For generations, media and news in Lebanon were weaponized by the ruling elite to feed political bias and idealize polarity and sectarianism. Different TV channels and media journals are owned by political parties who try to utilize media to their advantage through partial reporting, boosting their political mileage, and encouraging rivals.
The Lebanese community were raised on the ideology that you belong to the political party you are born into, and must defend it. In this sense, it was an “all hail the sect leader” type of situation. Followers just blindly trusted heir leaders.This is why, they tended to only watch the news channels that their political parties had some ownership to. Almost, as if they were too afraid to listen to the other side and step out of their ideologies.
Before the 2019 rebellion, the Lebanese community had been put to sleep through the lullabies that their sect leaders often sing every once in a while, talking about the greater good of Lebanon and the unity of political parties.When the reality was that a third of Lebanese were jobless and half lived below the poverty line.
The Lebanese lira has lost 90% of its value and suffered from inflation. As such, it became difficult for the poor to afford basic goods when their prices had tripled. On the other hand, the ruling class are multi-billionaires traveling around the world. According to abc news, a trove of leaked documents confirmed that for years, Lebanon’s politicians and bankers have stowed wealth in offshore tax havens and used it to buy expensive properties.
But there is hope! The mass experience delivered by media and the emergence of social media networking promises change . As a Lebanese girl, I would say that the Lebanese community are generally active on social media. Some send, some receive, and others explore the different images exchanged and might unconsciously internalize the intended values through mindless entertainment.
Social media played a huge role in changing the people's perceptions about their leaders and fueled the revolution that took place on October 2019. In other words, the tables turned and statesmen could no longer use media to their advantage.Despite the media blackout that happened due to the political ownership of media, social media voiced the needs of people. The community requested a social change when their blindfolds were taken off and they started seeing that the political system had failed to serve its people. “Lots of this revolution is happening on Whatsapp'', says Elie Khoury, founder and CEO of Quantum Group.
Through tweets, Facebook posts, and Instagram posts, many citizens stepped out of their political ideologies and “woke up from their coma”- a phrase used by the supporters of the revolution.
And perhaps cinema, being the creative democratic space that it is, also played a role in changing the peoples' perspectives.
Capernaum is a work of art that can reach the hearts of people, playing its unique role in reflecting the reality of the poor class and narrated from the point of view of a child, Zein.
An interesting fact about this film, its that the actor chosen to play this role, was not an actor, but a poor kid from the streets that the director chose, adding authenticity to her story-telling. Nadine, the director, wanted us to look at the reality the way she sees it. Hopefully this film reminds the Lebanese people that there is no meaning in glorifying the truth and talking about the greater good of Lebanon, and perhaps knocks some sense into the individuals who still believe in the system.
The truth is that images, videos, and films have a great power in shaping our perceptions. Sometimes, these images are embodying the manipulated version of reality. Other times they are reflecting the ugly truth. So it is important to know what we are sharing and have the perspicacity to read between the lines.
We look at things in the eyes of the man behind the camera. So it is important to know who they are and what they're trying to say. Media can be full of subliminal messages.
Dziga Vertov.
“I'm an eye. A mechanical eye. I, the machine, show you a world the way only I can see it”.
Off course, it is difficult to make a social change, and what's harder is to reverse brainwash. Revolution does not happen overnight, but mass media can be used to our advantage to fix this broken world. Manipulated media can however be used to shape the wrong perceptions. Our job is to be wise information consumers.
The Lebanese revolution embodies the revolutionary potential of mass media and how it has the ability to make people aware of their situations and unite them to oppose a system that does not suit them.
References
Moubayed, S. (2019, October 20). Lebanon's ruling elite are under fire. but who are they? Mena – Gulf News. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/lebanons-ruling-elite-are-under-fire-but-who-are-they-1.67265056
Mroue, B. (2021, October 6). As Lebanese got poorer, politicians stowed wealth abroad. Retrieved October 18, 2022 from https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/lebanese-poorer-politicians-stowed-wealth-abroad-80428623
The lebanon disaster: A metaphor for modern capitalism. libcom.org. (2020, August 21). Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://libcom.org/article/lebanon-disaster-metaphor-modern-capitalism