The 23rd March Jerusalem Bombing in Media Coverage Comparison between Western and Islamic Media - Literature review Example

Analysis of the 23rd march Jerusalem bombing in media coverage comparison between western and Islamic media Coverage of events and news stories from local perspective is a truth which is observed when one analyzes reporting of March 23 Jerusalem bombing. When it comes to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, there are two camps, namely, Pro Arab that sympathizes with the cause of separate Palestinian state and the rest which is either neutral or take sides with the Israel. Western media houses like BBC and CNN claim to take a neutral approach while covering international conflicts like tension between India and Pakistan or Israel-Palestine conflict, which is the topic of discussion under this study. BBC, under their ‘Mission and Values” statement asserts: “Trust is the foundation of the BBC: we are independent, impartial and honest.” (BBC, 2011) This study, incidentally, will also have BBC examined on its contention of impartial reporting from the western world while analyzing news coverage of March 23 Jerusalem bombing. Also, news reports from WorldNetDaily (US), another western media house with wide readership will be examined. Dawn (Pakistan), Arabnews (Saudi Arabia), and Palestine Post (run by a group of Palestinians) will represent media from the Islamic world during this discussion. One can expect Palestine Post to be least neutral while covering the incident because of its direct interest in the outcome of the conflict. As a result, in terms of neutral reporting, Palestine Post can be left out of scope or kept at the bottom of the pyramid. Despite being committed to peace and impartiality, there can still be differences in the approach of news by media houses because of a number of factors. Historical ties (in terms of same culture, religion, etc.) or interests (economical, political, etc.) with one party can develop biases, which often require an art of reading in between the lines while analyzing their contents. It is, then, only natural that media in western countries and Islamic world differ significantly while reporting international events such as September 11, 2001 attacks on US, or as one can note under this discussion, 23rd March Jerusalem bombing. Such preferences are often the results of looking at things from a local perspective. For instance, while expressing anguish over the casualties in September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in US, international media also blamed US for not taking into considerations the interests of the Muslim world (‘September 11, 2001’, 2011). Such anguish may be more evident among news reports from Muslim-dominated countries like Pakistan, which is still a democratic country with liberal press. Under this discussion, it will be seen how there were subtle differences in the ways of reporting by western and Islamic media while covering 23 March 2011 Jerusalem bombing. One person (a 59-year-old British woman) was killed and 30 others were injured in the bus attack at a busy bus spot during day time that day following days of deteriorating law and order situation in the city. Early headlines of a breaking news story say a lot about psyche of news editors. Initial headline by BBC “Deadly bombing targets Jerusalem bus stop” denotes serious indifference to the victims who were affected by this act of violence. Was it just inanimate bus stop that was the victim of deadly bombing and not Israelis or any other innocent residents in Jerusalem? (‘Deadly bombing targets Jerusalem bus stop’, 2011) BBC, as one could read from its “mission and values” statement claims to pursue impartial approach (BBC, 2011). However, a close look at many BBC reports reveals that many are either in favor of Palestine or in favor of Israel. It is quite natural to form biases as news reports, at the end of the day, are written by hundreds of correspondents who often come in close relationships with the local people. While reporting Israel-Palestine conflict, reporters often spend days with the local Muslim people which may bring some bias that earlier in this study was referred to historical ties. Thus a favorable emotional bond between reporter and local Palestinian people may bring some prejudice against Israel while reporting. For instance, one BBC news report, “Deep tension over Jerusalem holy site” by BBC correspondent Matthew Price read, “As far as Palestinians are concerned, and to be fair most of the world, the Old City - which lies in East Jerusalem - is occupied territory.” (Price, 2011) This BBC reporter further writes while narrating his stay at Jerusalem that sound of the police percussion grenades echoed off the ancient walls as he together with accompanying Palestinians dispersed the crowd inside the Old City (Price 2011). The imagery thus set is one of oppressive Israeli forces prevailing upon just Palestinians. The BBC’s interest in victims of the bombing peaked up once it was announced that 59-year-old woman who was killed was a British tourist. Despite assertion of impartiality, reporting from a local angle is perhaps a necessary evil in journalism. BBC, after all, is funded by the licence fee that is paid by UK households (BBC, 2011). Yet, it is noteworthy how BBC was so cut off from the human side of Israeli victims and dreadfulness of this act. The news report “Jerusalem bus bomb Briton named” by BBC quoted about Jerusalem: “It feels and always looks like a very safe city... a lot of tourists, including those from Britain, had returned in recent years. So this is a shock, not just on a personal level for her family and, of course, for all those injured, but also for the city.” (‘Jerusalem bus bomb Briton named’, 2011) Was the above claim by BBC made to convince foreign travelers not to discard Jerusalem as their tourism destination? Tourism is, after all, a big business in modern times whose profit benefits not just the economy of Palestine but also the whole world. Or, was it to convince the outside world that Jerusalem, which is one of the main controversial areas of dispute between Israel and Palestine, is not witnessing any acts of violence and play down the Palestinian cause? If there is little resistance from the local people, no motivation from outsiders to consider the issue of land conflict between Israel and Palestine would be generated. WND (WorldNetDaily.com Inc) is a popular internet news site that claims to be dedicated to uncompromising journalism, seeking truth and justice. While reporting the bombing incident, WND said that Israeli government had information suggesting that command for March 23 explosion at busy bus stop at the entrance to Jerusalem originated from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Till now it is acceptable. However, it was also reported that Palestinian Authority (PA) security officers told WND that they believed a particular arm of Iran-supported Islamic Jihad faction situated in the northern West Bank city of Ramallah planned the attack. A picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei besides an Iranian flag directed almost that it was he and Iran that carried out the attack (Klein, 2011). This was perhaps too much against Iran. Blaming Iran responsible for the Jerusalem bomb attack (irrespective of the fact that WND has cited from Israeli officers only saying they have hints) will give credibility to those countries who charge that Iran is responsible for promoting acts of terrorism against western countries and Israel. The said news was written by Aaron Klein, who is WND’s senior staff reporter and also hosts New York’s WABC Radio. WND’s liberal stand can be evident from few other news stories such as “CAIRs bid to Islamize America wont stop by itself” (Klein, 2011). It is one thing to promote free society as claimed by WND in its About Us statement and another to defame someone without concrete evidence to show. When news agencies cite vague evidences (as speaking with PA in this case), often they are fabricated with own axe to grind. In this reporting by WND, one could sense it utilized the incidence to disrepute Iran. Dawn, Pakistan’s one of the oldest and most-read newspaper reported the incident stating that the 23rd March Jerusalem bombing rekindled memories of the “second Palestinian uprising” last decade during which “suicide bombings” in Jerusalem and other cities killed hundreds of Israelis (‘Bomb rocks Jerusalem bus stop; woman dies’, 2011). Interestingly, this report linked violent act of bombing with “Palestinian uprising” and seems to highlight “suicide bombing” as one means of attaining objective through an uprising. While the BBC report analyzed earlier appeared to convince readers that things were quite peaceful during the current time in Jerusalem, the report by Dawn gives the impression that city is preparing for restless days ahead. One can read what goes into the thought pattern of Western reporters and those from the Islamic media through such fine distinctions. It will be intriguing to see how press in an Islamic monarchy like Saudi Arabia who has good relations with US dealt with the 23 March Jerusalem bombing incident. A news report in arabnews.com from Saudi Arabia read, “Police said it was a “terrorist attack” — Israel’s term for a Palestinian strike.” (Balmer, 2011) By putting “terrorist attack” under quotation, readers are left open to read in between the lines. Terrorism attack appears in quotation, meaning Arabnews may or may not necessarily consider it to be a terrorist attack. Saudi Arabia officially has a good relationship with US and does not support armed extremist violence. Yet, emotional attachment with Palestinians because of historical ties may draw their reporting closer to Pro Palestinian angle, while still supporting for a peaceful solution (Balmer, 2011). IMEMC (International Middle East Media Center) is a media center formed by Palestinians together with international journalists. Bias towards Palestine cause should be highest in this organization. Not surprisingly, one news report in the Palestine Post (operated by IMEMC) said: “In the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers continued the bombardment of different areas, including civilian neighborhoods.” (Bannoura, 2011) An analysis of this statement reveals that it perhaps puts blame on the Israel for creating the outcome of March 23 bombing. Did the news reporters at Palestine Post seem to suggest that bombardment by Israeli soldiers in different areas, including civilian ones, led to the Jerusalem bombing in March 23? As one can conclude from the above discussion, there was definite difference in the ways western media covered the 23rd March Jerusalem bombing vis-à-vis the Islamic media. While BBC representing western world showed mixed result, once taking pro-Palestine stance (‘Jerusalem bus bomb Briton named’, 2011), once showing local UK preference, and once downplaying the Israel-Palestine conflict (‘Jerusalem bus bomb Briton named’, 2011). WND, another western media in this study, even included a picture of Iranian supreme leader, perhaps linking this bombing incident as a wider Islamic conspiracy (Klein, 2011). Dawn, Arabnews, and Palestine Post undertook pro-Palestinian approach in apparent ways, overt and covert. Dawn mentioned the ‘second Palestinian uprising’ (‘Bomb rocks Jerusalem bus stop woman dies’, 2011). Arabnews was hesitant in designating the term as terrorist attack (Balmer, 2011). IMEMC that has direct relation with the outcome of the conflict naturally was heavily biased towards the Palestinian cause and claimed about’ bombardment’ of ‘civilian areas’ by ‘Isreali soldiers.’ (Bannoura 2011) It appears that unbiased international coverage of event is still a myth and this study found no evidence of 100 percent neutral reporting as claimed by many reputed global media houses. References Balmer, C. (2011) ‘Bombing near Jerusalem bus stop kills woman, 30 hurt’, Arabnews, 24 March, available at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article327840.ece (accessed on June 14, 2011) ‘Bannoura, S. (2011) ‘Woman Killed, 25 Injured in Jerusalem Explosion, Netanyahu Delays Moscow Visit’, Palestine Post, 23 March, available at: http://www.imemc.org/article/60925 (accessed on June 14, 2011) BBC, (2011), ‘About the BBC’, available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/purpose/what.shtml (accessed on June 14, 2011) Bomb rocks Jerusalem bus stop; woman dies’ (24 March, 2011), Dawn, available at: http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/24/bomb-rocks-jerusalem-bus-stop-woman-dies.html (accessed on June 14, 2011) ‘Deadly bombing targets Jerusalem bus stop’ (23 March 2011) BBC News, available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12836224 (accessed on June 14, 2011) ‘Jerusalem bus bomb Briton named’, (24 March, 2011) BBC News, available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12845019 (accessed on June 14, 2011) Klein, A. (2011) ‘Iranian fingerprints on Jerusalem bombing?’,WND, 23 March, available at, http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=278549 (accessed on June 14, 2011) Price, M. (2007) ‘Deep tension over Jerusalem holy site’ BBC News, 10 February, available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6349177.stm (accessed on June 14, 2011) ‘September 11, 2001’, (2011)The Guardian, available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/september11 (accessed on June 14, 2011) Read More