Abstract: The relevance of the study is determined by the need to study the modern Syrian media system in the conditions of a long-term armed conflict in Syria. The object of the research is the scientific literature devoted to media studies. The subject of the study is the interpretation of the concept of "media system" contained in the works of Russian, Western and Arab authors in the context of modern Syrian media. The purpose of the study is to define the concept of "media system" applicable to the study of modern Syrian media. To achieve the purpose of the study, the authors, having set a number of criteria, conduct a comparative analysis of the definitions of the concept of "media system" contained in the works of the Russian scientific school, researchers of the Western school (including the works of Arab authors integrated into this direction), Syrian official and scientific sources. The scientific novelty of the study is an attempt to generalize the definition of "media system" in the works of representatives of various scientific schools, as well as to develop their own definition of the media system of Syria, applicable to the current state of the country's media during a protracted armed conflict. As a result of the comparative analysis of the definitions of the media system, the authors conclude that the media system of modern Syria is a set of mass media in the territory controlled by the legitimately elected government of the country, functioning in conditions of temporary fragmentation of the country's territory in order to restore information sovereignty. This definition is debatable, but, according to the authors of the article, it is applicable to the Syrian media in conditions of armed conflict.