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Images of Violence in the Lebanese Media News Coverage

This study works on inspecting “Violence Portrayed in Media” and on studying its repercussions on all levels, including the social, political and educations levels. The study covers the Lebanese news media, which had signed the “Journalists’ Pact for Strengthening Civil Peace in Lebanon” and that was officially launched by UNDP on June 25, 2013. It also monitors the manifestation of this violence, indicates these media trends and their attitudes mainly on “committing to rejecting violent disobedience movements, crime and abasement; acting with professionalism and social responsibility when broadcasting a live coverage of events and violent scenes; refraining from spreading a spirit of violence and strife; and rejecting violence,” according to the provisions of Articles 2,4 and 11 of the Pact.

The study raises central questions about the media’s role in exacerbating violence in the society:

• Is the rate of violence in the media the same, less than or more than that in reality?

• What are the reasons behind the increase of the images of violence in the media?

• Are the violent images reported by the media the reality as is or are they the constructed reality, meaning the virtual reality, and which is intended to be the way it appears?

• How does media employ violence in a country, the least that can be of it is that it has not yet healed of a past full of painful images?

This study was prepared by Maharat Foundation, developed by Dr. Josleen Nader, Mr. Tony Mikhayel and reviewed by Dr. Goearge Sadaka.

To read the full study click here.