"Ahmadinejad in Lebanon: an unusual guest at an unusual moment," read the headline of the Lebanese independent daily A-Safir on Wednesday. Hezbollah's website Al-Manar had a different take on the visit. "The great Lebanese guest, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, arrives in Lebanon."

According to Reporters Without Borders, Lebanese press enjoys freedom of expression "virtually unrivalled in the region," although in recent years it has been undermined by political tensions.

"Lebanese media have always been partial and biased, reflecting agendas of the outlets' owners," Yasmine Dabbous, director of the journalism program at the Lebanese American University, told The Media Line. "The coverage of Ahmadinejad's visit is no different."

"Journalists here are not puppets. The media do have a critical point of view, but only of the other side, not of 'the hand that feeds you'," Dabbous said.

"The official stance of the Hariri government is to frame this as a regular official visit," Dabbous added. "However, everyone is afraid of its repercussions. There is talk about the possibility of civil war, of whether the tensions may escalate into violence."

The pro-Hariri daily Al-Mustaqbal treated Ahmadinejad's visit as a distraction from the more burning internal matters in Lebanon, primarily the UN investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. "The Ahmadinejad Truce prevails in government" read the headline, referring to the official wall-to-wall welcoming of the Iranian guest.

Samir Al-Sa'adawi, editor of foreign affairs for the Arab daily Al-Hayat, said that Ahmadinejad's reception in Beirut demonstrated his popularity among wide segments of Lebanese society.

"The way he was received here shows the weight and influence that Iran has in Lebanon, more so than in any other country," he told The Media Line.

"The Iranians are good managers both in their policy and in their aid to Lebanon," Al-Sa'adawi said. "They may not give as much money as other Arab countries, but they know how to distribute it well; especially to the poor in Shiite areas of Lebanon."

Al-Sa'adawi added that the political atmosphere was currently relaxed on the eve of the visit, mainly due to calming statements issued by Lebanese politicians.

"People believe that it is Lebanon's right to welcome Ahmadinejad, as long as it is an official visit at the invitation of Lebanon's President and he does not make statements regarding internal Lebanese matters," Al-Sa'adawi added. "But the Iranians are too shrewd for that."

Lebanese coverage of the Iranian president's visit manifested the clash of journalistic styles in the small, yet diverse Levant country.

"In our university we go for the American paradigm of journalism: fair and balanced. We also teach the structure of American journalistic writing," Dabbous said.

"When our students later go out to work for Lebanese newspapers, they will be balanced when writing about education or social issues, but they can't be balanced when writing about politics."

Mgda Abu-Fadil, director of the Journalism Training Program at the American University of Beirut, trains veteran journalists from Lebanon and around the Arab world. She said that despite political constraints, much work can be done to improve the professional level of journalism in the region.

"Sure, they come with their preferences and biases, but that's OK," she told The Media Line. "We make them good and professional."

"We don't focus solely on political issues," Abu-Fadil said. "We deal with legislative affairs, environment, or how to cover wars and stay safe."