During the Lebanese revolution of October 17 2019, Oleksandra El-Zahran stepped up and started sharing independent accurate news on her Instagram page, and later on created the page Bedak Tghayir which is a politically unaffiliated and independent student election campaign at the Lebanese American University. Whether it is on her page or on her other page Bedak tghayir on Instagram, she shares news of whatever is happening in Lebanon independently from the government and the law or anyone in power.
Although Olleksandra’s pages are independent and free to share whatever they want, they are still limited as alternative and independent news media. Instagram is owned by the states, and the internet in our country is in the hands of the government, therefore our government has the power to take down her media outlet at anytime. Her followers are anti-government people in Lebanon that are fighting for a brighter future for our country, and her news is accurate, un-bias, and community oriented, which reinforces her supporters and her audience.
Forde, S. (2011). Chapter 1: Understanding alternative and ‘independent’ journalism
[read excerpts]. In Challenging the News: The Journalism of Alternative and Community
Media. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from:
https://www.macmillanihe.com/resources/sample-chapters/9780230243569_sample.pdf
Tracy's Media and Society blog 