Thus, Bahaa Hariri burst onto the media scene

At the height of the demonstrations that began on October 17, a website named “Beirut City” (followed by “Voice of Beirut International” radio, which broadcasts its radio programs, came to light overnight). only on the Internet). At the time, the site specialized in publishing political news and filmed coverage of the popular movement in various Lebanese regions. Of course, what caught the eye is the editorial policy of the city of Beirut, which is based on news attacking the resistance and Iran and defending Saudi Arabia and its allies, as well as polishing the image of Baha Rafik Hariri by publishing any statement to make, and firmly supporting the demonstrations under the umbrella of the “revolution.” The news of the site was supported by an extensive advertising plan on social media pages (Facebook, Twitter …). “Beirut City” continued to work on its news plan, but the “Voice of Beirut International” (radio) platform also appeared on the scene, which was placed under the microscope, after it began hiring several well-known presenters, led by Tony Khalifa.

The latter appeared last Friday in the first episode of his program “An Embarrassing Question” (produced by Tony Khalife), which hosted Mai Khraish, vice president of the Free Patriotic Movement. The program is a metaphor for “Talk Show”, with slightly daring and spicy questions, and is based on the differentiation between countries and political figures. The opening episode would have been normal had it not been for a question Khalifa asked his guest after displaying the flags of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Who do you prefer Khreish to? After giving and receiving, her response was: “I choose Iran because I love to weave rugs that teach people to be patient,” as the guest said. He added that his choice of Iran stems from the premise that there is a broader margin of freedom than is available in the Kingdom. One response became a controversial article on the virtual pages, and Khreish was subsequently attacked, leading her to later tweet that her opinion on Saudi Arabia and Iran is personal, not related to the movement. Thus, the discussion about the political party behind the sites “Beirut City” and “Voice of Beirut International” has returned. Are they the twins of a political party? Those who support them financially, especially since the Lebanese media are experiencing their most difficult days amidst economic problems that affect channels and newspapers, which have led to the closure of a large number of these institutions or the payment of half their salary to employees since the beginning of this year. In a quick tour of the official “Voice of Beirut” page, it is clear that it is a radio station that was established on the Internet in 2005. According to the definition it mentions on its website, that after the “outbreak of the Revolution October 17, “Voice of Beirut International Radio entered a new phase of direct voice news coverage AND the photo is on the radio’s Facebook page, in cooperation with the Beirut city page.
In this context, some sources pointed out to Al-Akhbar that the two media sites are financed by Bahaa Hariri, which receives financial support from the Saudi parties and from the Gulf and Western countries, and that Jerry Maher (Bahaa Hariri’s adviser) directs them in terms of editorial content and political messages. The sources clarify that the two signatories do not have two fixed offices in Beirut, but rather that media professionals are hired without a legal employment contract, so that Hariri does not enter the maze of social security with employees and pay his rights. if they are fired. Thus, journalists work in the form of a “Free Lancer” with a whole team of photographers, producers and correspondents in various Lebanese regions.

Both sites are managed directly by Jerry Maher in terms of editorial content.

The same sources indicate that most of the journalists who worked in “Beirut City” and “Voice of Beirut International” were employees of the media affiliated to Saad Hariri, specifically “Future TV”, which closed its doors almost two years ago. . These media people were supporters of Saad, but changed their minds after the former prime minister failed to pay his fees after the screen, which was established by the late Rafik Hariri, was shut down in the 1990s. Sources claim that Bahaa is trying to go through a media experiment that constitutes a lever in his foreign-backed political project, taking advantage of the experience of his brother Saad, who failed to maintain his media institutions, which fell into a financial crisis and closed their doors, starting with the Al-Mustaqbal daily and ending with television. Something that caused Saad to lose the two media wings that his father Rafiq had established and used to trust to promote his projects.
Sources indicated that Bahaa decided to enter the Lebanese political arena through the front of the media (“New Media”) and approve his political project without incurring a huge financial cost such as launching a television channel, indicating that Hariri’s media project will soon expand through other media whose image is not yet clear. In addition, a significant financial budget has been allocated to the two signatories and the fees are paid with fresh money. In the same bank, the sources pointed out that the “Voice of Beirut” will soon expand the circle of the media that will expose the dialogues there. They are negotiating with Mario Abboud, LBCI news anchor, to take over the functions of a political program. In short, in light of the financial crises that are stalling in the media, the “Voice of Beirut International” and “Beirut City” sites come to show the political struggle between the Hariri, Bahaa and Saad people.

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