Last night I attended the Social Media Exchange’s 1st Social Hour titled: “Blogging, citizen journalism, social networks, etc...What alternative media exists in Lebanon, and what benefit can it provide?”

This meeting marked my first attempt to learn and educate myself more about the bloggers and blogsphere in Lebanon and the region since my move to Beirut from Dallas. The meeting was made possible by Social Media Exchange and RootSpace and I think it is a much needed program for the rest of us to tackle and pinpoint certain issues and topics circulating the blogging mainstream, and of course to socialize and meet some interesting minds and visionaries. There were a good number of attendances ranging from bloggers to journalists to activists in various fields. The main focus as the title of this meeting hints was to discuss blogging, the citizen journalism movement, social networking and its benefits and of course it all leads to the term “Alternative media” which was to be analyzed and debated.

Before I go one with my piece here, I would like to draw a quick image of the setting and atmosphere of the meeting. First of all, the place was very suitable for the event as it was also friendly and cozy. People got to enjoy 30 min of socializing before the event commenced. 4 individuals were appointed as moderators (the panel) to run the discussion and kick off the topics. The panel sat facing everyone while the event itself was videotaped to provide future reference and access to those who couldn’t make it.
The panel itself consisted of
- Razan Ghazzawi (blogger; contributor to Global Voices)
- Maya Rahal (Jaridtak.com)
- Moussa Bachir (blogger/owner Ur Shalim, physics teacher, contributor to Global Voices)
- Possibly other special guests, MODERATOR: Bashir Saade (AUBTime)

The discussion began with the negative approach of Bashire Saade stating that “…He is a bit skeptical about the whole blogging thing.” This also met the approval of the rest of the panel. While one might argue that such a start might indicate where this event was heading into, it is an acceptable strategy used in many professional meetings in order to pinpoint the cons of disadvantages right off the bat and build on that, sadly this wasn’t the case here. There was an impression throughout the discussion that the panel were dictating the questions and answering them instead of moderating them. Another display of confusion was that we (the crowd) were targeting the panel for answers instead of the whole room, and it was the panel that made this continues.

Yet for more than an hour, some amazing questions were asked by the crowd and by the panel, and I think one of the most interesting pointers was Moussa’s remark that “Blogs are overrated”. Few minutes later Moussa redefined that phrase by explaining that he was targeting the Bloggers themselves when they assume authority and “know-it-all change-it-all” status. I personally think he also targets the readers at some level since there are a good portion of online users now relying on bloggers to get the latest news and events. Since blogging emerged in the region as in other regions too, it became obvious that more bloggers are after exposure, blog-hits and RSS-subscriptions than they are concerned with their messages themselves. In a world where people would post their daily journals, daily routine, what they ate for dinner, what color they like…etc, it’s not improper to label these blogs are self exposure blogs. Of course we will always have those who will claim it is to stay connect with friends and family that they wrote such topics. But if we zero in on the Lebanese blogsphere, it is mostly a sad display of loud voices cursing with the mainstream, while the real bloggers with a mission to tell a story, spread awareness or analyzed a certain dysfunction in the community is left behind struggling to get their voices heard. Moussa once told me that many of the Lebanese blogs are “dead blogs”; I believe it is a statement bears so much under its skin.

Another interesting discussion initiated by Razan Ghazzawi when she pointed out that “Alternative media” is being misunderstood by many of us, and she was right. Because coming to think of it, a Lebanese blogger (or any Arab blogger in general) are not providing a substitute media or stream, but merely an additional resource and source to the same topics and discussions you would find in your neighborhood coffee shop or café. Is it the bloggers fault that they would prefer 1000 readers for a common and digestible topic by the mainstream’s focus over a topic or an issue that is so uninteresting to the “mob” that could attracts 10 reads a week? It might be, or else they will wonder why they should waste their time on the web writing if it brings not exposure! A great point was made when a gentleman asked me for what I think is the reason why certain articles and messages are not being read by locals but rather by foreigners. I am sad that this question was not taken seriously as it should have been by the panel to initiate at least an overview on the issue that could have lead to in-depth discussion or even a basic solution to the problem. But I must confess that my regret is not taking his contact information for further discussion on this matter (Hope I still can). To answer that question in a nut shell, the problem is that most bloggers and the readers are the same product of the society. Most of the local bloggers are the same people you see in the cafés and local bars only with extra knowledge on blogging and internet use over their friends. So this particular blogger will not stray from the flock and write about human rights in Palestinian Camps when he could talk about Facebook and his views and rants about the political views on the current situation. While as real readers will have to dig harder and deeper to find real bloggers and writers who take the term “alternative” seriously and to its full measures.

Citizen Journalism was Maya Rahal’s kick off topic, and as interesting and important as it should have been, there wasn’t much of a diverse discussion over it. Any Lebanese self claim Citizen Journalist could not actually comprehend the breakthrough of such media, although I disagree totally with Bashir Saade who claimed we have a free media in Lebanon or freedom in general, we Lebanese are blessed are only with a slightly bigger space to speak out compared to other neighboring countries. When your voice is so suppressed on the ground, when your words can put you in jail and where your opinion can limit your freedom and well being, Citizen Journalism offers an outlet to speak out and let your voice heard. In countries where the media is controlled by political parties and leaders, your opinion and words are not welcomed if they don’t match a certain criteria, this is when Citizen Journalism comes in. Although it is a shame that some of my countrymen would take this term and only use it to add more fuel to the fire, I was honored to be sitting in the same room last night with some great journalists and activists who take their work, voice and the people they represent seriously.
Among the interesting questions popping every now and then during the event was a simple yet crucial point made by a gentleman ( Again my apologies for not knowing your name mate) standing by the door arguing that everyone within these loose standers can now call himself a journalist. True enough is a serious issue spread globally, but I want to keep my focus on the Lebanese level. Although Bashir Saade countered by saying “give me one ethical journalist you know?” he made worse. This is not about Ethics Mr Saade, this is about responsibility. When you know people are listening to your, people whom you have never meet or ever will, you are governed by something that surpass Journalism and its Ethics, you have a responsibility to reconsider what say, it doesn’t mean changing your opinion or stand, but it means being responsible of what you say and act. Journalist-wanna-be bloggers are hiding behind their screens writing about what they feel like saying with no consideration to the outcome and aftermath of what a single word might produce. If we take a look at the current situation in Lebanon, it is all revolving around irresponsible leaders and media individuals going on and on with no limitation or boundaries, yet we keep hearing about real heroes talking about the people issues and concerns being thrown behind bars. Whoever you are that brought up this question, you probably made one of the best topics that could be the drive of a whole dedicated event in the near future.

I must end this by saying I learned a lot from this little experience. Hearing the passion in some people’s voices could only bring back hope of us catching up with the rest of the world. Regardless of Mr. Bashir Saade constant comments and interventions by claiming that the “idea has passed” and “let’s try and sum up what was said here” and “we are not here to build anything”, I think many of us left with a sense of motivation that something can be done and should be done. Arab meetings in general consist of meeting up and talking, then forming a committee to analyze that discussion which in return will pass it to another group to approve the talks and initiate another talk session. We have the chance here to change all that and turn these ideas into something that can benefit those who will follow our footsteps and marks so they can lead instead of catching up. We are harvesting the sins and irresponsibility or those who preceded us, let not pass it on to the next generation by documenting it and criticizing it without doing something about it.