On November 11, a panel discussion organized by the Faculty of Journalism and Media Communication brought together three TV correspondents who reported on the violent incidents that plagued Tripoli nearly two years ago. The panel, which hosted Rabih Shantaf of Future TV, Rachel Karam of New TV, and Hoda Chedid of LBC, was expertly moderated by Ibrahim Awad, vice-chairman of the National Audio-Visual Media Council.
The three journalists presented their perspectives of their work on the ground, and the challenges they had to overcome to transmit what they believed was an accurate and fair portrayal of the armed conflict. An animated discussion with members of the audience followed the presentations, with the majority of attendees arguing that TV coverage of Tripoli has disfigured the true identity of the city, by placing too much emphasis on incidents of violence, and by the choice of people interviewed. The journalists, on the other hand, argued that their job is to report on what is out of the ordinary and not on what represents normalcy in the city.
Over a hundred people attended the discussion, including a very large number of Tripoli’s dignitaries.