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The Isreali-Arab conflict is a topic that is extensively reported in the press. We have generally noted a fair degree of accuracy in the Western media. This has, however, changed in the 1990s, although we are not entirely sure why. This shift in the repoering is an important topic that neds to be persued. Many important Western media outlets, both networks (BBC, CNN, NBC, and others ) as well as important newspapers (Guardian. Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post) and others) show a clear idelogical bias in their reporting. This is not normally a matter of outright fabercation, at least with the Western media. There has been apauling incidents of journalistic ethics and competence even in the Western media. The BBC has been found guilty of manufacturing news. CBS fixture Dan Rather was duped into using amaturishly manufactured documents, accepting them because of his ideological bias. The more common problem with the Western media has been a willingness to show or report on Palestinian suffering without reporting on what prompted Isreali actions. Because of the problems with the media, we think it is necessary to monitor some of the most egrious examples of inaccurate or misleading reporting. Here we are able to monitor primarily the English language media. Readers are invited to provide to forward media reporting from their coyntry's press that they believe should be noted.
The Isreali-Arab conflict is a topic that is extensively reported in the press. We have generally noted a fair degree of accuracy in the Western media. This has, however, changed in the 1990s, although we are not entirely sure why. This shift in the repoering is an important topic that neds to be persued. Many important Western media outlets, both networks (BBC, CNN, NBC, and others ) as well as important newspapers (Guardian. Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post) and others) show a clear idelogical bias in their reporting.
This is not normally a matter of outright fabercation, at least with the Western media. There has been apauling incidents of journalistic ethics and competence even in the Western media. The BBC has been found guilty of manufacturing news. CBS fixture Dan Rather was duped into usung amaturishly manufactured documents, acepting them because of his ideological bias. The more common problem with the Western media has been a willingness to show or report on Palestinian suffering without reporting on what prompted the Isreali actions in question. It is difficult to tell whether the truth is being maliciously manipulated or the biased reporting is just the result of idelogical bias on the part of reporters and editors. Whater the reason, the result is a skewed picture of reality.
The Isreali-Aran conflict even before 1948 has emerged as both ruthless and bloody with great civilian suffering. The War befgan between Palestinian irregulars and Arab armies pittied against a poorly armed and outnumbered Jewish militia. The nature of the conflict changed as the Jews organized and developed a modern state out of refuegees from both Europe and Middle Eastern states. The conflict today is primarily between a modern army and terrorists who hide among supportive civilians. The result is noncombatants injuries and deaths. This complex struggle is magnified by a media hungary for dramatic images. This is the reality of modern media. And it often is a force for good, alerting the world of attrocities in Bosnis, Kosovo, Darfur and Somalia. Outrages that the perpetrators would prefer to hide.
This may not be what is happening in the Isreali-Arab conflict. The media coverage tends to exacgerate the level of violence and the number of individuals involved. Compare for example the numbers of people killed in Palestine and Lebanon with the mortalities in Darfur. The immensly greater mortalities in Darfur is not reflected in the press coverage. One has to ask why.
Because of the problems with the media, we think it is necessary to monitor some of the most egrious examples of inaccurate or misleading reporting. Here we are able to monitor primarily the English language media. Readers are invited to provide to forward media reporting from their coyntry's press that they believe should be noted.
France 2 TV has been accused of of broadcasting a staged story designed to influence public opinion against Israel. The report was broadcat in 2000 and purported to show Israeli soldiers shooting a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, Mohammad al-Dura, on purpose. Philippe Karasenty, a France 2 employee claimed that the report was inaccurate and most probably staged. A colleague sued Karasenty for defamation.
Charles Enderlin provided the voiceover of the original news report and accused Israeli soldiers of targeting the boy, althoug he was not present when the footage was shot. Considerable evidence was presented in court to support the contention that the scene was staged. France 2 has refused to make the raw footage public. Apparently it shows the boy purported to be dead, lifting his arm and looking at the camera. French journalist Clement Weill Raynal’s commented after a hearing, “Karsenty is so shocked that fake images were used and edited in Gaza, but this happens all the time everywhere on television and no TV journalist in the field or a film editor would be shocked.“ The France 2 report certainly affects public opinion and when aired in Arab countries can inspire suiside bombings. Thus is not just speculation.
Moroccan police arrested two 14-year-old sisters who wree planning a terrorist attack in Rabat. They told police that images of al-Dura’s death available on the Internet and played enlessly on Arab satellite channels motivated their decission..
Israel launched an operation against terrorist organizations in the West Bank (April 2002). Western e media initially uncritically repeated the Palestinian claim of 500 civilians killed by Israeli troops. Several medua outlets began using the term “The Jenin Massacre”. The term massacre is used when unarmed civilians are slain by military or security forces. This term continued to use the term even after the Palestinian casualty count was confirmed at 52, including mostly armed combatants. Aran media continue to refer to the Jenin Massacre.
Reuters stringer Adnan Hajj admitting that he altered photographs of Isreali bombing during the Lebanon War (2006). His photograph was published on the front page of the New York Times. Many other important publications used the image. The changes he made increased the perception of damage caused by an Israeli attack on Beirut. The New York Times editors who should be expers on imaging saw no problem with the photograph and with an ideological mindset often critical od Israel for using excess force eagerly published the photograph. The were immediately outed by the Bogosphere. Reuters fired Hajj and purged his images from their archive.
Articles about the Lebanon War used images of a Lebanese woman, pictured lamenting the destruction of “her” house. The woman was such an effective actress that she was moved around by Hesbolah and eventually pictured in four different locatioins wailing each time about the destruction of her house. There was also a wrecked ambulance reportedly “hit” by an Israeli missile which was another fabrication.
Reports from Kafr Kana, a village in southern Lebanese village, described dozens of civilians killed in a collapsed building as a result of Isreali air attacks. Images appeared “casualties” being removed from the rubble. Again the Blogoshere reported on the recycling of bodies for late-arriving photographers.
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