Project information

An Introduction

According to a 2018 poll by the Pew Research Center, 84% of Lebanese adults use WhatsApp as a communication tool. The same study also found that in 2019, 52% of Lebanese respondents trusted the information they received from social media more than from local television and newspapers. The October 2019 protest movement exposed the deep distrust in and animosity towards partisan and privately-owned mainstream media that aligned with the agendas of sectarian political parties. As a result, there has been a greater reliance on independent digital media, social media channels and platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, and informal, hyperlocal, newsfocused WhatsApp groups.