Framing as a political weapon

Abstract

In this study, the role Lebanese television stations generally play in influencing the public opinion by using their promotion department as a tool to inject certain fears and concerns to the public, in favor of their agendas, is to be explored. This paper will specifically study the promos that Future Television produced in 2006, for the first memorial of late prime minister Rafik Hariri, asking the people to participate in a huge gathering; a shout out then against the Syrian regime and all its Lebanese supporters. Such promos and television spots are deliberately produced to influence the public opinion regarding certain issues. The study will analyze the content of the 2006 campaign and whether it succeeded in unleashing certain fears and concerns among the public. Relevant to the study is a review of the structure of the Lebanese television stations and the political parties they serve since the stations’ agenda is ultimately related to that of the party to which it belongs. Finally, this paper suggests that promos and the masterminds behind the content and messages injected in them play a major role in widening the gap between the main Lebanese political parties.