Noora Faraj: Political Placebo

I admit that I am a fan of alliteration, and where possible, I exercise it to its maximum potential.

Why? Because alliteration is effective in capturing the audience’s attention, as the repetitive pattern is both visually and audibly appealing. Sometimes it can be a mouthful, and sometimes it can oversell a story – but that’s the whole point. We at Al Arabiya English want you to watch our reports or read our stories. And let’s face it, no matter how hard you try, you can’t resist clicking the “read more” button after a catchy five-word headline.

My point with alliteration ties to political speeches. It’s all about how the message is designed to capture attention, regardless of the way it’s delivered or by whom. Just because an important leader’s name is tagged to an issue, social, political, or other, the audience can’t help but want to learn more, even at the slightest iota.

The words that come out of their mouths work very much like a placebo. One would think that their title ensures instant credibility, and most people get that reaction of “Hey, this is finally going somewhere.” But cynics usually avoid falling into the psychological pitfall of a placebo. They know it’s a hollow promise of amelioration of any ailment, and results are only visible when action is being taken.

But as with any medication, the person needs to be patient, and as the cliché goes, time heals all wounds.

Don’t get me wrong -- there’s nothing wrong with hope, but not to the extent that one is ‘Waiting for Godot.’

(Noora Faraj, Senior Producer at Al Arabiya English Web TV, can be reached at: [email protected])