Study shows overwhelming media bias against Palestinians and their cause

JVL Introduction

It’s been clearly, remorselessly awful as the weeks of slaughter have rolled by, but it is still shocking to see a detailed study of media coverage in the first month of Israel’s assault on Gaza painting such a shameful picture of cynical irresponsibility.

The Campaign for Media Monitoring has analysed 176,627 television clips from over 13 broadcasters and 25,515 news articles from over 28 UK online media websites from Oct 7 to Nov 7. Their report, released on March 6, points to erasure of the Palestinian people and their narrative, contempt for historical context, failure to question Israeli sources and claims, use of emotive language identifying with Israelis while dehumanising Palestinians, and misrepresentation of pro-Palestinian protestors as antisemitic, violent or pro Hamas. In short, with a very few honourable exceptions, the media has demonstrated “overwhelming bias against Palestinians and their cause.”

A Foreword by Peter Oborne reads:

“This devastating report should be debated in parliament, studied in journalism schools, made compulsory reading for newspaper editors, and read by anybody with the faintest interest in the terrible events taking place in Gaza… The authors prove beyond question that British journalists and broadcasters have used every trick in the book to paint a false story of the war. They’ve twisted the facts, promoted falsehoods, collaborated with fabrications, lied by omission, and far too often failed to correct their mistakes.”

There is little sign of journalists changing their behaviour, even while Palestinians starve and politicians continue to refuse to name Israel’s crimes against humanity, demonising Muslims, spreading fear among Jews and ramping up anti-democratic moves to suppress protest and dissent.

NWI

This article was originally published by Byline Times on Tue 5 Mar 2024. Read the original here.