Israel-Palestine and Libya in the Age of Globalization - Essay Example

Media representations of issues relating to Israel-Palestine and Libya in the age of globalization and how they reflect/impact upon media policies Name Course Institution Instructor Date In recent years, there has developed a lot of concern about media representations of hotspots in the Middle East and North Africa, mainly Libya and Israel-Palestine. The representation of these conflicts has led to many individuals on both sides claiming that it is biased and that more needs to be done to ensure that there are representations that are more accurate. It has been claimed that many media organizations tend to perpetuate established stereotypes instead of developing their content in an objective manner that ensures proper presentation of facts on the ground. It has been suggested that in the age of globalization, media policies which have developed are ones which favour bias and are not objective in their attempt to bring news concerning these two areas into global attention. Media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is considered to be among the most controversial in the world and this is because of claims of bias from both sides. This goes against theories declared by anthropologist Arjun Appadurai that individuals in the world should start thinking beyond nation-states because with the advent of globalization, these states are gradually deteriorating and it is essential for humanity to stop considering them to be viable entities (Appadurai, 1993). In most instances, many media organizations have come to take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and this has ensured that there is no credible information coming from this region. These policies have come to involve intentional omission as well as formulation of falsehoods concerning this conflict and instead of allowing for a resolution of the conflict, these policies have contributed to its intensification. Today, one will find that this conflict is also being played out in media across the world, with both sides attempting to convince its audience of the justness of their cause. As a result of subjective media policies, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has come to influence the audiences of media to such an extent that they have come to take sides in this conflict. The opinions of the public concerning this conflict has also come to influence politicians, who being afraid to take sides against their constituents, have also taken up a biased position in one respect or another (Radley, 1978). This partisanship in media has led to hardening stances within the opposing parties and has made it impossible to come up with a credible solution for the conflict without recourse to violence. Representations made by western international media concerning Libya after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi have come to favour its current, western-backed government. The result has been that most media attention has been concentrated on this government instead of real issues taking place on the ground. Western international media coverage has failed to recognize that Libya essentially a failed state and that its government does not have control over most of the country. However, media representations of Libya from Middle Eastern states, such as Al Jazeera, have come to recognize the seriousness of Libya turning into a failed state and have brought this information to world attention. However, because most media organizations have chosen not to take it seriously, there are no longer any accurate reports concerning this country or the real political situation within it. Media has become a tool of giving credibility to aggressive actions by states, where media is based, on other independent states. This is especially true of the Libyan conflict where the United States and its allies tool active steps to ensure that a long established government was overthrown and one that was favourable to them was installed to replace it. Western media gave its complete support for such illegal actions through demonizing of Gaddafi and his regime and claiming that he was going to kill his own people if there was no western intervention (Roberts, 2011). The untruths, which western media had spun concerning Libya, came to unravel after its government was overthrown and the country descended into a serious domestic conflict. Media representation of conflicts relating to Libya and Israel-Palestine has led to a situation where acts of aggression are justified based on the belief that such actions are meant to save lives and established states. One would agree with the stance taken by Weisbord that there are increasing instances of international crimes of aggression, which are not being adequately covered by international law (Weisbord, 2009). This is especially true concerning the Libyan and Israel-Palestine conflict where mainstream media tends to take the side of aggressors rather than making an objective study of issues involved and coming up with credible conclusions. Western media, for example, often declares that NATO intervention in Libya was necessary as a means of removing a despot from power, but it does not often consider the consequences of this intervention, namely, a divided nation with constant conflict between rival groups (Johnston, 2012). A further example is the Israel-Palestine conflict where despite increasingly aggressive actions by Israel, media tends to remain silent on it and this has ensured that media does not conduct its duties as it should. Media in Israel tends to be heavily censored and this is done in such a way that only reports favourable to its government are allowed to be published while those that are unfavourable are confiscated (Pressman, 2003). The coercion of media within Israel has made it impossible for accurate news to be attained concerning its conflict with Palestine and this has ensured that the narrative of the conflict is almost completely controlled by the Israeli government and its interests. In conclusion, media representation of issues concerning Israel-Palestine and Libya have often left a lot to be desired because it is extremely rare for accurate and unbiased news to be presented to audiences. Most media organizations have developed policies that are aimed at giving support to their national governments, whether they are doing the right thing or not, in almost total disregard of objectivity in their coverage. The result of such media policies in era of globalization is that many media organizations are increasingly losing their credibility as they continue to promote national interests in circumstances where these interests have become irrelevant. With the advent of globalization, it is only a matter of time before national interests become outdated and media organizations seem to be lagging behind in their duties. References Appadurai, A. (1993). Patriotism and its futures. Public Culture 3(5), 411-29. Johnston, K.A. (2012). Transformations of Conflict Status in Libya. Journal of Conflict & Security Law 17, 92–93. Pressman, J. (2003). Visions in Collision – What Happened at Camp David and Taba. International Security 28(2), 6. Radley, K.R. (1978). The Palestinian Refugees: The Right to Return in International Law. American Journal of International Law 72(3), 586–614. Roberts, H. (2011). Who said Gaddafi had to go?. London Review of Books 33(22), 8–18. Weisbord, N. (2009). Conceptualizing aggression. Duke Journal of Comparative and International Law, 20(1), 1 – 68. Read More