CRAZY
BACKGROUND
Why CRAZY?
It is shocking to see that the Syrian voices of hope, positivity, peace-making, civilized debate, and trust-building are still silenced/absented amid all loud voices of war, terrorism, and radicalism. The problem becomes more obvious when one realizes how mass media have turned so many Syrians to become merely news consumers. Conversely, the reality is that there are, as well, so many Syrians (youth, secular, leaders of enlightening, peace-making, women, and human rights activists from different Syrian regions and sects) who have shared values and views towards how to save Syria and turn it into a democratic and free country. These youth and leadership voices and talents need to be developed, empowered, and given the opportunity to speak up. They need creative media ideas and powerful media platforms to promote and facilitate intellectual thinking, visibility, and influence to counter the loud voices of war, terrorism, radicalism, and hatred.
Therefore, CRAZY comes to counter the narrative of extremism, and political and social oppression. Moreover, it seeks to facilitate conversation, encourage awareness and dispel misinformation.
Objectives & Message
This project seeks to produce CRAZY (program/show) on weekly basis.
CRAZY tries to recall human values, principles of justice, equality and coexistence. The message of the show revolves around the need to return to one’s conscious and restore its human principles. Therefore, CRAZY’s content highlights and discusses a wide spectrum of subjects such as the danger of fanaticism (whether political, religious, or sectarian) social contradictions, coexistence, the empty and baseless claims, the logic behind behavior and misbehavior, the logic and relationship between behavior and social beliefs…etc.
Audience & Language
Syrian; Arabic
Distribution
Radio, Online, Social and Digital Media.
Term
2017-2018
Presenter
Ola Malas is a Syrian media figure who studied medita and law in Damascus. Ola comes with robust experience in media and drama production. Since 2008, she has been presenting and producing radio programs that discuss Syria’s social matters boldly. Between 2006 and 2011 she was the managing editor of Shabablak (Young) magazine in Damascus before she was forced to leave Syria as a result of her support of the revolution there and the arrest of her husband and two brothers. Ola arrived in the US and obtained asylum in the United States in 2013. Currently, she lives in Virginia, U.S.A. She writes news reports to Orient TV and works as a program host and producer at Radio Rozana. Likewise, she is an activist in the Syrian Peace Movement organization, and participates as a volunteer in a number of humanitarian, educational, and cultural projects aimed at Syrian refugees.
Success Factors
Drawing on the previous experience of the show during the past years, it can be concluded that CRAZY had been a success story that can gain more momentum and expanded fan base. Additionally, and importantly, we presented the show to an audience of viewers, drama and media experts in a focus-group type of discussion to assess its content, production, presentation, host performance as well as the likeability, validity of the show and its opportunities to succeed. The results were very encouraging and the show was described as: real, trustworthy, loving, enlightening, persuasive, creative, and bold. Likewise, the audience feedback concerning the host was to a great deal similar to the show in terms of reality, trustworthiness, boldness, and loving, in addition to other key characteristics they saw in her like: honest, self-confident, energetic, talented, youthful and beautiful.
Indeed, the strengths of the show stem from the following:
The first sarcastic and critic show that a Syrian young woman presents ever.
Presented by a female social activist and human rights advocator who is a refugee (Oula Malas).
A show that introduces current issues that relate to the target audience interests and discuss matters that have direct impact on them.
The show’s language is spoken and understood by the regular Syrian people.
Comical style that is interesting and loving to the hearts of people.
Easy to promote; available and easy to access via social media platforms and networks.