Inclusive Media, Cohesive Society (IMeCS) was a two-year project that aimed to foster a media sector that contributes to a pluralistic, inclusive, and cohesive society in Lebanon. The lead partner on this project was the Samir Kassir Foundation, which worked together with Media Diversity Institute and the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The goals were:
- To ensure that media platforms, including social media, provide a fair representation of all components of the Lebanese society
- To equip marginalized groups and hate speech victims with the necessary tools to combat hate speech and empower them to express themselves freely
The project monitored traditional and social media coverage of marginalised groups and the use of hate speech. It actively engaged with and lobbied social media platforms themselves. The project also provided financial support and professional capacity building to independent media outlets, produced a satirical web series on prejudice and hate speech in Lebanese society, and established a large network of volunteers to respond appropriately to hate speech on social media. It has provided digital security to human rights defenders and marginalised groups and monitored retaliation against vocal victims of hate campaigns, while providing them with legal support.
The project partners conducted a research focusing on hate speech policies applied to both user-generated content and advertising content, shedding light on the policies’ potential effectiveness, transparency, user-friendliness, fairness, and respect for freedom of expression and the right to non-discrimination. It also sought to document any significant differences in the availability of policies in Arabic and English. Read the full report here.
This project was modeled after the MDI’s project called Get The Trolls Out.
Lead partner: Samir Kassir Foundation
Partners: Media Diversity Institute, Thomson Reuters Foundation
Region / Country: Middle East / Lebanon
Timeframe: 30/09/2020-30/04/2023
