Lebanese TV Confuses Voters

There is no country in the Middle East as fragmented and full of contradictions as Lebanon, yet it is perhaps the most pluralistic society in the Arab world. With a few days left before the parliamentary election due to be held on June 7th, Lebanese emotions have been running high. At stake are 128 parliamentary seats. Competing parties have been fighting for them more fiercely on satellite television networks than in the crowded streets of Beirut.

The two principal sides vying for control of the Lebanese parliament are almost equally divided between the pro-Western, pro-Saudi March 14 Movement-- the current majority comprised of the Sunni Future Movement, the Christians represented by the Lebanese Forces and other Christian parties, and the Walid Jumblatt Druze on one side-- and the opposition, the March 8 Movement, led by Hezbollah in partnership with the Amal movement, the Talal Arsalan Druze and allied with Christian supporters of General Aoun on the other.

To understand politics in Lebanon is to understand the Lebanese satellite television landscape in a small country of approximately 4,000 square miles and 4 million people with more than a dozen satellite television networks divided, as is the case with the population and government, across sectarian lines.

Future TV (Al Mustaqbal), sometimes referred to as Hariri television, is the outlet of the Sunni community, and part of the media empire owned by the late Sunni Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri. The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) projects the perspective of the Maronite Christian community, and is run by Sheikh Pierre Daher and owned by a group of Lebanese-Saudi investors. Al Manar television is known as the Hezbollah channel. The National Broadcasting Network (NBN) is known on the street as the Nabih Berry television, after the Speaker of the Parliament. Then you have the newly resurrected Murr TV a.k.a MTV named after Gabrial al-Murr, a Greek Orthodox opposition figure. OTV is affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement headed by General Awn. New TV claims no political affiliation but is owned by a man with strong ties to Qatar and vehemently opposed to the Saudi-backed Hariri clan. The list goes on.

Last night, I watched the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation television channel (LBC), where a presenter warned that Lebanon might be falling into the hands of Ahmadinejad. Then they cut to Samir Ja'Ja', the leader of the Lebanese Forces, "You either vote to what Ahmadinejad has said or to what our Patriarch has been advising," Ja'Ja' said to a room full of supporters.

On Hezbollah's Al Manar TV, a guest claimed that the United States has plans to make Lebanon an "American protectorate, just like Puerto Rico". The show's producers flashed Vice President Joe Biden during his quick visit to Lebanon on the screen.

New TV has been playing up the arrest of army Colonel Mansour Diab, who has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel. Stories of Israeli spies in Lebanon have been unfolding on television like chapters from a cloak and dagger novel. Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, called for the death penalty for all suspects convicted of spying for Israel.

"Israel is trying to control the outcome of the Lebanese Election," an announcer says on NBN television.

Meanwhile, Future TV keeps revisiting the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri. A report in Der Spiegel, a German weekly, has recently implicated Hezbollah's agents in Hariri's murder.

Everyone in the West and Israel is asking the question, "Will Hezbollah win in the upcoming Lebanese election?"

I called a friend in Lebanon and said, "What do you think? Who will win?"

"I don't care," he answered, "I am so confused, I just want to go back to watching regular television programs."

Jamal Dajani produces the Mosaic Intelligence Report on Link TV.

Comments

[alexa07]

Speaking of partisan journalists, during the first days of the Israeli '06 onslaught on Lebanon, Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC said on air that "Israel has to do what it has to do." This is apologia at its worst, offering up for viewers some sort of generic clearance for invading one's neighbor & killing many of its citizens , compliments of the MSNBC news network.

[JerryLevy]

So the Huffington Posters are also Al Jeziera watchers! Imangine that.

[msfsi]

People who watch AL-Jazeera do not appear as rediculously miss-informed as you Levy. I caught you plaigerizing CAMERA a few weeks back... you're continuously defending Fox News for being "straight-up" and not biased. When you site your sources, I trace them back to neo-conservative sites... ie CAMERA!
You can't understand arabic and have NEVER watched arabic TV, but feel you have a firm grasp of what they braodcast... what a tool.

[Doomestic]

Al-Jazeera has pretty well known impartial journalists like David Frost. What does CNN have? Wolf Blitzer, a former AIPAC spokesperson.

[Sentientbeing09]

Yeah. We watch Al Jazeera news. They even speak English on it!

Imagine that.

[leonardox1]

Israelis also watch Al Jazeera. It is available on cable and satellite in Israel.

[Rog49Thomas]

Yep, and some of us watch Faux News, CNN, NBC, ABC, BBC, TVE, Euronews, France 24, Russia Today etc.

Getting a lot of different perspectives can help one sort through the propaganda that is inherent in each and every media outlet.

[Doomestic]

I am following the Lebanese elections closely just as much as I was following the US elections from the primaries all the way to November 4th. I must say the arguments, the talking points and the hard hitting questions on both sides is far far more refreshing then the horrible "Lipstick on a pig" US media.

[JerryLevy]

Sadly, there are no journalistic standards with most Middle East/Arab television networks. They spout opinion as fact, ongoing disinformation and advocasy. It started with Al Jazeera and went down hill from there. Al Manar, the Hezbollah station is constantly inciting their watchers to support suicide terrorists and become radical Islamists. There is not much hope here.

[Doomestic]

What a horrible horrible obfuscation. During the Gaza massacre earlier this year, Israeli military tightened its grip so much on the Israeli media so as to control the Israeli public opionion. They sensationalized the injury of a toddler Israeli, and just merely mentioned the hundreds of Palestinian children turned to shreds on the other side.

I have been following the media both in Israel, the US and the rest of the middle east, and Al-Jazeera so far stands as the most factual among them all.

[alexa07]

Al Jazeera English is top rate news on all regions of the world, including the Middle East of course, but it also features really interesting news from southeast Asia, South America, & the USA, Canada & Europe as well. One fascinating report was on Guam. Another on Mongolia. I have seen excellent reports of many aspects of American culture from entertainment, health care, the recent presidential campaign & Obama news, immigration, the plight of military families, etc. All this makes what parades as international news on ABC, CNN, MSNBC & the like very small indeed. David Frost, Riz Khan & a large group of regular hosts, hourly news casts & commentary on AJE are great to watch. Entertaining as well. You'll see the usual detractors do the Arab-bashing thing with AJE, but I strongly suggest that you give it a try by accessing online. Also: starting on June 1st a nightly newscast from AJE will be available on American LinkTV.

[LMPE]

At least they don't have Faux News.

[joz22]

For a country of 4 Million do they need this many satellite TV stations? Where does the money come from?

[cohen238765]

Wealthy Lebanese politicians and businessmen!

[leonardox1]

1. Saudi Arabia
2. Iran
3. Other wealthy Arab States
4. US
5. Expats

[alexa07]

Hi Jamal,
Thanks for a very interesting article. Don't know what I love best, the news itself or tracking what is behind its portrayal!

[Jamal Dajani - Huffpost Blogger]

The latter is more delicious!

[justice2008]

There is a lot of blame to go around in Lebanon's internal affairs and political mess: Don't forget the Saudis!

[cohen238765]

Exactly my point - there are Arab countries to blame for Lebanon's mess, which has nothing to do with Israel.

Israel seems to always be the Arab World's scapegoat for its own internal conflicts and problems.

A common enemy of sorts.

[zaz33]

Israel is to docile for that violent region.

[newsjunkie5]

As I prasied Mr. Dajani for taking the time to explain the various networks...his article did leave me wondering one thing...who does Mr. Dajani think will win the upcoming elections in Lebanon?

[newsjunkie5]

What a fascinating article Mr. Dajani.

Thank you for breaking down each of the major players (networks) and who they are supported/funded by. It helps to make some sense of it all.

Do the Lebanese people know who is runing each of these networks when they are watching the election programs aired by these networks? I wonder if it is transparent there as it is not as transparent here in the U.S.? An American has to want to look into who owns/runs our various networks to determine what the biases are.

Good job.

[leonardox1]

This might be more democratic than in the US. I mean they have several parties and a dozen stations. We are a two party-system and all US TV networks look the same.

[cohen238765]

They (the Lebanese) need to stop watching their dozens of satellite tv networks because they are always falsely accusing Israel of something or another.

[zaz33]

cohen - The need FOX to tell them it was Iran that bombed them, not Israel.

[justice2008]

Multi-party systems are not necessarily democratic. Lebanon follows the quota system.

[Rog49Thomas]

Actually not

If by democracy you mean one man one vote.

The seats in the Lebanese Parliament are apportioned by religious group according to a formula that bears no resemblance to actual demographic reality.
The Shi'ah get roughly 20% of the seats. They are at least 40% if not 50% of the population.

Or if you mean that offices are open to every citizen.
The President must be a Maronite Christian. The PM a Sunni. The Speaker a Shi'ite.

Or if you mean that districts are fairly drawn.
The districts are gerrymandered to favor certain groups.

[cohen238765]

Lebanese should blame there problems on Iran and not Israel.

[newsjunkie5]

Don't you think you are being a bit biased cohen238765?

I think BOTH Iran and Israel are to blame for SOME of Lebanon's problems...not all of them of course.

[cohen238765]

No - I think I am quite accurate and my views are balanced. The Lebanese and all Arabs always blame Israel for their internal problems. Why don't they ever look at their own governments who are in bed with Iran and blame them?

[jad114]

You must be kidding! Israel never meddles in Lebanese affairs. The Israeli spy ring caught in Lebanon is pretty elaborate!

[cohen238765]

An Israeli spy ring (if it's even true) is not to blame for all of Lebanon's problems. If the ring actually exists than it's Israel's way of protecting itself from possible future attacks from Hezbollah. A spy ring being in Lebanon does not translate into Lebanon's fragmented political domestic landscape.

[Rog49Thomas]

During the Lebanese civil war, the State of Israel supported the Kata'ib (right wing Lebanese Party modeled interestingly enough on the Nazi Party).

These are the fine folks who gave us Sabra and Chatila.

There is an Israeli film - "Waltzing with Bashir" about the massacre and the support for the right wing Lebanese.