Tensions in Lebanon aggravated by partisan media coverage from all sides
Just as every minority in Lebanon has its own militia, every political aspect has its own media. Lebanon, which supposedly has the most "free" media in the Middle East, is really a place where media manipulation is driven by the politics of the editorial board. And that is not just restricted to internal politics. The United States, Israel, and many of the neighboring Arab countries project their politics through supposedly "free media."
I'm no expert on Lebanon, which is the great religious experiment gone wrong. I only sent 10 days there, before the Hezbollah militia started a war with Israel and then won through fearless refusal to backdown. Hezbollah and Israel wne at it, each attacking the other's military and civilian targets, but it was Israel that eventually backed down first and Hezbollah declared a "divine victory," even though the conflict left thousands of Lebanese civilians dead and large civilian areas devastated worse than any destruction caused by the frequent political bombing assassinations like the one that took the life of Rafiq Hariri, a popular Lebanese figure with his followers who managed a multi-billion media empire.
Today, every major political force has its own media spinning their own stories and slandering the leaders of the other parties, including from the United States which has declared Hezbollah's Manal TV to be a "terrorist" organization. Of course, many in the Arab World have declared the American media to be a "terrorist" organization, too. But such are the war of words.
There are no independent media voices in Lebanon, despite the politically charged assertions. If you like the spin from one media publication, you declare it "free and objective." If you don't, they are the puppets of a "terrorist" organization.
Even the media here plays that game. They champion and applaud certain publications for being fearless dedicated to "free speech" and "professional journalism" when in fact those same publications are playing partisan political games with the news.
That explains whyt he headlines ont he competing newspapers in Beirut are often so different, championing their cause and leader over the truth.
I got a chance to meet the staff of one Lebanese leader during my 10-day stay. I was surprised to learn that he was nothing like the portrayal found in the American media. They said he was "pro-Syrian" and pro-Hezbollah, but in fact he was trying to disarm Hezbollah, oust foreign intervention and replace Lebanon's out-dated "confessional system" with Democracy. But because he (whose name shall remain anonymous -- although I am sure some of you can guess) was working with Hezbollah, the United States refused to discuss his proposals. And the American media continued to slander him, distorting his words, challenging his proposals and constantly painting him using the partisan colors of the media lexicon as being "pro-Syrian."
The Confessional system is based on a survey of Lebanon's religious population back in the 1930s. In the 1940s, using it, government power sharing was established with the Maronite Christians, then the largest of the various groups, were given the office of president; Sunnis the office of prime minister; Shi'ites (Shia) speaker of the house. And of course, the religious numbers have changed dramatically and today the Shi'ites led by Hasan Nasrallah are the largest religious group in Lebanon.
The guy the United States refused to work with was Maronite Christian, and that they backed was a Sunni who had ties to -- guess who -- the Saudis.
Although to simple-mided presidents, the world is divided between "us" and "them," the real world is a mosaic and complex. But you expect partisan and even simple-minded politics from politicians. But you do expect more from the news media that continues to shill for the agenda of the "home" team.
Until the media starts to act professional and other media hold the media covering Lebanon accountable, don't expect the conflict to end. It's the media stoking the flames of hatred from every direction. No one is blameless.
Ray Hanania
www.ArabWritersGroup.com