Backlash in the Lebanese Media

Abstract

In the context of Countering Backlash: Reclaiming Gender Justice Programme, the Arab Institute for Women produced a case study unpacking the different forms and manifestations backlash – discrimination and exclusion - against women and their rights in the popular space in Lebanon. Within the popular space, this case study hones in on mainstream media in Lebanon, specifically on the coverage of talk shows and news bulletin reports of four crimes against women – a murder, an attempted murder, and two battles of child custody - in a timeframe of 3 years (2019 -2022).

The case study starts with a brief framing of the concept of backlash in Lebanon, and provides a contextual definition of backlash that sets the stage for a thorough discussion of the ways in which the different forms and manifestations of backlash against women in Lebanon are normalized and reinforced by the media.