The launching of Al-Mayadeen satellite channel is more like the announcement of the end of an era than the heralding of a new stage. In reality, the channel, whose launching was accompanied by wide media commotion, does not feature anything new or any added value at the level of its content in comparison with the other channels, after almost one month since the beginning of its broadcasting. Its programming on the other hand is no different than a dress that was repeatedly washed, put out to dry in the scorching sun, ironed and worn, with numerous pictures showing the keys of Palestinian homes in the hands of the refugees, without any realistic approach vis-à-vis the tragedies of the Palestinians in exile (and especially in Lebanon) and without any serious tackling of the current Palestinian developments. Instead, all of this is replaced with repetitive talk about “the compass." There are also attempts to convey a fictive reality in approaching the Syrian file, considering that despite its hosting of a number of oppositionists, the channel does nothing but confirm the regime's tales, fuel the civil war propaganda and justify the massacres. At this level, the most prominent element is probably the use of the scarecrow of Islamic armed groups that are active in states extending from Iraq to Lebanon and Syria. This is exactly where the channel's scandal resides. The advertisements which accompanied its foundation and the selection of its name claimed that the goal was to provide coverage for the Arab popular actions on the squares of change in the context of the Arab spring revolutions, after the existing channels showed selectiveness and bias in their own coverage. Indeed, in the latter media outlets, the Bahraini revolution is being marginalized, while the Libyan and Syrian revolutions are intensively tackled to serve the goals of the owners of those Arab satellite channels among other Gulf-funded media outlets. However, Al-Mayadeen is doing the opposite of what it is claiming, thus stressing all that would rationalize the authoritarian exclusionist rhetoric in specific states, while imposing blackout on other facts that are more important and dangerous than the ones announced by the channel. The apparent confusion in the editorial course of the new satellite channel is seen in its commitment to the political inclinations of the sides funding it on one hand, and its obligation to maintain a minimum level of objectivity, which is not enough to conceal the belongings – ideological among others – of the group managing Al-Mayadeen. A few years ago, a newspaper came out in Beirut, claiming to be establishing a new school in Arab media. The mask used by the latter newspaper was more solid and carefully-made than the one to which this channel has resorted today. In reality, the rejectionist media outlets with their various versions, have reached the moment of truth. They are forced to follow the regimes which funded and established them, at a time when the latter are in a state of agony. There are no exceptions at this level, unless the media outlets of rejectionism are able to sever the strings with which they are being activated from behind the curtains by the funding and directing sides, and are thus able to adopt an independent course that is slightly closer to the resounding slogans they have been raising. In conclusion, there are two remarks to be made. The first is that the only positive facet for the aforementioned media outlets is the fact that they are providing jobs for hundreds of youth during the economic crisis. The second is that this talk might prompt some to tackle the falsification featured in this article, considering it is being published in a newspaper which is receiving funding, just like the other media outlets whose status is tackled by the article. In response to those alleged some, we must clarify that during the era of social communication websites and electronic media outlets, the erection of walls and imposition of censorship on any kind of talk is useless, that secrets have become much less significant than many might think and that reaching the public has become much too easy to be prevented by moodiness.
