Lebanese information ministry orders media to avoid describing Hezbollah as 'resistance'

Lebanese Information Minister Paul Marquess issued an internal directive to state-run media outlets, including the National News Agency, Télé Liban, and Radio Lebanon, instructing them not to use the term "resistance" when referring to Hezbollah and to instead use the group's official name.

The directive also prohibits certain terms in written reports and news coverage regarding Israel's ongoing attacks on Lebanon.

According to The New Arab, the directive followed on 2 March, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, triggering a subsequent increase in ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory.

It instructs media outlets to avoid the term "resistance" when reporting on Hezbollah, including during news readings, daily military statements, and field coverage prepared by the National News Agency's correspondents or other state media reporters.

The order also bars terms such as "mujahideen" and advises against quoting Hezbollah officials, including deputy secretary-general Naim Qassem, verbatim in written reports, limiting coverage to selected excerpts.

By contrast, terms such as "enemy" and "occupation forces" remain in use in state media, despite US and Israeli pressure to change Lebanon's official rhetoric toward Israel. This pressure also extended to the Lebanese army, with demands that the word "enemy" be avoided in official statements.

The directive reportedly follows a cabinet session held on 5 March, which emphasised the implementation of the 2 March decision across ministries, administrations, and relevant agencies. That decision called for a complete ban on Hezbollah's security and military activities and reaffirmed the principle that Lebanon holds exclusive authority over matters of war and peace.

The Ministry of Information's decision coincides with a broader shift in Lebanon's official discourse on Hezbollah.

On 9 March, President Joseph Aoun described Hezbollah as "an armed faction outside the state", a term also used by Foreign Minister Joseph Raji.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has repeatedly stated that Hezbollah's military and security activities are now illegal. This change reflects a wider political context: Salam’s government omitted references to "resistance" in its February 2025 cabinet statement, departing from the practice of successive governments since the 2000 liberation of southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, social media and independent news outlets continue to dominate public discourse in Lebanon and feature prominently in cabinet discussions.

Recently, Al-Akhbar newspaper, aligned with Hezbollah, published a report titled "National Officers", suggesting possible splits within the Lebanese army if it were ordered to confront Hezbollah. Authorities are verifying the report's accuracy, particularly as it was deemed damaging to military unity by Prime Minister Salam.

The cabinet also addressed social media posts that exceed legal limits on freedom of expression, including content inciting sectarian tension, targeting displaced persons, or promoting violence. Salam said such incitement originates "from multiple sources" but falls under criminal law, particularly offences that undermine national unity.

In response, Marquess appealed to journalists, social media influencers, and online users to exercise caution, avoid incitement and hate speech, and respect media ethics.

He highlighted a specialised unit established within the Ministry of Information in cooperation with UNESCO to combat false and misleading news.

Lebanon's media landscape has been unsettled in recent days. MTV Lebanon and its staff reported receiving what they described as "a flood of threats" via phone and social media, coinciding with the temporary disruption of the network's website after it aired a report on what it called "Hezbollah prisons" in Beirut's southern suburbs, specifying certain buildings.

The report prompted legal complaints from several lawyers to Beirut's Public Prosecutor against MTV, including its chairman, Michel Murr, and the report's producer, Maryam Majdolin Al-Lahham.

Critics accused the channel, known for opposing Hezbollah, of providing coordinates to Israeli forces. MTV denied the allegations as "false and naive," while supporters defended its right to freedom of expression and journalistic work.

Following these developments, Marquess called a special meeting of all state media outlets this Wednesday, 18 March, at the Ministry of Information to discuss the framing of media discourse "amid Lebanon's sensitive political and security situation, emphasising the need to preserve internal peace and stability."

Marquess briefed President Aoun on the current media discourse yesterday, 16 March, stressing that "freedom of opinion, expression, and media remains a fundamental and sacred right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and cannot be compromised."

He also highlighted "the necessity of protecting civil peace, especially during wartime, which requires exercising this freedom with responsibility and national awareness," urging all parties "to avoid hate speech, violence, incitement, and discord, noting the potential for serious repercussions on internal stability."

Marquess added that the cabinet confirmed the activation of the public prosecutor, under the justice minister's guidance, to address crimes that exceed the limits of free expression and media.

Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.