الاتحاد الكاثوليكي العالمي للصحافة- لبنان اوسيب – لبنان
Antelias, December 30th, 2001
On the New Year eve, the World Forum of Professionals in the Secular and Religious Media in Lebanon called the Lebanese television channels to preserve the high level of the programs and to not slide in show – pornographic programs, in order to prevent the aggravation of what disfigures the media and cultural image of Lebanon, and what spoils the meaning of the celebration. The call included the following:
1. Some television channels used in such occasion to broadcast show – pornographic programs which content does not suit original Lebanese and Arab values, contradicts with the spirit of our religious climates, and gets mass medias out of their moral and cultural role. The Forum emphasizes on the danger of what transmit some channels, due to what is included in their current and prepared programs to be broadcasted during the celebration, without taking in consideration what may engender these programs, irrelevant to our traditions, before a large part of young generations.
2. The Forum wishes that national Lebanese mass medias take in consideration that New year eve party is generally a family party in which participate the kids with their parents. Thus, it wishes that these channels preserve their social and cultural mission and to not be driven to programs of cheap kind. So let us leave a cultural and familial space on our national channels.
3. The Forum asks educative and cultural institutions and domestic associations to attempt to react with mass medias in order to resolve this aggravating problem which threats our values and alarms the increase of cultural invasion annulling the Lebanese identity and the oriental spirit.
4. The Forum praises some national channels which transmitted last year, and are preparing to transmit this year, programs characterized by high level of rich giving and humanity. It wishes that officials, public opinion and the audience know how to estimate such creative productions, and meet them with the moral and financial encouragement they deserve.
Translated by: Joyce Tary
