The effects of small arms positive media coverage on Lebanese youth

Abstract

This study aims to explore the effects of the small arms’ positive portrayals in the Lebanese news on youth. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods has been adopted to understand the correlation between violence in Lebanese news and youth behavior. On the quantitative level, a survey was carried out with Lebanese youth who watch frequently and less frequently the Lebanese news. 102 responses were received and were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Moreover, a qualitative analysis has been conducted with four interviewees with an extensive experience in the field of NGOs, peace building, arms control, conflict resolution, political science, reporting, and psychology. The interviews were recorded via Zoom and transcribed. The findings showed that heavy exposure to violence and small arms in Lebanese news leads to aggressive behavior among youth. It also showed that the Lebanese and Arab culture accepts widely the use of small arms within its culture and perceive it as a sign of strength rather than a weakness. The limitations of this study consist mainly of the snowball sampling technique which limits the validity of the results especially that the number of respondents was only 102 participants.