Anti-Semitism and Media Hostility

You have to imagine where journalists are coming from, especially nowadays. The Palestinian narrative is dominant, and the immediate 'facts' seem to point against Israel. More Palestinians die, so its easier for one's first thought to be 'hey its israel's fault.' Coupled with the complete divorcing of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the wider Israeli-Arab conflict (another Arab country hasn't attacked since '73) as well as Lebanon, the tides have been easy to turn against Israel.
It's quite easy to sympathize with the Palestinians, especially when Israelis, particularly the government, makes its their official policy. If it's not just the token Jew, but even the government that admits (or seemingly) that Israel was wrong, then why should journalists think differently?
Israel isn't the only country that gets screwed by bad coverage. My friend complains about BBC coverage of Russia all the time. The difference is, no-one is questioning Russia's legitimacy.

Posted by: Bertram at May 16, 2008 11:56:31 AM

In many circles "media hostility" is merely politically correct-speak for "anti-semitism" and the BBC (and many others IMHO)probably deserves it. I must agree that calling a journalist anti-Semitic is a loaded charge that's too easy to make and too difficult to prove." But sometimes you have to do, what you have to do. In this case, I imagine that's what Murdoch believes.

Posted by: afellowjournalist at May 16, 2008 2:01:11 PM

"Calling a journalist anti-Semitic is a loaded charge that's too easy to make and too difficult to prove."

Come on, just do a bit of thinking about the journalist's writing and try and assign "naive", "stupid", "ignorant" whatever without wondering why the said journalist seems to be an habitual one of the adjectives without the ability to learn the context of the subject and apply said learning.

When the bias, distortion and in some cases outright lies regarding facts, become the norm then there is a case of "anti-".

Yeh! Some of my best friends are journalists!

Posted by: Cynic at May 16, 2008 3:15:00 PM

Allow me to disagree with the second comment, from the one identifying himself as ‘a fellow journalist’.
Sir,
First, media hostility is not just anti – Semitism. Though in many cases it is. When it is indifference to human suffering on the Israeli side. Trying to give a moral rational to suicide bombing, and have no problems with Hamas anti Jewish charter, or challenging Israel’s legitimacy. Not to mention hordes of unfounded monsters lies.
Second, there are other reasons as well, such as misguided convictions. For years the Left in Israel and outside of Israel, saw the occupation of the WB and Gaza as the root cause of the conflict and was totally blind to the fact the Palestinians haven’t acknowledged Israel’s right to exist, which was the root cause of the conflict prior to occupation, and since it is still exist it is still the root cause of the conflict. Among these dogmatic left-wingers this was a core conviction for so long even the harshest images of suffering won’t shake their conviction even though they will be sadden by such acts.

Posted by: dvar dea at May 18, 2008 10:03:21 AM

Hurrah for Rubert Murdoch for telling it "like it is!"

Posted by: Chaz at Jun 8, 2008 2:11:55 PM