By Tom Brennan
How the mainstream media slants news into anti-Israel stories and what we must do about it.
It used to be that “all the news that’s fit to print” was a term for ethics, integrity and trust. Today’s competition from the internet has put pressure on the media to pander to the groups that used to occupy the moral fringes of most societies. Formerly, ant-Semites, Neo-Nazis and outright bigots used to have to risk public criticism and ostracism from what was a generally moral society to publish letters to editors, put up signs and placards or hold public marches to parade their ideas. Today a social media page, web page or other passive digital format removes the risk of publicly declaring your opinions to a world that somehow finds anonymity as an ideal way to express inner prejudices and attitudes.
The print media has taken losses as the immediacy of the world wide web has become an entitlement. Reports of events that go “viral” have resulted in an electronic lynch mob reaction that never admits to being wrong, apologizes for slander, hatred or harm done to reputation. The smart-phone and social media literally dominate our daily lives and have taken the place of human relationships. All this at tremendous cost. Digital friends are never true. This may seem strange coming from someone who does online writing and marketing (your very humble correspondent), but in all truth I awake every morning surprised to find the lights still come on. There have been panicky moments when the broadband was down, computer “blue screens of death” and publishing deadlines not met and bank transfers online are not made. But gradually, the quiet Voice comforted and scolded me about just where all these technological wonders originated. “These are the current tools for the job which I have allowed you to do. When I Alone decide what will happen next, the right means and tools will be supplied”. G-d works in mysterious ways. He alone knows what He wants and usually it’s not what we want Him to want.
In recent weeks the press pandering have overtly shown an anti-Israel slant. Sometimes it’s the headline itself. “Kill Jews” screamed one New York headline. The story actually covered, and did so fairly objectively at that, the refusal of the New York transit system to allow signs on the buses and subways that criticized Hamas supporters for their pro-Hamas activities. There was a large rally in NYC for Hamas and Palestinian supporters. The sign was to call attention to just exactly who was killing who and launching rockets in Gaza. The Transit authority considered the sign too provocative and might offended Muslim riders. NYC is seeing an increase in Muslims and Mosques by the way. But the headline gave a wrong impression at worst glance and seemed inflamatory.
Another headline was about the 350 academics from Ivy League schools who had voted to boycott Israel. Being a sort of academic myself, 350 cultural anthropologists is a drop in the bucket. Cancel their digs in Israel and rent the hotel rooms to someone else. But the headline gave the impression that the vote of 350 tenured professors might influence anyone. The threat was implied that this could harm Israel intellectually, thanks but Israel does quite well in the education and intellectual department.
Social media is perhaps the worst place for getting real news about Israel. Here selectivity is critical. Happily Israel has many qualified news sources (this site is one of them) where real news from people who know Israel and care deeply about its people express their opinions and report events accurately. You will find contrary opinions in the Israeli press. Presenting an opinion that differs from an official standpoint, whether it is from the Prime Minister of Chief Rabbi, is one of the essential values that only Israel presents in the region. No writer, correspondent or citizen dare do this in Syria, Iraq or the other Muslim countries, especially now.
When a story appears that shows a deliberate anti-Israel prejudice a letter to the editor, a comment on the social media page or sharing the link with a comment with supporters of Israel in your network can be an effective weapon in this war of words and binary code. A convincing,well considered comment can make a difference, change a mind, win a friend. Israel deserves the constant support of Christians as we need theirs.
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