Lebanese news shows are infuriating!

Every day the Lebanese viewer is submitted to a flood of news shows. The most common format is a host interviewing a politician or opinion leader. You often get a feel of BBC’s Hardtalk program set up. Sadly, the so called reporter, anchor man, or whatever you want to call them, retained from Tim Sebastian only his aggressive tone and ironic remarks. What they missed is that the most difficult exercise is not to cross the fine line between irony and rudeness. Irony is based on intelligent and well researched comments.

What we get on Lebanese political shows is an absurd match where the host throws at the interviewed statements that do not pass the most basic level of fact check or background research. The nice well-dressed over make upped Lebanese hosts believe that challenging the person facing them is to just adopt totally the position of the opposing political faction even if the opinions stated are absurd. The whole show becomes a bickering match with no interest. Watching the show you rarely get information or clarification or news. All you end up with is annoying high pitched interruptions and often answers that do not make sense as the interviewed loses patience.

If the politician or opinion leader drilled in a crude rude manner preserves his calm and come up with an interesting answer, the host starts emitting a strange noise “hum –pause- hummm –pause- hum hum”. This strange acoustic irony is a Lebanese trade mark. It is rude, annoying, and confirms your feeling of watching a classical kids brawl. The first one says in a provoking tone “Did not!” the other quickly replies “Did too!” the first one strikes back “Did not!”, “Did too!” “Did not!” until the all mighty commercial break ends your misery.

If you have the patience to stay glued to your screen until the end of the show, you end up with a headache and trembling hands. Maybe these shows are the reason behind the local culture of honking and aggressive driving culture…