Lebanon
Imagining Identities: Television Advertising and the Reconciliation of the Lebanese Conflict
Assem Nasr discusses how in Lebanon, the Arab country where identity is most contested, advertisers have constructed a new cosmopolitan and sterilized identity that transcends the ideological and religious differences prevalent in the real world.
Conflicting Information Strategies in the 2006 Lebanese War
Lorenza Fontana looks at how Hezbollah and Israel handled the media in the 2006 war
Not Your Father's Islamist TV: Changing Programming on Hizbullah's al-Manar
As the voice of the Hizbullah, you might expect al Manar to present a grim and gritty image, reflecting the Islamic organization that has upended Lebanon’s politics. But that’s not the case and the twist is fascinating, as Anne Marie Baylouny explains.
Nasrallah and the compromise and rehabilitation of Hizbullah’s reputation
A pitched battle on the streets of Beirut backed Hizbullah’s opponents into a corner last May. But it was media savvy and the powerful rhetoric of Hassan Nasrallah that turned a tactical victory into a strategic success, argues David Wilmsen. Features video and full translations of three speeches.
The voice of a commander and statesman: Bashir Gemayel
Contributing Editor Pete Ajemian traces the rhetoric and media techniques of Bashir Gemayel from his years as a military commander to the days before his assassination as president-elect of Lebanon. Featuring video and full English translations.
Lebanon's media battle
Media were at the forefront of Lebanon’s bloodiest infighting since the civil war,
relaying the heated words of politicians while beaming out propaganda thick and fast, writes Contributing Editor Paul Cochrane.
Resistance beyond time and space: Hizbullah's media campaigns
Were the 2006 war and the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh operational setbacks but propaganda victories? Pete Ajemian traces recent developments in Hizbullah’s media strategy. (features video)
The Spectacle of War: Insurgent video propaganda and Western response
Middle East insurgencies are learning from each other’s media strategies, writes Contributing Editor Andrew Exum. Can the U.S. Military catch up?
That Joke isn't Funny Anymore: Bass Mat Watan's Nasrallah skit and the limits of laughter in Lebanon
When is a joke in Lebanon not funny anymore? When it mocks Hassan Nasrallah and stokes highly tense sectarian sentiments, demonstrates Contributing Editor Sune Haugbolle. (Features Video)
Are Lebanon's Media fanning the flames of sectarianism?
Politics have become so divisive in Lebanon that the national media council chief urged the media in January to curb "tense rhetoric" that could instigate violence among the country's religious sects, writes Contributing Editor Paul Cochrane. So what are the media up to? Are they guilty of fanning the flames?
Press Under Siege Conference Raises a Cry for a Freer Middle East Press
It was not clear whether the ultimate point of the conference was to support Arab journalists in their struggle for protected freedoms, or to promote Siniora’s government—then under heavy fire—as democratic and free before a would-be sympathetic international audience, claims Abigail Hauslohner.
From A-lists to webtifadas: Developments in the Lebanese blogosphere 2005-2006
During the Hizbullah-Israel War, blogs provided alternative on-the-ground accounts of events, says Sune Haugbolle. But can they challenge the social authority of old media?
The weaponization of news media in the Middle East
We are hardly ever innocent bystanders to conflict. Merely with their presence journalists influence the parties they report on, so we are participants rather than bystanders. And our choice of what to report and how always serves certain power interests, argues Dutch journalist Joris Luyendijk.
From Long Island to Lebanon: Arabs blog in America
Through the 2006 summer war in Lebanon, blogging provided an outlet for Arabs in America to vent their frustrations, anxieties and criticisms of events. It also gave many a sense of reconnecting with other Arabs around the Diaspora, says Vivian Salama.
Bombs and broadcasts: Al Manar's battle to stay on air
Paul Cochrane tracks Israel’s attempts to strike a lethal blow to Hizbullah’s satellite channel.
The long march of Pan-Arab media: a personal view
In all previous Arab-Israeli wars Israel had dominated on all counts. But in the 2006 war, the influence of the Israeli media on global opinion seemed to have been tempered by the greater range of Arab voices, argues Jihad Fakhreddine.
Lebanese women journalists brave war odds
Lebanese women journalists braved bombs, bullets and missiles to report the conflict between Hizbullah and Israel in the summer of 2006, sometimes surpassing their male colleagues’ coverage by providing insight into the conflict’s human nature, says Magda Abu-Fadil.
Uneasy bedfellows: Bloggers and mainstream media report the Lebanon conflict
During the 2006 Lebanon War, bloggers were able to influence the agenda for traditional media coverage more than ever before. But they will not overtake mainstream media anytime soon, argues Will Ward.
Illegal attack or legitimate target? Israel attacks Al Manar
The degree to which Israel’s attacks on Al Manar could be considered lawful and legitimate in international law depends largely on the actions of Al Manar and whether it played a role as an interested party on the battlefield, says Andrew Exum.
