No media organization is more influential in shaping the way American policymakers and news outlets think about Israel and Palestine than the New York Times. But with some notable exceptions, the Times has done a shamefully poor job of including the historical and political context readers need to understand the roots of the current uprising. Over the last 2 weeks, over 2,000 Palestinians have been injured and over 41 killed, including at least 8 children. Eight Jewish Israelis have been killed, and one asylum seeker from Eritrea. Though it can be difficult to make sense of these difficult days, the message from Palestinians is clear: they want freedom, justice, and dignity. Yet, the Times’ headlines consistently frame Israel as the victim, completely misrepresenting an uprising which is a response to decades of displacement, occupation and repression. Unless we put pressure on the New York Times to accurately report what is happening, the story of Palestinians struggling for freedom will be obscured in the paper of record. Can you sign our petition to the Public Editor of the NYT now? Click here: www.TellTheNYT.org Over the past week I’ve asked a number of our Palestinian and Israeli colleagues what JVP can do during this difficult time and I’ve heard over and over again, “You need to change the media narrative, they’re not telling the whole story.” And we can. A year ago, the fair-minded NYT Public Editor Margaret Sullivan made a number of recommendations for more accurate coverage of Israel and Palestine. [1] If we can get Sullivan to insist that the NYT editors follow those recommendations — it could not only change NYT coverage, but other news outlets as well. And ultimately, U.S. policy. Click here: www.TellTheNYT.org Our analysis of over 30 New York Times stories over the last few weeks shows clearly that the New York Times still values Israeli lives more than Palestinian ones. Even though the vast majority of those killed and injured are Palestinian, and Palestinians are facing extreme collective punishment, Israeli violence against Palestinians doesn’t make the news:
Here’s some of what the New York Times didn’t say:
Real journalism — the kind we expect from the Times — isn’t just reporting the views of whoever has the most power. Real journalism is giving context and background, and reporting on ALL the facts. The context to what’s happening is clear:Palestinians are rising up because the status quo is unsustainable, and it is now reaching its breaking point. Please, take a moment to sign the petition and share this link, www.TellTheNYT.org, with your friends. We can’t let the New York Times off the hook, not now. We need fair and factual reporting. Thank you, Cecilie Surasky
[1] “The Conflict and the Coverage“, Margaret Sullivan, New York Times, November 22, 2014.
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Tell the New York Times: we need accurate reporting on Israel and Palestine!
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