Annaliese Hawkins | Middle East Fellow
A female protestor in Tyre, Lebanon, holding up her mobile phone. Image sourced from Roman Deckert via Wikimedia Commons.
Social media may be helping to shift the sense of helplessness felt by those living in crisis zones, offering real-time platforms to share their experiences, needs, and perspectives. Since 1975, Lebanon has endured continuous social, economic, and political crises, with many citizens knowing nothing but life in conflict. The phrase ‘always the playground, never the player’, quoted by Lebanese journalists, reflects a widespread and decades-long feeling of powerlessness. Over time, Lebanese civilians have also experienced first-hand how developments in media impact their global narrative.
Examining the challenges posed by misinformation and disinformation demonstrates how these forces can complicate narratives surrounding conflict and crisis. Lebanon serves as a poignant example, having experienced multiple waves of conflict that allow us to compare the changing dynamics of public perception and media influence. While social media introduces transparency, it also amplifies misinformation that distorts one’s understanding. The resultant complex landscape presents opportunities and risks in shaping the future of conflicts in the Middle East and this article offers a brief insight into these dynamics in the context of Lebanon.
Widespread civil war set the scene for the formation of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed, Shia militant group. The group has grown and proliferated since then, fighting against Israeli invasions in Southern Lebanon in the 1980s. At the time, this rejection of foreign invasion attracted support across Lebanon, which in 1992 allowed the group to expand into Lebanese politics. The“power vacuums” that have long plagued Lebanon became more apparent in the 2000s. During this time, Hezbollah had gained support from factions of society by resisting foreign invasions and providing services to the community such as medical and educational support.
This widespread understanding of tolerance crumbled in 2005 when Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was shot dead by the group.
Protests following the assassination revealed broader opposition across Lebanese society, but the limited media coverage at the time fell short of what a Facebook livestream could achieve today. This narrow coverage reinforced the misconception that Hezbollah and Lebanese public opinion were aligned, a misunderstanding that persists to this day. In 2006 as Hezbollah pushed Israel back out of the country, they were also fuelling another conflict in Syria. This is detailed by Lebanese journalist Kim Ghattas who describes how civilians still believe the group has “Syrian blood on their hands”. As the tides of public opinion turned, the world's coverage failed to show this. Without means to globally portray one's perspective, the views of those in Lebanon were left behind.
Years of regional entanglement continue to allow Hezbollah to arm themselves heavily and, as of today, acquire thousands of missiles, hundreds of thousands of fighters and widespread rejection from Lebanon’s people. However, social media now equips Lebanese citizens with a means of disseminating their thoughts and opinions globally. From the widespread use of social media, news outlets and Lebanese journalists it is apparent that Hezbollah does not represent all people in Lebanon. They never have. The emergence of these new voices has shifted the global discourse from condemnation of Lebanon for fostering a militant, hardline group to concern for Lebanon’s civilian safety. Furthermore, the international community has turned their attention to a foreign combatant. However, the rapid ability to turn thought into comment and comment into ‘fact’ often leads the internet into disarray.
The reckless rise of misinformation has permeated social media, newspapers and national press conferences. Social media platforms reward accounts with high engagement, particularly concerning emotionally engaging content. Whether this is crisis footage or armoury statistics, the one thing missing in many parts of these posts is the truth. This trend is increasingly evident among content being shared from the Israel-Hamas conflict, so much so that jobs have been created to verify viral media content before it goes live - a lesson learned the hard way from publications such as the BBC and the New York Times.
The impact this has on people on the ground of these conflicts is immense. Once something that seemed very real is labelled as fake, people question all subsequent reporting on these conflicts. This has a run-on impact, leading to less support where it is necessary. While mis- and disinformation may allow a crisis temporary visibility, they have also fostered a rapid decline in public trust – which is a fundamental need of people in crisis zones. Misinformation appears everywhere today, with even US President Joe Biden woefully speaking of Hamas soldiers beheading babies on the Gaza strip at a National Press Conference. This phrase was walked back the next day, but the damage had already been done; the quote ‘beheaded babies’ already had 44 million impressions on X. This misinformation fuels fear, which only exacerbates the already volatile situation in the Middle East, heightens instability and undermines efforts for peace.
Social media offers a platform for civilian voices that haven’t been heard before, as seen in Lebanon. However, it also enables the rapid spread of harmful misinformation which can have negative consequences, such as undermining access to critical aid in conflicts occurring across the Middle East. Consequently, the use and regulation of social media especially in conflict and crisis spaces becomes salient. Sources, accounts, and sites must be carefully vetted to ensure the truth is heard. It is important that misinformation does not deter the masses from listening to the real experiences of civilians caught in these conflicts as displacement increases—their voices need support, not doubt.
Annaliese Hawkins is the Middle East Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Melbourne, majoring in Politics and International Studies, with a minor in French. During an exchange semester at Sciences Po in France, she earned a Certificate of Social Sciences and Humanities. Her studies focused on Middle Eastern and South Asian politics. As a participant in the YAIA Fellowship program, Annaliese is excited to bring her background and skills to new projects and discussions.
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