving reflects the newspaper’s commitment to transforming its historical legacy into a living, accessible database — preserving Arab American memory through the most advanced technologies.

Recognition and honors

The journey of The Arab American News has not been merely decades of covering news and reacting to events. It has been an inspiring and courageous media experience recognized by major American institutions, universities and official bodies inside and outside the United States.

Among the many honors awarded to publisher Osama Siblani are:

• The Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity in Journalism Award from Wayne State University (2010)

• Induction into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame (2013)

• The John Lewis Political Healer Award, presented during the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in 2025.

• And the naming of a section of Warren Avenue — including key intersections in East Dearborn — after him as a tribute by the Wayne County administration (2025)

There is no doubt that these honors represent meaningful recognition after decades of demanding work. Yet the greatest reward remains the pride felt in the growth of the Arab American community and its achievements across many fields — achievements that validate the vision launched more than four decades ago: building a strong, thriving Arab American community.