By Maher Masoud
Despite all the lies, falsifications and attempts to change facts, having been practiced by the pro-regime media outlets since the beginning of the Syrian revolution, the propaganda of the pro-regime and its allies proved to have been more effective than the pro-revolution media at the local and international levels. Why?
Is it the lack of experience of the pro-revolution media outlets and journalists? Or is it that the pro-regime media was more professional in delivering the news items, information for the audience than the pro-revolution media? Or is it the fact that the false news is more powerful than the true news in convincing the people? Or is it the fact that truth is made, especially by the stronger and the triumphant?
First of all, we shall point out that the revolution does not possess an “ideological” media like that of the regime and its allies. When “ideological” channels were created to counter of the pro-regime media in the beginning of the revolution, they in fact presented a negative image for the revolution instead of serving its goals and prospects. We can also notice that the audiences of the revolution in general are more doubtful and critical to its media outlets than those of the regime. The pro-revolution media was always under scrutiny unlike that of the regime, whose news and information, were received with large confidence, as well as that of the BBC or France 24 and others.
No doubt, the repetitive lies turn to be facts on ground, even if they were of a temporary nature. The human nature is easy to be deceived as people are quick to believe in things as Ibn Khaldoun had taught us. The lies of the pro-regime media, imitating the Nazi propaganda, are accumulative, central, total and well-organized as the case of all the totalitarian regimes. The regime started with denying facts regarding the revolution and it has since insisted on its position. It denied the eruption of a revolution, describing the events as a global conspiracy and establishment of armed gangs, intruders, terrorist organizations, sectarian militias and civil war … etc. Those lies have been transformed into facts, rather they became THE FACT.
The Syrians are defending a reality that the entire world is aware of. The Syrian regime is despotic and should be changed. The world that is asking the Syrians for discipline and order and presenting clear, organized and “civilized” alternatives for the regime, is throwing the Syrians in the open hands of manipulation, violence and chaos. This world has also contributed to creating all ideal conditions for that chaos and that violence through swinging between intervention and non-intervention and the game of permission, prevention, taming … etc. This situation resulted in the inability of the Syrians to be organized, whether politically or militarily or even socially or at the civil level.
Consequently, the truth depends on reality and the happenings on ground. The world has forgotten the power of truth it emphasizes, that is the expiry of the regime, for the benefit of the facts it is creating on ground, and emphasizing it with the continual measures of separation and violent fragmentation. The world’s priorities continue to change. Sometimes it looks supportive of the regime, other times it is a participant in that support, while other times it is silent towards that support, as long as the more powerful, influencing and organized alternative to it is terrorism.
There is an interactive relation between media, reality, power and deployment. There is always a conflict between the influencing powers on ground, including media, and its different outlets. The various, multiple, competitive and sometimes conflicting and deficient pro-revolution media outlets are still closer to the democratic spirits and more committed to the freedom of speech, difference and multiplicity. It is also more loyal to the truth that the Syrians are defending and are committed to, despite its weakness in front of the power of money and allying international mafias in politics.
Finally, we cannot ignore the fact that the freedom of opinion, press and media, in addition to the political and civil freedoms, have always been, and along four decades, the highest taboos ever according to the regime, due to their importance and the risks they impose at the same time. Consequently, there is no future for Syria or in Syria without the establishment of those main freedoms that empower the people and grants them the capabilities to monitor politics and politicians. This is the basis for the establishment of democracy and civil society and building the country on new bases.
A Syrian writer and researcher. He carries a Master degree in Western Philosophy.
