Spring Break
The news vs. American "news"
Lara Oliver
Issue date: 1/13/09 Section: Opinion
This winter, my sister and I took a week off to visit our dad while he was working in Austria. With our thin, Southern blood and record low temperatures in Austria, we agreed it was in our best interest to spend the freezing hours of the day watching what TV shows we could understand.
Until I watched one of their newscasts, I didn't believe slanted news coverage existed--or the idea that we get a filtered down version of the truth. I thought MSNBC and Fox News were obvious foils of each other but when it came to publications like The New York Times and channels like American CNN I assumed they just reported basic facts.
I realized I was wrong when I saw the BBC headline "Israel launches missile strike on Palestine." The announcer went on to say that Israel had begun the attack when schools had just let out and that civilian casualties were already being reported. While watching this I was chatting with a friend back home, who, after begrudgingly turning the news on around 1 a.m. their time, told me that CNN was reporting "defensive retaliations" on Hamas and that there had been significant terrorist casualties.
While subtle wordplay may seem like a petty thing to shatter my confidence in America's freedom of the press, the difference between words like "terrorists" and "freedom fighters" and their usage in the media to sway your opinion can't be ignored.
For example, in Americanese, groups such as the Israel Defense Force, the military of Israel that has "defended" Israel's boundaries to the point of cornering the native Palestinian population into two tiny and isolated areas, while cutting off relief funding at its check points, are called "freedom fighters." Meanwhile, Hamas, a democratically elected group that fires rockets into Israel that can be put to shame by the fireworks I buy in the Target parking lot, are called "terrorists" in American news. Not usually reported is the fact that, prior to this incursion, Hamas was responsible for one civilian death for every 22 by IDF.
Until I watched one of their newscasts, I didn't believe slanted news coverage existed--or the idea that we get a filtered down version of the truth. I thought MSNBC and Fox News were obvious foils of each other but when it came to publications like The New York Times and channels like American CNN I assumed they just reported basic facts.
I realized I was wrong when I saw the BBC headline "Israel launches missile strike on Palestine." The announcer went on to say that Israel had begun the attack when schools had just let out and that civilian casualties were already being reported. While watching this I was chatting with a friend back home, who, after begrudgingly turning the news on around 1 a.m. their time, told me that CNN was reporting "defensive retaliations" on Hamas and that there had been significant terrorist casualties.
While subtle wordplay may seem like a petty thing to shatter my confidence in America's freedom of the press, the difference between words like "terrorists" and "freedom fighters" and their usage in the media to sway your opinion can't be ignored.
For example, in Americanese, groups such as the Israel Defense Force, the military of Israel that has "defended" Israel's boundaries to the point of cornering the native Palestinian population into two tiny and isolated areas, while cutting off relief funding at its check points, are called "freedom fighters." Meanwhile, Hamas, a democratically elected group that fires rockets into Israel that can be put to shame by the fireworks I buy in the Target parking lot, are called "terrorists" in American news. Not usually reported is the fact that, prior to this incursion, Hamas was responsible for one civilian death for every 22 by IDF.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Sinjun
posted 1/13/09 @ 6:11 PM EST
the same "Terrorists" that want to wipe Isreal off the face of the map? The same "terrorists" that are supplied by leaders of nation states that want to wipe Isreal off the face of the map?
What's happening to the innocent people in Palistine is horrible, but i notice you don't want to call a being for what it is "Terrorist". (Continued…)
Sam
posted 1/14/09 @ 9:15 AM EST
Explain that ("Hamas, a democratically elected group that fires rockets into Israel that can be put to shame by the fireworks I buy in the Target parking lot. (Continued…)
curious
posted 1/14/09 @ 3:02 PM EST
You do know that Hamas legalized crucifixtion right? And the Israeli army usually releases flyers to warn the public when they are going to strike. I don't know if that was the case here, but clearly we all know Hamas is bad. (Continued…)
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