Among the many instant messaging apps, WhatsApp is considered to be the most popular. The application, which is accessed by two billion active users on a monthly basis, has also become a tool for the production and consumption of news, particularly in Lebanon, a country facing political turmoil and that is witnessing a popular uprising since October 2019. With journalists, newsrooms and citizens relying more and more on Whatsapp groups for information, particularly in the peripheral areas where local Whatsapp groups have proliferated, comes the risk of spreading misinformation, hate speech and harming the public interest.
As part of its Communication and Information Sector mandate, UNESCO strives to foster freedom of expression, media development and access to information & knowledge. It also works on combating online hate speech, as well as disinformation and misinformation through awareness raising initiatives, steady monitoring and capacity-building activities. UNESCO has also developed a global initiative on Media and Information Literacy, a fundamental way to provide people with the necessary tools and critical sense to provide truthful and verified information, promote a public dialog and protect freedom and diversity. In this context, the UNESCO office in Beirut organized training sessions in June 2021 for WhatsApp news groups in five remote areas in Lebanon: Tripoli, Halba, Baaklin, Maghdouche and Zahle. Prominent news anchor, reporter and media personality Yazbeck Wehbe, who was among the trainers, reflects for UNESCO Beirut on this unique experience.
UNESCO: WhatsApp has become a means for the production, dissemination and consumption of news in Lebanon and the world. What challenges does this pose to the media scene in general?
Y.W.: There is no doubt that the transmission of news through WhatsApp is increasing day by day, due to the wide spread of the application and the spread of smartphones among people, which allow them to take photos, write and publish news. Sometimes, even the traditional media follow what is written and published on WhatsApp groups, scrutinizing of course the accuracy and veracity of the news, since many users do not know the principles of journalism and media, and may publish everything on Whatsapp, including false and fabricated news. As much as WhatsApp is important to spread news and spread it fast, it is necessary to differentiate between factual and fake news.
UNESCO: This type of media is widely spread in Lebanon and is regional par excellence. How do you explain that?
Y.W.: WhatsApp spread slowly through groups that initially started as family groups or groups for friendship or workplaces, before turning into groups that transmit news. Almost three years ago, some of these groups became organized factions, such as groups concerned with a specific city, region or governorate, and they began to expand. Some groups have become linked to other applications and sites as well, such as Twitter and Facebook, to spread news, which calls for organization and follow-up.
UNESCO: How can we make this medium an added value to the field of media and news, and what should be avoided?
Y.W.: There is no doubt that any piece of information must be taken into account by the traditional media and its news departments, the most important of which is the information published through WhatsApp groups. In order for these groups to become an added value to the media field, it is worth communicating with them, getting to know them, giving them advice and directing them, explaining how news is transmitted, how to distinguish between true and false news, how to formulate the news, investigate and verify it before publishing, and making sure that this information reaches a large number of people. Keeping in mind, again, that some people do not bother checking the initial source of information and publish news immediately.
UNESCO: What was the significance of the training sessions you gave with UNESCO?
Y.W.: The training sessions we provided with Dr. Ruba Al-Helou and UNESCO were very useful for the participants. About 30 people participated in each meeting, and we noticed a strong of interest from their part. We sensed their thirst for knowledge of the principles of the Lebanese press, which they are not aware of, especially since most of the participants are young students who did not study media or were not familiar with the principles and ethics of the profession. This made them benefit greatly from these sessions. They have learned some of the rules, principles and ethics of the profession to develop themselves and avoid mistakes.
UNESCO: How did the participants interact? What caught your attention?
Y.W.: The participants were extremely interested in the topic and ninety percent of them followed the sessions from beginning to end over a period of six hours. It was clear that the participants have a passion for learning fundamentals and principles that they are not aware of. We taught them to check and verify the authenticity of any photo or video, and how a video or photo should be taken. We noticed that the participants were taking notes and taking pictures of the visuals and information on the screen to memorize them. Many called me after the training to explain how they are working now to put this knowledge into practice within the Whatsapp groups.
UNESCO: What are the next steps? Is this material suitable to be part of a university course?
Y.W.: In my opinion, these workshops should be spread to all Lebanese regions. We focused with UNESCO on selected large cities, but the number of Whatsapp groups is increasing day by day. We also hope that the participants will spread awareness, data, acquired information, and the way to deal with news to the other members of their groups. With the development of technology and the strengthening of the concept of citizen-journalist, what is required is greater awareness of the ways to use WhatsApp to transmit news. Certainly, there is a possibility of including this subject within one of the classes in a media curriculum, or giving workshops or lectures to school students or university students who are not studying media, as few members of Whatsapp groups are actually engaged in journalism as a profession.