In this age of media abundance and the preponderance of information one is baffled by the spread of negative perception of the others, the deepening of the phenomenon of national entrenchment and the widening of cultural chasms between peoples. More often than not the media have become the message, and the more personalized the medium — i.e. blogs, web TV, social networks — the more distant we appear to be moving from each other.
In the past few weeks I have spent time looking at new satellite channels on Hotbird and Nile. I was amazed at the number of new stations that have been launched recently. One in particular caught my attention. It was, I suspect, an Iranian-funded religious channel, in Arabic, dedicated to the Shia sect of Islam. I admit that it was a totally new experience for me since my knowledge of the Shia culture is minimal. Another channel was dedicated to fatwas, Sunni style, where viewers called in to field questions on everything that pertains to Muslim life. Some of the questions, and the answers given, opened a window on what goes in the minds of thousands of Muslims today.
Arab blogs are booming and bloggers number in the tens of thousands. The topics, discourse and conclusions present a kaleidoscopic picture of what kind of issues occupy mostly young Arabs today, ranging from local politics to religion to inter-gender relations to science and fantasy. And yet we, in the mainstream media, know very little about this new intrepid world of “tribalist” media.
But in spite of all these new ways of expression, we seem to be delving into a new Babel where few are able to communicate with others. English is no longer the exclusive language of the Internet. Communities within communities are now congregating in virtual space. Instead of one message there are many, and instead of one source of information there are plenty. The proverbial truth is lost and maybe forever in the mishmash of tribal chatter.
And so instead of moving closer to each other, as communities and nations, we seem to be drifting aimlessly, each hooked to his/her favorite tool of communication-information, which has become more like a tribal flag which one is willing to defend and protect. The Babel phenomenon has widened the cultural divide and contributed to a state of alienation within the nation and among nations.
One example of this is modern-day Lebanon where each of the many entrenched parties runs its own satellite channel. For an outsider, attempting to understand the situation by tuning in to these stations is a futile task. Instead of one view there are five or six, and instead of one fact there are many. Media has not helped bridge gaps, but allowed many voices to intermingle creating a disquieting chatter.
Perhaps it was always like this, even before the explosion of personalized media which had empowered citizens in a way no visionary had imagined. In his informative book, “America, Islam and the War of Ideas,” former CBS correspondent Lawrence Pintak examines how in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, the so-called “patriot-journalists” in the US and the Arab media revolution “exacerbated a fundamental gap in worldview, perception and communication, marginalizing moderate voices and reinforcing stereotypes.” He points to the role of American mainstream media in historically enhancing flawed reporting of the Middle East issues, especially the Arab-Israel conflict and militant Islamic movement.
This crucial issue has been dealt with by the late Edward Said in his book “Covering Islam” in which he accused the Western media of demonizing Muslims and Islam and tying them to terrorism.
New media
But if the mainstream media have failed to present an objective, balanced and fair view of our region and its conflicts, can the new media do a better job? I fear not. We now have personal media enclaves that allow an ever smaller number of people to communicate, exchange information and cultivate opinions. But there are no guarantees that such exchange is helping to bring communities and cultures closer. In fact, while there are those who are attempting to build bridges of understanding and launch responsible dialogue, there are many others who are barricading themselves and perpetuating a skewed image of the others.
The row over the Danish cartoons is a case in point. The new media, just as the old one, have failed to bring people from different cultural backgrounds together. Instead, the Internet and satellite channels may have contributed to more separation, isolation, chauvinism and ignorance.
There are luminous points in this bleak picture. The media have never been more powerful and dominant as it is now. Few weeks ago I saw a report on Al Jazeera about an American independent TV production which brought a number of Arab youths to the United States and sent them on the road across America to meet and talk to ordinary folks. The result was amazing. Face-to-face encounters helped both sides to understand each other better. American mid-westerners appreciated that not every Arab is a bearded fanatic who is sworn to blowing himself up. And Arabs discovered that many Americans simply do not know enough about our region and our culture. The documentary was a success and it was shown in many cities across the United States.
But we live in the real world, of Fox News and Al-Manar, of blogs that reflect deep-seated anxieties and misconceptions about the others. It is a challenge that we face today, not only within our own community, but as world citizens who now have access to vast tools of communication and information. The Babel syndrome is there and we are yet to find out how it would end or where it would lead us.
— Osama Al-Sharif is a veteran journalist based in Jordan.
