A Communication Analysis for UNICEF Lebanon
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A communication analysis for UNICEF Lebanon A media landscape of Lebanon, media consumption habits of Syrian refugees and potential C4D interventions to promote social inclusion and child/youth protection for Syrian children and youths in Lebanon Abigail Leffler & Yee-Yin Yap Communication for Development Two-year master 30 Credits Spring term 2017 Supervisor: Oscar Hemer Abigail Leffler & Yee-Yin Yap 2017 Production Project KK626A – 20171 – 72941 Short title: A communication analysis for UNICEF Lebanon Pages: 76 Word count: 23746 excluding footnotes Abstract: The objective of this study is to put forward informed C4D recommendations to help organizations like UNICEF combat the situation for Syrian refugee children and youths in Lebanon, who through displacement and resettling into the complex Lebanese socio-political landscape may be at risk of becoming a lost generation. This paper focuses on the prevention and elimination of actions such as bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and early marriage. Conceptual framework: the communication theoretical framework considers Bourdieu’s habitus model as well as the uses and gratification model. Concepts conducive to social cohesion include citizenship, communitas and cosmopolitanism. Methodology: data were gathered through a variety of primary and secondary sources. The former includes semi- structured interviews with subject matter experts and analysis of UNICEF’s external communication practices. The latter comprises the collection, assessment, comparison and summarizing of various reports about Lebanese media. Findings: Lebanon has a pluralistic media landscape, though it appears fragmented, reflecting its socio-political sectarian situation. The media in Lebanon is criticized for lack of public service. The arts scene seems to fill a void in terms of examining the collective memory in respect of not only the civil war (1975-1990) but also of social issues arising as a result of globalization and modernity. Syrians in Lebanon consume Lebanese media as much as media from their own country. Interpersonal communication channels appear to be the preferred mode of communication among both the host and the refugee communities, although among the youth social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook are commonplace. Among the traditional media channels, television appears to be popular. The representation of Syrian refugees in Lebanese media is varied, with about one fourth of the published material portraying Syrians as a security issue. Results: a series of C4D recommendations that use sports and the arts as an overarching theme. 2 Key words: Bullying; C4D interventions; child protection & inclusion; children & youth; communication channels; digital media; early marriage; gender-based violence; interpersonal communication channels; Lebanon; media channels; media consumption habits; media landscape; public service; refugees; sectarianism; sexual harassment; social communication; Syrian refugees; traditional media; UNICEF Lebanon. Abigail Leffler & Yee-Yin Yap 2017 Production Project KK626A – 20171 – 72941 Short title: A communication analysis for UNICEF Lebanon Pages: 76 Word count: 23746 excluding footnotes Acknowledgements: We are grateful to all of those with whom we have had the pleasure to work with during this project, and all of those who directly or indirectly influenced the outcome of this project. To our supervisor, Dr Oscar Hemer and to Dr Ronald Stade for their insights, their patience, and their help in steering this project in the right direction. To those who expressed interest and helped us establish contacts in the field, including Ms Lana Khattab from International Alert, Mr Laid Bouakaz from Malmö University, and Ms Mariona Sanz-Cortell from WAN-IFRA. To those who generously shared their knowledge and experiences with us, including Mr Maurice Aaek from BBC Media Action, Dr Nabil Dajani from the American University of Beirut, Dr Dima Dabbous from the Lebanese American University, Ms Julianne Birungi, Mr Ibrahim El Sheikh and Ms Sara Sandra Chehab from UNICEF Lebanon, Mr Nasser ‘Chyno’ Shortbaji whom we met at Radio Beirut, Mr Shant Kerbabian and Ms Maya from Active Voices (Aswat Faeela/Search for Common Ground), and Ms Myra Abdallah from WAN-IFRA Lebanon. We extend our gratitude to the librarians of Malmö University, for their help in facilitating material that was not available online, and to Malmö University, for their support with our field trip to Beirut. Lastly (but by no means least), we are indebted to our families and friends, for all the support and encouragement received from them whilst we undertook this research. 3 Abigail Leffler & Yee-Yin Yap 2017 Production Project KK626A – 20171 – 72941 Short title: A communication analysis for UNICEF Lebanon Pages: 76 Word count: 23746 excluding footnotes Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 8 2 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 LEBANON ................................................................................................................................................. 8 2.2 REFUGEES IN LEBANON ............................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 UNICEF ................................................................................................................................................ 11 2.4 UNICEF LEBANON AND THE ‘NO LOST GENERATION’ INITIATIVE ....................................................................... 12 3 EPISTEMOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................... 14 3.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................................ 14 3.1.1 Definitions of ‘media’ ...................................................................................................................... 14 3.1.2 Information and media consumption: communication models ...................................................... 14 3.1.3 Communication for Development: understanding and evaluating change .................................... 15 3.1.4 Conceptual framework on international migration, refugeeship and human rights ...................... 17 3.1.5 Social models: in the interest of peaceful cohabitation and world citizenship ............................... 18 3.2 FOCUS/PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH ............................................................................................................. 20 3.3 RELEVANCE TO THE COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY ............................................................. 20 3.4 RELEVANCE TO UNICEF LEBANON .............................................................................................................. 20 3.5 PRODUCTION PROCESS METHODOLOGY (RESEARCH DESIGN) ............................................................................. 21 3.5.1 Data collection (media landscaping section) .................................................................................. 21 3.5.2 Analysis methods (recommendations section) ............................................................................... 22 4 4 MEDIA LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................................................... 23 4.1 THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE IN LEBANON ........................................................................................................... 23 4.1.1 Sectarianism in the Lebanese media landscape.............................................................................. 23 4.1.1.1 Two state-owned news agencies ........................................................................................................... 23 4.1.1.2 A plurality of echo chambers ................................................................................................................. 23 4.1.1.3 Market distinctions ................................................................................................................................ 24 4.1.2 National media policies ................................................................................................................... 24 4.1.2.1 Media legislation: the 1962 Press Law and the 1994 Audio-visual Law ................................................. 24 4.1.2.2 A note about fair allocation of advertising............................................................................................. 25 4.1.3 Advertising expenditures in the media mix ..................................................................................... 25 4.1.4 Professional capacity building and supporting institutions ............................................................ 26 4.2 TRADITIONAL MEDIA ................................................................................................................................. 27 4.2.1 Print ................................................................................................................................................ 27 4.2.2 Radio ............................................................................................................................................... 27 4.2.3 Film