The Listening Post

Libya: Media on the frontlines of revolution

A look at the pictures, the media coverage and the lobbyists working behind the scenes to keep Arab leaders in power.

Throughout the Arab Spring the narrative of democratic change sweeping through the Arab world played well in the international media. And in Libya those opposing the Gaddafi regime had a territorial base in Benghazi and spokespeople in the public eye that could engage with the media.

When they marched on Tripoli the media followed, ostensibly embedded with the rebel fighters. That proximity helped the leaders of Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) control the media message. But now that the Gaddafi regime has fallen and the country is in the hands of the NTC, journalists are having to shift their focus. No longer is the narrative dominated by the fight for Libya but rather who and what is left to run it. 

Quick hits from Newsbytes: The government in Syria amends the country’s media laws but critics are not impressed; a former policeman is charged with plotting the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya; an Ecuadorian journalist flees the country after being found guilty of libelling President Correa; and WikiLeaks claims its website was cyber-attacked in the wake of its biggest release so far of confidential US diplomatic cables.
 
Since the beginning of the Arab revolutions, embattled regimes have faced a barrage of criticism in the press. To counter this, Arab dictators have employed the services of western PR companies to clean up their image. Consulting companies like the Washington-based Qorvis Communications and the London-based Bell Pottinger have been quietly working for governments in Yemen, Syria and Bahrain.

For these companies, as the bad press has grown worse for these governments, business for them has improved. But their work has pushed them into unfamiliar territory – under the spotlight and some have had to defend their business deals. The Listening Post‘s Meenakshi Ravi takes a look at the spin-doctors working behind the scenes in the Arab spring.

You have probably all heard the clichés “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” or “there’s no need to reinvent the wheel”. People in the film business are certainly familiar with the concept and apply it on a regular basis, especially in film trailers. Because when studios need to squeeze 90 minutes of plot and character into a two minute sales tool, the cliches are turned out thick and fast. A comedy website called Cracked.com noticed the formulaic film trailer and created one of their own. Even though it is just a compilation of clichés you still get the feeling that you have seen that film before. With more than a million hits online it is our Internet Video of the Week. We hope you enjoy the show.

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