Media coverage of the Middle East conflict

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The media coverage of the Middle East conflict is considered biased by both sides. The coverage of the Middle East conflict , specifically the Israeli-Palestinian conflict , has generated more rebukes than any other topic covered in the media , as well as a large number of watchdog groups on both sides engaged in investigative journalism .

Types of bias

For example, biases in print and electronic media can be expressed in the following ways:

Choice of words, emotional language

The choice of words influences the interpretation of a particular event. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the choice of certain expressions is indicative of a particular attitude, for example the West Bank and Gaza Strip are referred to as "Disputed Territories" and "Occupied Territories", respectively. The Israeli barriers in the West Bank appear as a “security fence” or “ apartheid wall ”, and a terrorist or freedom fighter can be used to designate the same person, depending on your point of view. An attack can be described as a “reaction” or “ retaliatory measure ” , depending on the setting .

In a study of the BBC's television news coverage, the Glasgow Media Group documented differences in journalistic use of expressions by Israelis and Palestinians. The study found that terms such as “cruel”, “brutal murder”, “mass murder”, “cold-blooded killing”, “ lynching ” and “slaughter” were used to describe the deaths of Israelis but not Palestinians. “Terrorist” was often used to refer to a Palestinian. On the other hand, reports of an Israeli group attempting an attack on a Palestinian school referred to "extremists" or members of a " vigilante " but not to "terrorists".

The SPD member of the Bundestag Michaela Engelmeier criticizes the choice of words in the reporting. For example, it was not “three settlers” who were killed in the West Bank, but three members of an Israeli family who were murdered in the most cruel manner. The term "settlers" legitimizes this act for many people by branding the Israelis as alleged occupiers and oppressors.

Omission

The omission of certain information can influence the presentation of events in favor of a certain page. Examples of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

  • An article mentions both a Palestinian suicide bombing in Israel and an Israeli attack in the West Bank .
  • One article only mentions the Palestinian suicide bombing.
  • One article only mentions the Israeli attack.
Pro-Israeli position

In her article "Critical Thinking: Can You Trust Everything You Read?" ("Critical thinking: can you trust everything you read?") Explains the organization CAMERA :

"Material errors can be based on an omission or an indication of incorrect statements."

In its article "Understanding Bias", the organization HonestReporting asks the following questions about omissions:

  1. "Was the reporting one-sided and unbalanced?"
  2. "Was key information missing (selective omission)?"
Pro-Palestinian point of view

In a 2001 study by the FAIR organization , only 4% of the media in the US mentioned the fact of the Israeli occupied territories . According to an updated version of the study, that percentage has dropped to 2% of the media. The 2001 information is also reproduced in the film Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land .

In a "quick sheet" on media criticism, Palestine Media Watch asks the following questions about the omission of information:

  1. "How often have reports / findings / resolutions of the UN been mentioned?"
  2. "How often were reports / findings / statements on human rights mentioned?"
  3. "Were official Palestinian denials / indications of ignorance and innocence in violent acts mentioned in the reporting?"
  4. "Were official Israeli denials / indications of ignorance and innocence of violent acts mentioned in the reporting?"

Missing verification of the veracity

According to the press code , “News and information must be checked for truthfulness. Their meaning must not be distorted or falsified by editing, headings or captions. By examining the veracity, "journalism differs from other types of communication, such as propaganda , fiction or entertainment". The fact that there is no veracity verification implies the publication of information from potentially unreliable sources before the facts are (if at all) verified by an independent body and has led to numerous scandals . Examples from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

  • The first media reports of the fighting in Jenin from April 1 to 11, 2002 stated that Israel had "massacred" hundreds of Palestinian civilians. Subsequent investigations by the UN and Human Rights Watch revealed that the total number of Palestinian fatalities was estimated at 52 (including 22 to 26 civilians) and previous statements that a massacre had taken place were denied.
  • The November 2002 attack by Islamic Jihad in Kirjat Arba , described in Israel and in Western media as an "attack on the route of the praying", led to international condemnations. According to the Jerusalem Post report, "Islamic Jihad opened fire on security forces to protect Jewish prayers," and reports in Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post reported that all twelve Israeli fatalities were members of the army , border guards or security forces in Hebron.
Pro-Israeli position

In an article Atrocities of the British Press , HonestReporting writes that a great deal of space is given in numerous media publications to “unconfirmed Palestinian stories of conspiracies, mass murders, mass graves and war crimes”.

In the article, Edward Said's Documented Deceptions ( "Documented deceptions of Edward Said ") writes CAMERA that remain unchecked in connection with the defamation of Israel facts, charges remain unconfirmed and that journalistic responsibility is replaced by denials.

Pro-Palestinian point of view

In the article "Coverage of the Middle East Crisis In the Opinion Pages", the Palestine Media Watch organization, which was active from 2000 to 2009, writes :

“PMW has found that facts are increasingly being corroborated by independent and Palestinian sources and witnesses, rather than relying solely on Israeli government agencies, the Israeli military, or Israeli sources. PMW is of the conviction that this practice should be continued consistently, but sees itself confirmed in the fact that it is increasingly being practiced. ... When Israelis attacked a Palestinian girls' school and hospital, they were described as' Jewish extremists'. Or when Israeli soldiers or Jewish settlers kill civilians, their deaths are described as 'mistaken' or attributed to a 'crossfire' accident. These Israeli statements are rarely, if ever, questioned or labeled as verified. "

Selective reporting

In the case of selective reporting, the reproduction of a specific page is given comparatively more article space or airtime.

Pro-Israeli position

In an article Understanding Bias , HonestReporting asks the following questions about selective reporting:

"Are both sides of the conflict given equal airtime, or is one side given preferential treatment - which gives that side's position more weight and credibility?"

In a review on National Public Radio , CAMERA writes:

“[…] CAMERA found in 350 cases a striking inequality in airtime for Israeli and pro-Israeli speakers compared to Arab and pro-Arab speakers. The pro-Arab speakers got 77% more airtime. […] Even more dramatic was the comparison with segments in which only pro-Arab speakers had their say and pro-Israeli speakers were completely excluded, whereas there were significantly fewer reports without pro-Arab speakers. Almost twice as many segments had exclusively pro-Arabic speakers (41 to 24), with about four times the length (18,321 words transmitted compared to 4,934). "

Pro-Palestinian point of view

Prop-Palestinian media observers ("watchdog groups") assume that the media in the USA downplayed violent riots against Palestinians. According to FAIR, reports on the Middle East conflict on National Public Radio mention more Israeli than Palestinian victims.

Misappropriation of context

Withholding the context , information is omitted that is essential to understanding a decision, action or event. Examples from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

Pro-Israeli position

In the article "Objectivity & The Media: 7 Principles of Media Objectivity", HonestReporting writes the following: "Objectivity and the Media: Seven Principles of Media Objectivity"

"If the context is missing and full background information is not provided, journalists can dramatically distort the true picture."

In the article "How to Recognize Unfair Reporting", CAMERA writes:

"Are essential contexts and information left out in the article or in the program? This is often a problem with reports from the Middle East. Write a letter to the editor or directly to the journalist and / or the editorial team to establish the missing link. "

Pro-Palestinian point of view

In a 2001 study by the FAIR organization , only 4% of the media in the US mentioned the fact of the Israeli occupied territories . According to an updated version of the study, that percentage has dropped to 2% of the media. The 2001 information is also reproduced in the film Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land .

Another study by FAIR shows that around 79% of the media speak of Israeli "retaliation" compared to just 9% of the Palestinians. The most balanced program in the US in this regard is ABC's World News Tonight , which labeled Palestinian actions as "retaliation" 21% of the time, and the least balanced was NBC Nightly News , in which the phrase "retaliation" was never used for Palestinian Page was used.

In a "quick sheet" on media criticism, Palestine Media Watch asks the following questions about misappropriating context:

  1. "Were Palestinian actions described in context (eg: 'Palestinians launched a mine attack after Israelis rolled down a row of houses')?"
  2. "Were Israeli actions described in context (eg: 'Israelis rolled down a row of houses after Palestinians carried out a mine attack')?"

Trendy reporting

Headlines such as "Israeli security forces shoot four Palestinians" can be found on various news portals. The information that these Palestinians previously attacked five Israelis, three police officers and two civilians with knives in a terrorist act, comes later in the text. This specifically influences the reader.

Using headlines such as "Israel bombs Hamas targets in Gaza" with clarifications later in the text: "Israel reacts to the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip", Caroline Fetscher states in the Tagesspiegel that "labyrinthine detours and turns [...] such lines to go ahead, cascades of stereotypes ”; these would be "passed on and repeated [...] so often until they seem to arise on their own, simply seem natural". There are “micro -anti-Semitisms ” with an increasing tendency.

WDR "fact check"

On the following day of the - controversial - broadcast of the program Chosen and Excluded - The Hatred of Jews in Europe , which has largely dealt with the Middle East conflict, the WDR presented a “fact check” that reinforced the impression of strong bias. Mena-watch commented on the fact check as an abuse of the fact check after the ARD faded in 29 comments during the broadcast of the documentation in treadmills at the bottom of the screen with a reference to the fact check that would follow the next day. This is a one-time process and a screening by the filmmakers. Sometimes just a counter-opinion to the filmmaker's opinion was presented in the fact check.

Reasons for bias

Bias in printed and broadcast media can arise for a number of reasons, including:

Exercising coercion or censorship

Coercion, or censorship, refers to intimidating measures to promote unfavorable reports and to suppress unfavorable reports. In the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, both sides explain the alleged bias in the media in favor of the other side with the use of coercion or censorship. In support of these claims, the Israeli side referred to the kidnapping of foreign reporters by Palestinians, while the Palestinian side referred to media censorship and the suppression of reports by Israelis. In addition, both sides refer to reports from governmental and non-governmental organizations that assess the extent of press freedom in the region. See Media in Israel and Human Rights in Israel .

Counterfeit

Counterfeiting includes intentional misrepresentation , changes, or inventions in a report. Because of the seriousness of such incidents that violate the press code, they are often cited by Israeli and Palestinian officials as examples of controversial reports to show that the media favor the other.

Pro-Israeli position

In an article entitled "Bold Distortions and Outright Lies", HonestReporting commented on the controversy over images from the 2006 Lebanon War as follows:

"A photo from Reuters turns out to be an obvious lie, manipulated to make the damage in Beirut appear much worse than in reality."

“The conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed terrorist Hezbollah has generated forms of distorted and biased reports that we have not seen in years. While Israel is proven to be taking unprecedented steps to avoid civilian deaths, some media accuse the Israeli army of using disproportionate force against a harmless civilian population. A claim that is supported by little evidence and some even resort to obvious fraud ... "

For more information see under Pallywood and controversies about pictures from the Lebanon war 2006 .

Pro-Palestinian point of view

In a letter to the editor, Palestine Media Watch accused the media of providing false information or reporting false information:

“Fundamental facts are not just ignored but falsified, blatant, cheeky lies are told, and the intelligence of the American people is shamelessly and repeatedly insulted and hurt. And all the while the US media will not just turn around and play half-dead as usual, but will gladly accept the easy, comfortable way out and will never bother to ask the obvious questions, never referring to the decades-old history of rejections through Ariel Sharon, to point out his open refusal to accept a viable Palestinian state, his brutality, his war crimes and his ruthless sabotage of all opportunities, lesser or greater, to promote political dialogue. The media will in turn fail to connect simple points with one another, will not look for obvious patterns or discover them, will never have the courage to face reality, let alone from the senseless playground in which they have decided to lock themselves up , Break out."

In a letter to the Washington Post criticized Omar Barghouti , an activist of the organization Palestine Media Watch , that the mentioned newspaper repeat allegedly falsified information:

“Based largely on Israeli army sources, Keith Richburg and Lee Hockstader painted an inaccurate picture of the Israeli operation on Thursday November 9th against Hussein Abayat. The Israeli army wants us to believe that Mr. Abayat was a leading 'terrorist' who 'deserved' to be killed by Israel. The Washington Post article only helps promote this distorted image. "

“Right from the start, the article referred to the operation as ' targeted killing, ' which in any other context would immediately and intuitively be referred to as an assassination attempt. As always, the reader is given a very vague description of the victim, Mr. Abayat, and only the biographical information provided by the Israeli side is highlighted. I have always lamented the ease with which some Washington Post journalists rely on Israeli sources, despite the fact that their gross inaccuracy, if not total forgery, has been proven time and again. A quick look at the reports from Amnesty International , Human Rights Watch, and Physicians for Human Rights will testify to my testimony. "

presentation

Pro-Israeli position

On a page about headlines and graphics, CAMERA writes the following about placement:

“Headlines are the first, and sometimes the only, form of news readers see and should convey the most important thing in a nutshell. They need to get the reader's attention and at the same time they should always be accurate and specific. The size of a headline indicates the meaning of a story and its relationship to other happenings, and the way active and passive forms are used also affects the reader's perception. "

In an article on "Distorted Portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict," CAMERA criticized the New York Times for placing articles on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as follows:

“During a key period in late March and early April 2002, when Israel was suffering from a wave of unprecedented Palestinian terrorism, in response to which Israeli forces invaded areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority , the New York Times presented a clearly skewed picture of events. The focus of coverage was on Palestinian suffering, while Israeli casualties were continually reduced. According to the number and importance (based on placement and magnitude) of articles and photos, Palestinians were regularly shown as innocent victims of Israeli aggression. Israeli victims were hardly ever named, the less portrayed. Guest contributions tended mostly to condemn Israel. "

Pro-Palestinian point of view

The organization If Americans Knew often published an article claiming that reports of Palestinian casualties in the last two sections of articles in the New York Times to be placed.

Exaggeration or sensationalism

Sensationalism in the field of media implies a conscious selection of shocking events or an exaggerated representation at the expense of accuracy and objectivity in order to increase the rating . This type of presentation is also known as media hype and serves as a possible explanation for an alleged bias on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

Pro-Israeli position

In a media review entitled “New Rules for Reporting on the Middle East”, HonestReporting wrote the following about sensationalism:

“Every media product has its own style rules, which should be as fair and impartial as possible. But today it often seems as if the Palestinian Minister of Information is publishing and distributing his style rules to dozens of newspapers and other media outlets. Since September 2000, de facto new 'style rules' have been created for reporters who report on the Palestinian violence against Israel. In some cases, the 'new reporting rules' are based on current guidelines issued by media organizations and editorial offices. Although elements of 'pack journalism' (uniform coverage of several reporters without original lines of thought) are evident, there is probably no conspiracy behind these new stylistic codes. For the most part, reporters and correspondents have informally, perhaps subconsciously, adopted these guidelines. Without exception, the new rules are directed against Israel. While it is not a 'conspiracy', a press 'convention' against Israel has emerged and the bias is clearly evident. So far, this bias seems to have little impact on US public opinion about Israel. In Europe, the stronger, sharper tone against Israel may have a different influence in much of the media. Here are eight new 'rules' for reporting on the Middle East, emerging from hundreds of articles on the latest violence:
Rule 1. The intensity and scope of Israeli military actions should be sensationalized.
Israeli actions can be described as 'aggressive', 'destructive' or 'intense'. Israeli penetration into Palestinian territory can be described as 'deep', even if it is only about 300 meters. [ The New York Times, April 14, 2001]
On the other hand, Palestinian mine attacks can be described as 'ineffective' or 'of harmless effect', even if the perpetrators have malicious intent. "

In an article on "selective quoting" in connection with " Sharon's withdrawal from Gaza ", CAMERA criticized the Haaretz newspaper for using a sensational headline:

“The ' teaser ' contained a few selected quotes, under the sensational headline: 'PM's top aide: Gaza plan to freeze peace process.' ... With this teaser, sensationalism is given greater value than accuracy, and so Haaretz practices irresponsible journalism here. "

Pro-Palestinian point of view

FAIR explains on one page of its homepage how sensationalism in the media increases the audience and the number of readers.

Biased journalists

Both Israeli and Palestinian advocates have suggested that political ideologies, nationality, anti-Semitism, anti-Arabism, or Islamophobia could explain the alleged bias of certain prominent journalists.

Richard Falk , the UN Human Rights Council's special envoy for the Palestinian Territories, has stated that the media-skewed portrayal of the Middle East conflict accuses (according to him) honest and factual reporters of bias, while a pro-Israel portrayal is considered normal. Falk notes that the media do not adequately cover violations of international law by Israel, and concludes that “the American public is unaware of Israel's behavior and the unjust treatment of the Palestinian people. This creates a kind of imbalance. "

In an article about the coverage of CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour , CAMERA attributed her journalistic style to her political ideology:

“Known for flying in to report on the latest global hotspot, Christiane Amanpour is one of the world's most famous journalists. But there have long been questions about their habit of skewing news to suit their own political views. "

Ira Stoll of the New York Sun , formerly with the Jerusalem Post , attributes alleged bias against Israel in the media in part to reporters with Jewish backgrounds:

“In most cases, unfortunately, a lack of fairness and balance is not based on a conscious decision by the editors to enforce their newspaper's stand for freedom, democracy and Western values ​​against murderous, repressive tyrants. I suspect that this is the result of four factors: 1. Self-loathing and indulgence by Jewish or formerly Jewish reporters, editors, and publishers; 2. Ordinary, innocent carelessness and errors that can appear in any report constructed by tired people who have to meet deadlines; 3. Structural imbalance among journalists who are mostly able to work freely and unhindered in Israel but are subject to severe restrictions in countries such as Syria and Iran; 4. Lack of understanding of the underlying historical and political background. "

Controversial events

To support claims that the media favor the other side, conflict participants on both sides often cite some illustrative and extreme examples of controversial reporting. The following are some examples of controversial events that are often quoted by representatives of the Israeli standpoint, by representatives of the Palestinian standpoint, or by both sides.

The death of Muhammad al-Durrah in 2000

On September 30, 2000, the eleven to twelve year old Muhammad al-Durrah was shot dead in a Palestinian-Israeli crossfire at the intersection near Netzarim . The incident was taped on France 2 , whereupon it was alleged that Israel had shot the boy. Following an official internal investigation, the Israeli army admitted it was likely responsible and apologized for the shooting. Al-Durrah became a symbol of the Second Intifada and Palestinian martyrdom.

External investigations revealed that the boy was doubted to have been shot dead by Israeli soldiers, and it was suspected that the tape might have been made. After a non-military investigation by the commander of the Southern Command , Yom Tov Samia, set both the media adviser to Ariel Sharon , Raanan Gissin , as well as Daniel Seaman from the press office of the Israeli government, the accuracy of the report by France 2 publicly questioned. In 2005, the head of the Israeli National Security Office, Giora Eiland , publicly withdrew the army's original concession. To avoid negative publicity and backlash, the Israeli army did not conduct its own official military investigation until 2007. On October 1, 2007, Israel officially reclaimed responsibility for the shooting, saying that the report had been submitted by France 2 , which was immediately criticized by Al-Durrah's father.

In February 2012, al-Durrah's father sued Israeli doctor David Yehudah after he testified that he believed that the wounds reported by al-Durrah's father were the result of an attack by Hamas members suspecting him of collaboration with Israel.

After Yehudah was initially acquitted by a French court, the Paris Court of Appeal passed a final verdict in the same case on June 26, 2013: French media advisor Philippe Karsenty was found guilty of defamation and fined 7,000 euros. Karsenty had called the reports of the killing of Mohammed "pending"; this version was rejected in the French court judgment.

The picture by Tuvia Grossman 2000

On September 30, 2000, the New York Times , Associated Press and other media published a picture of an Israeli police officer holding a baton next to an abused and bleeding young man. In the caption, the young man was identified as a Palestinian and the incident took place on the Temple Mount . The young man was 20-year-old Tuvia Grossman , a US Jew from Chicago who was studying at a yeshiva in Israel; the Israeli policeman, who appeared to be beating Grossman in the picture, came over to protect him from Palestinian attackers.

On October 2, 2000, Grossman's father emailed the New York Times :

“Regarding your picture on page A5 (Sept. 30) of the Israeli soldier and the Palestinian on the Temple Mount - by the way, this Palestinian is my son, Tuvia Grossman, a Jewish student from Chicago. He and two of his friends were pulled out of a taxi driving through Jerusalem by a mob of Palestinian Arabs and were severely beaten and stabbed. This picture could not be taken on the Temple Mount because there is no gas station there, and certainly not one with Hebrew letters, like the one clearly visible behind the Israeli soldier trying to protect my son from the mob. "

On October 4, 2000, the New York Times published the following incomplete correction in which the crime scene was misrepresented:

“An Associated Press caption on Saturday about fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem contained a mistaken identification of a wounded man who was shown with an Israeli police officer. It was Tuvia Grossman from Chicago, an American student in Israel, not an unknown Palestinian. In some copies, the location where Mr. Grossman was wounded was also incorrectly stated. It was in the old city of Jerusalem, but not on the Temple Mount. "

On October 7, 2000, the New York Times published an article about the incident and published the following completed correction:

"A caption from the Associated Press on page A6 on Saturday about fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem contained a mistaken identification of a wounded man who was shown with an Israeli police officer. It was Tuvia Grossman from Chicago, an American studying at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem, not an unknown Palestinian. In some copies, the incorrect location of the news agency was given in the caption. The incident took place in an Arab quarter in Jerusalem, not on the Temple Mount or anywhere else in the Old City. "

“In a correction at this point on Wednesday, the errors were listed incompletely and an explanation of the location of the event was missing. The policeman threatened Palestinians with a baton and ordered them to stay away from Mr. Grossman. He didn't hit Mr. Grossman. "

"An article about the incident and the picture appears today on page A4."

The picture with Grossman has since appeared frequently in Israeli media-critical articles because it was initially assumed that the policeman who had rescued Grossman had hit him, the perpetrator was therefore an Israeli and the victim was a Palestinian. However, the truth was the opposite.

Fight in Jenin 2002

A week after the suicide bombing of Hamas on 27 March 2002 at a seder in a hotel in Netanya were killed, in which 30 Israeli civilians and wounded 143, which launched Israeli army (IDF) on April 3, a major operation in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jenin , which, according to Israeli sources, "served as the starting point for several terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and Israeli towns and villages in the area". The fighting lasted eight days. They resulted in the deaths of 52 Palestinians (including 14 civilians under IDF and 22 civilians under Human Rights Watch ) and 23 Israeli soldiers, although interpretations on the Israeli and Palestinian sides were very different.

After the fighting ended, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Israeli army had killed 500 Palestinians and accused Israel of having committed a massacre. Previous reports, based on both IDF reports (an estimated 200 Palestinian casualties) and Palestinian reports (an estimated 500 Palestinian casualties) reported hundreds of Palestinian casualties, with repeated references to a massacre. Subsequent investigations by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International found that no massacre had taken place, although both organizations accused the Israeli army of war crimes and human rights violations . The UN also described allegations that hundreds of Palestinians had been killed as unfounded, which in many places has been interpreted and accepted in reports that no massacre had taken place. Nevertheless, the fighting in Jenin is still often referred to in Palestinian and other Arabic sources as the "Jenin massacre" ( Arabic مجزرة جنين) designated.

Explosion on Gaza Beach in 2006

On June 9, 2006, an explosion on a beach in the Gaza Strip killed seven Palestinians, including three children. According to Palestinian sources, the explosion occurred due to Israeli shell fire. After a three-day investigation by the Israeli army (IDF), it came to the conclusion that the explosion could not have come from an artillery attack. This Israeli army investigation has been criticized by both Human Rights Watch and The Guardian for disregarding evidence. The IDF admitted that the report should have mentioned two projectiles from a gunboat that were fired around the time of the deaths, but claimed that those projectiles landed too far from the affected area to cause the explosion and that they failed to do so does not affect the general conclusion of the report that Israel was not responsible for the explosion.

According to Human Rights Watch, IDF admitted that the explosion may have been caused by an unexploded 155mm artillery shell from previous fire or from elsewhere, but said the shell may have been placed there as a booby trap by Palestinians. An investigation by Human Rights Watch found that the explosion was caused by an Israeli 155mm artillery shell and stated, "The splinters, shell holes and injuries all point to this weapon as the cause." According to CAMERA, "are many." in the press [assumed] that Israel is responsible ”.

Controversies over images from the 2006 Lebanon war

On August 5, 2006, Charles Foster Johnson, on his blog Little Green Footballs , accused Reuters of inappropriately manipulating images of the destruction of Beirut by Israel in the Second Lebanon War . This was the first of numerous examples of the media accused of inappropriate photo manipulation . Some media also criticized incorrect captions or the fact that photos were taken through inappropriate use of props. These allegations first appeared on the blogosphere and were later expanded to include an online video by Aish HaTorah entitled "Photo Fraud in Lebanon". In response, Reuters tightened photo editing guidelines and admitted improper photo manipulation by freelance photographer Adnan Hajj , who was subsequently fired from Reuters. In further response, the BBC, the New York Times and Associated Press withdrew some published photos or corrected the captions. This incident was dubbed " Reutersgate " in the blogosphere , referring to the Watergate affair .

Representation by Samir Kuntar 2008

On July 19, 2008, Al Jazeera TV broadcast a program from Lebanon about festivities to welcome the “homecomer” Samir Kuntar , a Lebanese militant who had been imprisoned for multiple murders in Israel, including during an attack by the PLF in Israel killed a four year old child. In the program, the head of Al Jazeera's Beirut office, Ghassan bin Jiddo, praised Kuntar as a “pan-Arab hero” and organized a birthday party for him. In response, the Israeli government's press office threatened to boycott the satellite channel unless an apology was given. A few days later, an official letter was issued by Al Jazeera's general manager Wadah Khanfar admitting that the program violated the station's code of ethics and that he had instructed the channel's program director to take steps to become one Do not repeat the incident.

Date of death of a baby in Gaza 2012

A Gazan man falsely claimed that his five-month-old baby died on March 23, 2012 when his ventilator generator ran out of gas as a result of the Gaza blockade in Egypt and the Egyptian cut off gas supplies to Gaza. This death, "confirmed" by a Gaza health official, would have been the first to be related to the Gaza Strip's energy shortage . The baby's father, Abdul-Halim Helou, said his son Mohammed was born with a diseased lymphatic system , required removal of the fluid that had accumulated in his respiratory system, and that he only had a few months to live. The amount of gasoline they needed was miscalculated, and if they lived "in a normal country with electricity," his son would have had a better chance of survival.

However, the report was called into question when it was discovered that the time of the death was incorrectly stated and appeared to be an attempt by Gaza-ruling Hamas to exploit the death to gain sympathy. The Associated Press later learned that Mohammed Helou's death was reported in the Arab newspaper al-Quds on March 4 , and Hamas later apparently used the incident to capitalize on the family tragedy. The al-Quds article contained the same details as the later report, but with an earlier date. At the request of the Associated Press , the family and Hamas representative Bassem al-Qadri continued to insist that the baby had recently died. AP reporter Diaa Hadid tweeted : “#Hamas misrepresented a story. Two Hamas officials misled us, and so did the family. "

The Associated Press then withdrew the story, stating, "The report was challenged after it was discovered that a local newspaper reported the baby's death on March 4th."

Movies

Here are a few examples of films addressing the Middle East conflict.

Décryptage

Décryptage is a 2003 French documentarydirected by Jacques Tarnero and directed by Philippe Bensoussan . The film examines the coverage of the Middle East conflict in the French media and comes to the conclusion that the media portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in France is consistently directed against Israel andcould be blamedfor an intensified anti-Semitic mood.

Pallywood

Pallywood: According to Palestinian sources… is the title of an 18-minute documentary by Richard Landes . The film title is a suitcase word from Palestine and Hollywood , and the film itself documents a form of reporting in which Palestinians are said to have faked violent Israeli attacks on the Palestinian civilian population with the help of staged scenes in order to turn the world public against Israel.

Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land

Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land is a 2004 documentary directed by Sut Jhally and Bathsheba Ratzkoff . The film assumes that the influence of pro-Israel media observers like CAMERA and HonestReporting leads to distorted pro-Israel reports. In response, the American-Jewish organization JCRC criticizes the fact that in the film the influence of the "numerous pro-Palestinian media observers such as FAIR ( Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting ), who describe themselves as a 'national media observer' and whose spokesperson plays a prominent role in the film", is not discussed. Pro- Palestinian LiP Magazine describes the film as "a good starting point for reflection on media misrepresentation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with useful analysis of language used to manipulate public opinion," but notes a lack of "solid statistics and facts to support it." some blanket statements ”. In a film review in the New York Times , Ned Martel writes that the film “largely ignores Palestinian leaders who certainly played a role in broken vows and broken hearts in the conflict. And such a lack of objectivity weakens the one-sided, bold and detailed thesis of the film ”.

Further criticisms

Wrong compromise
See also: false dilemma and value relativism

False compromise refers to the assertion by some of the Israeli and Palestinian positions that one side of the conflict is morally right and the other side is morally wrong, and that attempts to balance both positions therefore misrepresent that both sides are morally equal. Bret Stevens , a representative of the Israeli point of view, says:

“Moral clarity is an expression with little appeal these days, especially among journalists who prefer 'objectivity' and 'balance'. But good journalism is more than the distinction between facts and opinions or fairness. Good journalism includes the ability to analyze and differentiate, and this applies to moral as well as any other differentiation. Because too many journalists today no longer make any moral distinctions, we are left with a journalism whose narrative and analytical defects are becoming increasingly blatant. "

Structural geographic bias

This relates to the assertion made by some of the Palestinian standpoints that Western media allegedly favor Israel because of the large number of Western reporters and correspondents reporting from Israel.

Internet and social media

Associations, government agencies and individuals use the internet , new media and social media in an effort to influence public perception in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The journalist Megan Jacobs wrote in the Jerusalem Post : ". The war in the Middle East will take place not only on land but also in cyberspace" While websites with Palestinian and Israeli orientation mediate their positions are heated debates about the Middle East conflict on social Transfer networks and applications with user-generated content , such as Facebook , Google Earth , Twitter and Wikipedia . According to an Associated Press article, Israelis and Palestinians use social media to post “rival narratives” and to draw attention to their own suffering in order to gain international sympathy and support. At the same time, "distortions and errors are instantly magnified on a global scale."

Watchdog groups

The following is an alphabetical list of watchdog groups that monitor the coverage of the Middle East conflict in Western media. While the effect of the media on public opinion is controversial at the academic level , lobby organizations consider the influence of the media to be essential for creating and securing a favorable public perception of the conflict.

Surname official homepage Alignment
Accuracy in Media http://www.aim.org/ pro-Israeli
Arab Media Watch http://www.arabmediawatch.com/ Pro Palestinian
Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) http://www.camera.org/ pro-Israeli
FAIR http://www.fair.org/ Pro Palestinian
Honest Reporting http://www.honestreporting.com/ pro-Israeli
Institute for Middle East Understanding http://imeu.net/ Pro Palestinian
Middle East Media Research Institute http://www.memri.org/ pro-Israeli
Palestine Media Watch Pro Palestinian
Palestinian Media Watch http://www.palwatch.org/ pro-Israeli
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs http://www.washington-report.org/ Pro Palestinian

See also

literature

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Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b The Other War: A Debate ( November 20, 2008 memento on the Internet Archive ) by Columbia Journalism Review .
  2. ^ Greg Philo and Mike Berry, Bad News From Israel
  3. ↑ a b Michaela Engelmeier Tendentious and lurid - Israel reporting in Germany has major gaps - also in quality media , Jüdische Allgemeine, July 27, 2017. Accessed July 30, 2017.
  4. ^ Critical Thinking: Can You Trust Everything You Read? by CAMERA
  5. ↑ a b HonestReporting: Understanding Bias. ( Memento from June 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  6. ↑ a b c d Uprising Without Explanation, Extra ! , January / February 2001.
  7. ↑ a b FAIR Challenges CBC Ombud's Report, fair.org.
  8. ↑ Principles of Journalism ( Memento May 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) by PEJ .
  9. ↑ Hundreds of Victims Were Buried by Bulldozer in Mass Grave , Telegraph. April 13, 2002. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  10. ↑ Jenin 'Massacre Evidence Growing' , BBC . April 18, 2002. 
  11. ↑ Ben Wedeman: Access to Jenin Difficult , CNN . April 11, 2002. 
  12. ↑ Report of the Secretary-General on Jenin ( Memento June 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) by the United Nations .
  13. ↑ Civilian Casualties and Unlawful Killings in Jenin by Human Rights Watch .
  14. ↑ a b UN Says No Massacre in Jenin , BBC . August 1, 2002. 
  15. ↑ a b U.N. Report: No Massacre in Jenin , USA Today . August 1, 2002. 
  16. ↑ a b James Bennet: Death on the Campus: Jenin; UN Report Rejects Claims of a Massacre of Refugees , New York Times . August 2, 2002. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  17. ^ Manufacturing a Massacre , Salon . November 19, 2002. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved on April 28, 2008. 
  18. ↑ UN Press Release: Secretary-General Condemns 'Despicable' Hebron Terrorist Attack
  19. ^ Victims of the Hebron Shooting Attack , Haaretz . November 17, 2002. 
  20. ↑ 12 Killed in Hebron Shabbat Eve Ambush , Jerusalem Post . November 15, 2002. Archived from the original on May 3, 2008. Retrieved on April 28, 2008. 
  21. ^ Atrocities of the British Press ( Memento of August 27, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) by HonestReporting.
  22. ^ Edward Said's Documented Deceptions by CAMERA.
  23. ^ NPR Distorts Even Its Bias ( Memento from September 5, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) from CAMERA.
  24. ^ FAIR : For NPR, Violence Is Calm if It's Violence Against Palestinians. ( Memento from May 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  25. ↑ Objectivity & The Media: 7 Principles of Media Objectivity ( Memento of February 26, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) by HonestReporting.
  26. ↑ How to Recognize Unfair Reporting ( Memento of March 13, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) from CAMERA.
  27. ↑ In US Media, Palestinians Attack, Israel Retaliates
  28. ↑ Caroline Fetscher: Criticism of Israel: The micro-anti-Semitisms are increasing. www.tagesspiegel.de, August 27, 2019
  29. ↑ Stefan Winterbauer, The anti-Semitism documentary on “Maischberger” - a debacle for WDR on all levels , MEEDIA, June 22, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  30. ↑ Documentary and talk about anti-Semitism - a failed evening for WDR , Spiegel. Retrieved July 29, 20127.
  31. ↑ The fact check in the fact check , mena-watch, June 23, 2017. Retrieved on July 29, 2017.
  32. ^ "Maischberger" on anti-Semitism documentary "Haven't you!" - "We have!" , Süddeutsche Zeitung, June 22, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017
  33. ↑ Bold Distortions and Outright Lies ( Memento December 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) by HonestReporting.
  34. ↑ Headlines & Graphics ( Memento of March 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) from CAMERA.
  35. ↑ New York Times skews Israeli-Palestinian Crisis ( Memento of 11 June 2007 at the Internet Archive ) of CAMERA.
  36. ^ Off the Charts: New York Times Coverage of Israeli and Palestinian Deaths by If Americans Knew .
  37. ↑ a b “New Rules” for Mideast Reporting ( Memento from October 15, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) by HonestReporting.
  38. ↑ Selective Quotes Distort Intent of Sharon's Gaza Withdrawal con CAMERA.
  39. ^ Issue Area: Sensationalism by FAIR .
  40. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives:@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.sacbee.com
  41. ↑ Amanpour's Troubling Journalism by CAMERA.
  42. ↑ 12-year-old Boy Among Dead in Israeli-Palestinian Cross Fire , CNN . October 1, 2000. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. 
  43. ↑ French Public TV and the perpetuation of a Scandal , The New York Sun . November 26, 2004. 
  44. ↑ Israel 'Sorry' for Killing Boy , BBC . October 3, 2000. 
  45. ^ Mohammed al-Dura Lives On by Gideon Levy at Haaretz .
  46. ↑ Who Shot Mohammed al-Dura? by James Fallows .
  47. ↑ Backgrounder: Mohammed Al Dura from CAMERA.
  48. ^ A b We Did Not Abandon Philippe Karsenty , JPost . June 25, 2008. 
  49. ^ IDF Demands Uncut al-Dura Tape , Jerusalem Post . September 17, 2007. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved on February 19, 2019. 
  50. ^ Israel officially Denies Responsibility for Death of al-Dura in 2000 , YNet . October 1, 2007. 
  51. ↑ GPO Head: Sept. 2000 Death of Gaza Child Al-Dura Was Staged , Haaretz . October 1, 2007. 
  52. ↑ Al-Dura's Father: Israel's Claims Ridiculous , YNet . October 2, 2007. 
  53. ↑ Jedi'ot Acharonot, February 19, 2012.
  54. ↑ Media Analyst Convicted over France-2 Palestinian Boy Footage ( The Guardian, June 26, 2013)
    Karsenty Convicted, Fined for Defamation in al-Dura Case (JTA, June 26, 2013)
  55. ↑ a b c d The Photo That Started It All ( Memento from January 18, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) by HonestReporting.
  56. ^ A b Corrections , New York Times . October 7, 2000. 
  57. ^ A b New York Times Media Fraud, Incompetence, and Bias ( Memento April 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) by Fraud Factor .
  58. ^ Corrections , New York Times . October 4, 2000. 
  59. ↑ Robert D. McFadden: abruptly, a US student in Mideast Turmoil's Grip , The New York Times . October 7, 2000. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  60. ^ Victim of the Media War by Tuvia Grossman at Aish HaTorah .
  61. ↑ Photo Falsehood and the Rosh Hashanah Riots ( Memento from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) by CAMERA .
  62. ^ Passover Massacre at Israeli Hotel Kills 19 , CNN . March 27, 2002. 
  63. ^ Alleged Passover Massacre Plotter Arrested , CNN . March 26, 2008. 
  64. ^ Israel Passover Bomb Suspect Held , BBC . March 26, 2008. 
  65. ↑ Jenin's Terrorist Infrastructure by MFA .
  66. ↑ a b Report of the Secretary-General on Jenin ( Memento of June 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) from the UN .
  67. ^ Jenin: IDF Military Operations - Summary by HRW .
  68. ↑ Inside the Battle of Jenin ( Memento June 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) by Time .
  69. ^ Greg Myre: New Battle over Jenin, on Television , New York Times . April 13, 2003. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  70. ^ Powell Postpones Meeting with Arafat , CNN . April 12, 2002. 
  71. ↑ Jenin 'Massacre Evidence Growing' , BBC . April 18, 2002. 
  72. ^ Conflict in the Middle East: Fierce Fighting Continues in Jenin by CNN .
  73. ^ Jenin: IDF Military Operations by HRW .
  74. ^ Israel and the Occupied Territories: Shielded from Scrutiny: IDF Violations in Jenin and Nablus by Amnesty International .
  75. ↑ a b Hamas Militants Vow to End Truce , BBC . June 10, 2006. 
  76. ↑ Peretz: Friday's Gaza beach shelling 'not our doing' , Jerusalem Post . June 13, 2006. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved on February 19, 2019. 
  77. ↑ IDF not responsible for Gaza blast , Jerusalem Post . June 13, 2006. 
  78. ^ Israel: Gaza Beach Investigation Ignores Evidence by HRW .
  79. ↑ Chris McGreal: The battle of Huda Ghalia - who really killed girl's family on Gaza beach? , The Guardian . June 17, 2006. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  80. ↑ see M795
  81. ↑ a b http://www.hrw.org/en/node/10911/section/9
  82. ↑ Israel Should Not Be Presumed Guilty of Gaza Beach Deaths by CAMERA.
  83. ^ Reuters Doctoring Photos from Beirut? on Little Green Footballs
  84. ↑ Photo Fraud in Lebanon by Aish HaTorah on YouTube .
  85. ↑ Reuters toughens rules after altered photo affair , Reuters . January 18, 2007. 
  86. ↑ Reuters gate strikes other news outlets , JPost . August 11, 2006  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) @1@ 2Template: Dead Link / fr.jpost.com
  87. ↑ Al-Jazeera Admits to 'Unethical' Behavior over Kuntar Party by Yoav Stern and Haaretz Correspondent.
  88. ↑ Honoring Samir Kuntar ( Memento from December 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) by Greg Pollowitz, NGOs MSM watchdog.
  89. ↑ # 1818 - Al-Jazeera TV Throws a Birthday Party for Released Lebanese Terrorist Samir Al-Quntar. MEMRI.
  90. ↑ Gaza baby dies after respirator runs out of fuel . The Guardian. March 25, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  91. ↑ a b Hamas Blames Fuel Shortage for Gaza Baby's Death . Yedioth Ahronot. March 25, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  92. ↑ Hamas blames fuel shortage for Gaza baby's death . Yahoo News. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  93. ↑ Confusion of Gaza Baby's Death . The Herald Sun. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  94. ↑ Diaa Hadid tweets . Twitter. March 26, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  95. ↑ Story Removed: Gaza Power Cuts . The Guardian. March 25, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  96. ↑ Hamas Blames Fuel Shortage for Gaza Baby's Death . Boston. March 25, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  97. ↑ Décryptage (2003) on IMDB
  98. ^ Décryptage ( Memento of May 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) on Sundance Channel
  99. ^ Movies ( Memento from April 8, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) on The Second Draft
  100. ↑ a b Pallywood on YouTube
  101. ^ Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land on Internet Movie Database
  102. ^ Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land ( March 14, 2008 memento in the Internet Archive ) on Google Video
  103. ^ Refutation of Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land by JCRC .
  104. ^ Review of Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land by LiP Magazine .
  105. ^ Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land (2003) by Ned Martel in the New York Times .
  106. ↑ Eye on the Media: Depending on Your 'Point of View' by Bret Stevens at the Jerusalem Post , quoted from Watch - "Immoral Equivalency." ( Memento from July 5, 2003 in the Internet Archive )
  107. ^ The Hottest Button: How The Times Covers Israel and Palestine by the New York Times .
  108. ^ Killings of Dozens Once Again Called Period of Calm by US Media ( August 29, 2004 memento in the Internet Archive ) by Michael Brown and Ali Abunimah in ZNet .
  109. ↑ a b Facebook sparks 'Palestine' debate , JPost . October 10, 2007. 
  110. ↑ Facing up to the 'Facebook' dilemma , JPost . February 5, 2008. 
  111. ↑ a b Diaa Hadid, Old Photos Tweeted in Israel-Palestinian Conflict, ( September 24, 2015 memento in the Internet Archive ) Associated Press Worldstream, via Highbeam , March 15, 2012.
  112. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Empathy with Palestinians vs. Israelis: Examining US Media Representations, Coverage, and Attitudes (PDF) by Donald A. Sylvan and Nathan Toronto , p. 3.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / psweb.sbs.ohio-state.edu
  113. ↑ About CAMERA from CAMERA.
  114. ↑ About IMEU ( Memento from April 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) from IMEU .