Whereas the traditional approach to reporting news involves reporting facts that can be verified by credible sources, there is nothing the least bit objective in Assad’s media which relies on falsification of facts and propaganda which has led to the regime’s TV channels being banned from broadcasting by most satellite television networks thus diminishing dramatically the number of followers.
Rather than face the fact that no one is interested in watching their fabricated news stories and propaganda lies, some Assad TV channels have tried to draw more viewers with media hyped challenges aimed at gaining them a place in the “Guinness Book of World Records".
The first world record challenge was staged by the "Talaqie” TV channel in 2014 during which the channel earned itself an entry to the "Guinness" record book by broadcasting the longest live television talk show program for 70 consecutive hours. The talk show, “From Syria with Love”, was presented by Areej Zayyat and Raen Almila who were later promoted by the Assad regime.
The channel, based in central Damascus, said at the time that it hoped the performance would be recognized by Guinness as an official world record. The previous record, held by a channel in Nepal, had stood at 62 hours. The broadcast was later posted on YouTube and featured telephone call-ins, music and dancing.
"We wanted to send a message through this program that this country, beset by all kinds of sufferings, can send a message of love to the world and say that life goes on for the Syrian people," channel director Maher al-Khaouli had told AFP.
The channel was launched in October 2012, more than a year after the start of the Syrian revolution, and targeted an audience of young people.
The program’s main concern was only to achieve a record. However, the content presented was empty and during seventy hours of dialogue there was not a single statement that drew the public’s attention to the plight of Syrians inside or outside of Syria. The program was nothing more than continuous filler, useless and unfruitful.
Immediately after reaching the goal, the regime began politicizing the event. The regime’s then information minister, Omran al-Zoubi, said: "This is a great victory for our national media," in an attempt to assure the Syrian identity and to deliver a message to the people that "Syria is fine."
Recently Assad’s media gurus launched another world record campaign aimed at trying to convince the world that all is well in the devastated country. The newest attempt to enter the "Guinness" record book was through the gate of a "Fuse FM" Radio program which limits its broadcasting to mainly Syrian territory.
Fuse FM launched a challenge to enter the "Guinness" record book through another continuous live broadcast of the longest radio dialogue program in the world, exceeding 81 hours and presented by media person, Rakan al-Khedari, and directed by Moataz Lakkoud.
From the first hour of broadcasting, a heap of criticism was showered on the program by its listeners, including Assad loyalists who considered the program to be nothing more than meaningless chatter and gossip.
Fuse radio management and event organizers said they staged the challenge seeking not only to enter the “Guinness" record book, but also with what they view as a noble goal of supporting Damascus’ candidacy for registration within the creative cities network to the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) file.
But the public was well aware that the radio management’s attempt to flatter the Assad regime would not protect it from unfair regime decisions and that the past scenario in which the Talaqie channel was closed by the regime in spite of its “Guinness" record will most likely be repeated.
To further the hype, the regime’s official television channels were broadcasting the challenge across their screens giving the radio program about a quarter of the screen space for its coverage.
Since the event was being broadcast live without sound, the public was not aware of the vapidity of the conversations taking place in the program dedicated to the "Guinness".
Former TV program presenter Abdul-Mueen Abdul-Majeed told Orient Net that the Assad media is collapsing and there are "gossips in TV and radio, no creativity, no professionality. They are just wasting time and the TV and radio management is just trying in vain to reach the people again with their lies and propaganda as they have for over six years.”
Syrian journalist Yasser Badawi expressed his discontent with the level Assad media and press have fallen to these days.
“Syrian media is crippled and cannot win public opinion. All they can do is mislead as usual which is the root of the problem… they are not capable of telling the truth.
“They did not know how to tell the truth even before the revolution. But after it began, the lies based on deception intended to cover up or manipulate facts as well as public opinion increased exponentially.
“The other problem is that public opinion cannot be measured for the simple reason that it is still under the grip of the regime
“There is no consensus in the absence of freedom where shabiha are always ready to exact internal reprisals against those who veer from the approved rhetoric.
“Assad’s detectives and intelligence support media outlets only because they are loyal to the regime or because they deliver statements which are based on lies and deception.
“There is no freedom for press and media in Syria under Assad dictatorship for journalists are not allowed to report truth.”
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