Reality TV and Civic Engagement: Researching the Lives of the Young Palestinians Who Ran for 'The President'

"The show provided a space for participants to be visible and heard, in a reality that does not leave room for the youth to be change-makers in the political sphere."

Media can be an avenue not only for information transmission but also for participation and co-creation. With its roots in communication for development (C4D) concepts, this study illustrates how media programmes, when designed as strategic interventions to achieve change, can be created with the intent of enhancing young people's awareness of the important role they can play in society. Specifically, it examines the experience of the young contestants from The President, a reality TV show broadcast by Search for Common Ground (Search) in the Palestinian Territories in 2013 and 2015.

The article begins with an overview of the situation of young people in Palestine, where youth participation in political and public policymaking processes is limited. It explores their views on the society they live in (which leaves them "anxious and unmotivated"), their interest in the political environment, and their media consumption. A discussion on the literature follows. This section begins with an introduction to the work of scholars on the topic of civic engagement through media; the concept of civic engagement is also discussed, and a definition provided. It goes on to outline the main views that arise from the literature on reality TV and the evolution of the format; a connection is then made with the concept of C4D by reviewing some of the studies that have looked at the use of reality television for the purpose of community development. For instance, a number of scholars, including the author of this paper, have emphasised how entertainment-education, which is typically adopted in C4D interventions and may involve the use of formats such as reality TV, can contribute to the creation of communication environments that are adept at preventing violence.

The ensuing section provides detailed background on The President TV show and its targeted design. (See Related Summaries, below, for more on this initiative.) Briefly, both in 2013 and 2015, The President saw approximately 1,200 candidates aged 25-35 from the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel auditioning to compete in an elimination-style series of trials designed to test their political skills. The process required them to answer hard-hitting questions on live TV on various political, social, and economic issues affecting Palestinians. In each series, the last ten contestants that were left to compete in the programme after the progressive elimination of the other candidates took on the role of mayor in a selected municipality. Municipal government officials acted as mentors for the candidates, who ultimately were responsible for designing a town-hall-style dialogue in the community.

To follow up on a preliminary quantitative evaluation conducted in 2016 shortly after the second series of the programme had come to an end (at Related Summaries, below), the present study involved inviting (in 2021) the final five contestants of each series of the show (2013 and 2015) to participate. Semi-structured interviews were conducted; the information gathered was analysed in light of a framework (see image above) that brings together media participation and civic engagement.

The findings, which are illustrated with quotations from the contestant/participants, show how the format and structure of the programme has enhanced participants' understanding of the social, political, and economic spheres of their conflict-affected reality, contributing to their engagement with peace-oriented civic practices long after the end of the show. Notably, many of the activities they took part in for The President involved real-life role-playing. This strategy appears to have facilitated an understanding, for participants, of what it was like to be effectively in the shoes of a politician or a diplomat. Besides gaining knowledge into specific fields, this activity developed participants' skills in a broad range of areas that can be transposed into civic life. Participants also talked about the encouragement received and the sense of empowerment elicited in them through their involvement in the tasks laid out in the programme and the personal and professional networks created through the experience. Either through voluntary work, political involvement, advocating for people's rights, or leading a movement, the show's finalists appear to have developed a willingness to bring about change in their community.

In short, through their participation in the reality TV programme, contestants experienced:

• Knowledge development: The coaching provided and the tasks participants became involved in offered insights into the dynamics of local politics, the economic situation, and diplomatic and international relations.
• Skills development: Thanks to the training received through their participation in the show, contestants were able to navigate the world of politics and related domains in a professional and informed manner.
• Network creation: Those gravitating toward the TV show were both ordinary people, who supported the contestants' campaigns, and political and diplomatic figures. This network of individuals has, for some participants, proven to be significant in their life after the show.

The combination of these processes upheld participants' motivation in maintaining a level of civic engagement throughout their lives even after 5-8 years since the end of the show. Volunteering, political activism, participation in social movements, campaigning, and mentoring are some of the civic practices that the former contestants continue to be engaged with.

Whilst the interviews conducted demonstrate the connection between participation in the reality TV show and civic engagement, participants acknowledged the limitations that any form of civic engagement carries in the Palestinian Territories, despite the encouragement and support provided to the youth by the show, which also extended to its young audience. Respondents described the situation, particularly in relation to political involvement, that youth face in their everyday lives and the disillusionment that even the most active of them may feel.

A concluding discussion brings together key points arising from the study. In the end, the study leaves space for reflection on how C4D strategies "can be designed to build capacity of young people in the civic sphere through the use of the different media formats, at a larger scale. In particular, examining the dynamics that drive the connection between active civic engagement and youth-led positive social change in the Palestinian context could be useful to develop knowledge on how media-based civic engagement interventions among the youth can contribute to peace, stability, and development in the Territories."