Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby took Ohio University's Baker University Center Ballroom stage last night to discuss media bias in its coverage of the Middle East.
The lecture, titled Why the Media Gets the Middle East Wrong
was hosted by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America and Bobcats for Israel and centered on the American media's coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The media likes to paint Israel as the villain Jacoby said. They make Israel the harsh actor and the Palestinians the underdog.
Jacoby said that media bias against Israel stems from ignorance of the Middle East, an overemphasis on Israel in comparison to the rest of the Arab world, fear of retaliation from terrorist groups and the political ideology of journalists.
The event was coordinated by junior Rachel Zieleniec, a campus representative for CAMERA and the founder of Bobcats for Israel.
This was the first of a series of events where we hope to have people come from all different sides to discuss Zieleniec said.
CAMERA is a media watchdog devoted to monitoring coverage of Israel and the Middle East and was founded in 1982.
Jacoby said the root of media bias stems from the refusal to report the root of the problem, the refusal of most of the Arab world to accept the legitimacy of a solemn Jewish state of any size in the Middle East.
There are 51 Muslim countries and only one Jewish state
but for many people that is one too many
Jacoby said.
Though he acknowledged that many journalists strive to provide accurate coverage of the conflict, Jacoby said that until the media reports the Arab opposition to Israel, coverage will continue to be inadequate.
As long as the media fail to shine a light on the heart of the conflict
until the media stop trying to disguise what is really at the root of the conflict
the media will go on getting the Middle East wrong
Jacoby said.
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