2023-10-22 05:40:20
Two weeks after the surprise, bloody and brutal attack by Hamas on Israel’s border area with the Palestinian Gaza Strip, and the Israeli government’s response also intense, the journalistic coverage of the conflict is a topic that may interest readers of PERFIL to facilitate them as close as possible to the truth. By the way, the truth slips through the fingers when war takes over the scene. It is no coincidence, then, that the International Network of Journalists has published an article in its Ijnet space titled “Advice and resources for covering the conflict between Israel and Gaza.”
“Tons of information is being shared on the web and emotions are running high, understandably. Everyone seems to have an opinion, which spills over to the networks. But unfortunately, they are less prepared than ever to manage all the content that circulates through them.” This is how the Ijnet note defines the situation, which makes several recommendations:
Offer your readers facts and figures that you have verified. Make it clear that those facts and figures will change. The extent of the October 7 Hamas attacks remains to be seen, and Israel’s military operation in Gaza appears to be only in its early stages. Sites that are constantly updated and contain verified data: Tracking the attacks in Israel and Gaza, from The New York Times; how the conflict unfolds, from The Washington Post; the war between Israel and Gaza in maps and graphs, “Live Tracker”, by Al Jazeera.
During crises, misinformation spreads at an alarming rate, especially on social media. Whichever platform you choose – X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Telegram, the list goes on – you will come across fake content. Manipulated images, falsified audios, deepfakes and much more circulate. When consuming media coverage you have to take into account the medium itself, the author, the sources used and the date of publication.
Journalists must report on the rhetoric and actions of the main actors in this conflict – the Israeli government and Hamas – as well as what is at stake geopolitically. But if we focus only on high-level actors, we risk oversimplifying the conflict and rationalizing or ignoring the deaths and trauma of Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
Take time to educate yourself about the broader context surrounding the current situation. Identify the actors involved and distinguish between political and civil leaders. Find out about the geopolitics linked to the events.
It is important to understand what a war crime is, as well as terms such as “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide,” when it comes to armed conflict. It must be known that, according to international law, not every death of civilians in a conflict is a war crime. Classifying all civilian deaths as war crimes risks undermining reporting on war crimes when they occur.
Reporting on the latest violence between Israel and Gaza has already proven dangerous for journalists on the ground. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, since October 7 (the article is dated the 14th) at least eleven journalists have died, nine Palestinians, one Israeli and another resident in Beirut. Two others are missing, two have been injured and the Israeli police have detained a journalist.
I recommend to PERFIL readers, whatever their personal position on the conflict, that they turn to credible media and journalists, analyze their publications and draw their conclusions.
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