By Lea Moukadam | Editor-in-Chief
Dear reader,
As an introduction to Outlook Newspaper’s physical print comeback, we come to you with an important message that concerns us all as students, faculty, administrative entity, Lebanese, and internationals. Press censorship has been an issue faced by societies across the world, including ours, and has far-reaching implications that we often fail to acknowledge.
The Lebanese press is no stranger to attempts of censorship, and recent threats to freedom of expression, such as Megaphone News, Annahar, or the Nizar Saghieh case, are evidence of this ongoing issue. The issue of censorship has been persistent throughout Lebanese history and politics, where those who are committed to fulfilling their journalistic obligations are threatened and punished for leading the public into the light, while the truth has been buried for years under the rubbles of the Civil War, 2006 invasion, and 4th of August explosion. It is the independent media’s role to seek the truth, ensure accountability, inform the public, and defend their freedom of seeking information which in turn ensures the prosperity of democracy. And any external intervention or attempt to silence, censor, and suppress the media should be condemned as it is a direct threat to one’s freedom of expression and democracy. The sectarian political system uses censorship as a weapon to silence critics and conceal the truth which exposes the wrongdoings of those in power. With the economic crisis and political stability catalyzing the deterioration of freedom of expression in the country, the press is the only strand of hope we have out of this situation. Yet, it is being used by the political elite to retain power and use it against its opposition instead of completing its initial role.
There is another side to censorship that we must address: the accentuated decrease in readers and listeners. Why do we write? We write to express, raise awareness, spread information… As students and as Lebanese who feel helpless in a country that’s crumbling around them, we write, we express, and we fight. However, the other end of the line is not being held as much as it was in the past. As students, and as citizens, we have a responsibility to be informed decision-makers, and hence, need to access information. But if we’re not reading and listening, the message, if uncensored, is not being transmitted. To enhance our democracy and implement its constitutional provisions that protect our freedom of speech and writing, we need to carry out our responsibility to listen, read, and be informed, which is only achievable through writing and reporting, and hence, journalism.
By listening and reading, we give value to others by enabling their voices and considering their perspectives, and we enhance the freedom of speech of journalists. Speech is meaningless without an audience, or without anyone on the other side picking up the line. This ongoing exchange between people is at the core of democracy and generates ideas and actions to ripple through and renovate societies and generations. Although there is a thin line between freedom of expression and hate speech which should never be crossed, challenging our thoughts, and considering the views of others is crucial to avoid being entrenched in our views. Not because they’re forcibly right, but because we are convinced, they are without considering other sides of the debate. For instance, in the case of the Civil War, its only way of transmission is oral history, inherited from generation to generation with embedded trauma in every line of the story. However, we forget that this conflict met no winners and only losers; and that there are always two sides at least to the same event. By not being exposed to different sides of the stories than the ones we heard, we become embedded in a version of the story of people who were on the front lines and who were directly affected, which we, as students, are not. These different sides of the story are presented by the independent press, but it is up to us to get all this data to become informed decision-makers, and build common ground. But what we are witnessing today is everyone staying on their side of the story, and hence, free speech and journalism become undervalued.
Along with the problem of not reading or listening comes the issue of disconnection. In a world governed by technology, where algorithms present to you an endless line of news and media tailored and curated to our likes and interests, we are constricted by stories and media content that confirm our assumptions and biases and do not challenge or expand our view of the world. You don’t have to change your position to change your perspective, it only expands it as you always learn something new when you seek stories and opinions we may not want to hear and might not completely agree with.
It is the media’s role to listen, to hear stories, and to report but it is also an individual responsibility to do so. By listening and reading, you make democracy stronger, empower journalists, improve society, maintain valued and essential rights, give meaning to speech, and give purpose to voice. Only when we listen can we find common ground, heal the divides throughout this country, build the bridge that Lebanon needs, and play our part in prohibiting censorship once we realize how important the press is in our lives.
With the country’s current situation, free speech and thought have become increasingly fundamental. In retrospect, Outlook’s been AUB’s official student newspaper since 1949. Outlook lies on a long history and legacy of independent journalism based on principles of democracy and apoliticism. As a student newspaper, it presents a rich tapestry of opinions and students from a plethora of backgrounds, religious beliefs, races, genders… As a newspaper, Outlook promulgates the freedom of expression by protecting students’ right to free speech and thought. By reading this publication, like when you read our archives, you get to experience the world and history unraveling through AUB students’ eyes. This publication is presented to you by the students who love to write, report, document, and design. Students write freely, for the betterment of AUB, for the betterment of the country, and the region. Outlook is and always has been committed to upholding its journalistic obligation of protecting the student’s freedom of speech and thought and freedom of campus press. Only when free minds are allowed to flourish can we see and understand the world around us.
And to the Outlook family,
Your invaluable contribution and passion for journalism have made Volume 55 what it was in all its passion, synergy, power, spirit, and glory. It has been an honor working with all of you this year, this is an experience I will carry with me, always. Outlook allowed me to grow on so many levels, I got to learn from all of you and I will cherish this forever. Through your hard work, passion, and dedication, you have made Outlook the source to students’ expression. As we are all part of Outlook legacy, we have marked history and will always remain amongst the generations that have allowed free minds to flourish, express, write, and make art. And special thanks to Tamara, Marilyn, Zayyan, Zeina, Maria, and Lynn, we have gone through a plethora of obstacles like printing and the Outlook room, but still managed to guide this newspaper to success. I can’t imagine doing this without you. You lead the boards with love and with your passion for journalism and self-expression, and I am honored to have worked alongside you this past year.
Thank you, all writers, editors, team leads and team members, for your consistent work, perseverance, we couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for everything, thank you for Volume 55.