Lebanon’s media landscape is seen as unique in the region, with a diversity of channels and platforms with a variety of owners compared to its regional counterparts. However, this has left many Lebanese begging for something different.
Despite this diversity, Lebanon’s media has significant limitations, particularly when it comes to its ownership. The Lebanon Media Ownership Monitor, a project by The Samir Kassir Foundation in Lebanon and international NGO Reporters Without Borders, revealed that the vast majority of Lebanon’s media is owned and run by partisans of the country’s traditional parties and businesspeople with similar ambitions. This leaves little space for a new generation that has challenged these perspectives, often supportive of the sectarian political and economic status quo.
This new wave of Lebanese feel excluded from the mainstream’s programming and narratives, and it also does not necessarily trust it. These developments have especially intensified in recent months, following a wave of mass protests demanding reform and transparency. Lebanon’s media either downplayed these issues and demands, or spun them in a way that this generation feels does not address their grievances.
Many citizens feel that independent and inclusive media is crucial to push transparency through rigorous investigative work and to promote citizenship through the inclusiveness of different voices from different segments of the population. In this media landscape, they feel excluded. And in recent months this demand for knowledge and interest in civic engagement has surged as Lebanon’s economy continues to tumble.
Since the end of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war in 1990, talking politics, and being active to challenge the status quo were considered taboo, which does not resonate with much of Lebanese young adults. Entertainers and influencers have suddenly found themselves filling a major gap to address these demands
“We’re relatable!” Nour Hajjar, Lebanese standup comedian, said with a laugh. “We connect everything to our daily lives.” Hajjar is among a handful of standup comedian, entertainers, like Shaden, Oleksandra El Zahran, and Gino Raidy, who have especially gained traction over their takes on various social and political issues around Lebanon. And this isn’t exclusive to Lebanon; satirists like Bassem Youssef and Youssef Hussein (of Joe Show fame) have proven that this is a regional phenomenon.
Whether it’s on stage or a short video on Instagram, they have built up a massive audience who feel that they include perspectives and voices often excluded in the traditional media narrative.
What has helped these new sources of information grow their audience is their presence in neutral spaces. In cultural venues and on the internet, they can bring a diversity of people together to promote civic rights, denounce existing policies, and call for change. Collectives are being formed like awk.word, which brings together standup comedians who can express themselves comfortably and harness their craft and share resources. Meanwhile, influencers’ channels on social media platforms of all stripes continue to create a free and open space for discussion and collective support.
These spaces are the fertile ground for dialogue; people bond over shared experiences and commonalties, and discuss their differences in good faith as they transcend imposed barriers of ideology and sect.
For comedians like Nour Hajjar, there is no better way to promote dialogue and civic engagement than with a punch line. “We’re pushing for political engagement of citizens,” he said. “Comedy is the nicest way to be serious about it...the friendliest face to talk to about politics.”
However, this new development does not absolve a generation hungry for information and civic action from obstacles that continue to get in the way of things. Among the significant hurdles is a recent spike in disinformation campaigns that have impacted not just news coverage, but online discussions and narratives. Cryptic WhatsApp voice notes and devious social media campaigns aggregated by bots creating a cacophony of information has troubled Lebanese citizens at large, often trying to fuel sectarian tensions at a time where more and more Lebanese continue to reject it.
Lebanon currently stands at a critical junction, having defaulted on its debts for the first time and is set to introduce a rescue plan for the economy. Demand for information, transparency, and accountability is greater than ever.
Independent journalism has been on the rise, with the likes Habib Battah, Lara Bitar, and others to counter the mainstream with rigorous editorial standards and in- depth reporting. Hajjar sees the surge in independent media platforms such as Megaphone, Daraj, and The Public Source in recent years as key to tackle the problems with Lebanese media, especially with Lebanon’s worsening economic crisis, working without editorial restrictions. And in turn, he feels he, other comedians, and social media influencers, want to keep doing their part to promote transparency, democratization, and citizenship – which he says complements what independent media is doing.
“We all need to be ready and informed about why things are going wrong,” Hajjar said. “[That way] we can all tackle the situation and build something new together.”