Jerusalem-- Almost two weeks have gone by since Israel launched operation "Cast Lead" on Gaza, and dozens of foreign journalists still wait at the Israeli-Gaza border, watching the military operation in Gaza from afar. Israel still refuses to let any media cross into the strip. The restriction has created a very different reporting atmosphere than that during Israel's Second War on Lebanon in summer of 2006. At that time, foreign media was able to report on the conflict from both sides. Today, almost all reports that come out of Gaza are strictly from Palestinian and Arab sources.
A couple of days ago, CNN's anchor Campbell Brown complained that her network was trying to report as accurately as possible on the fighting in Gaza but can't because CNN has no reporters on the ground who can bring you first-hand information about what is taking place. The reason, she explained, "we have no reporters on the ground in Gaza is because Israel will not allow foreign journalists into Gaza."
She went on to say, "Much of the information coming out of Gaza is impossible to verify and many of the images you see on television are provided by Hamas."
This is total nonsense!
There are more than a dozen television stations that still operate out of Gaza. For the past several years, Arab satellite networks have dispatched news reports out of Gaza almost on a daily basis. Leading Arab satellite networks all have offices and reporters in Gaza, such as, Al Jazeera (Arabic and English), Al Arabiya TV, Dubai TV, Nile TV, Abu Dhabi TV, to name a few. Then there is Hamas' Al Aqsa TV and independently owned Ramattan News Service. They have been beaming images of starving children living in desperate conditions during the Israeli siege on Gaza to millions in the Arab world and beyond. Despite these abundant news sources, CNN and other U.S. networks have elected to cover Paris Hilton and Anna Nicole Smith for days on end. Let's face the facts. Images of starving children do not sell advertisements. Trash does. Now, many of those children are dead!
Another thing Ms. Brown neglects to mention is that CNN's "missing in action" status predates this war. CNN and other U.S. networks have been cutting back on their foreign correspondents for years. We saw this before when the war on Afghanistan was first launched in the aftermath of 9/11 when Al Jazeera was one of the few networks reporting out of Kabul. Similarly, the first images of the War on Iraq were seen by the rest of the world through Arab lenses, primarily Abu Dhabi TV, Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya.
And when CNN reporters finally do arrive, Ms. Brown, they never give a damn about the 1.5 million residents of Gaza who spend their daily existence in one large prison caged like animals in a filthy and an unsanitary environment. They can be found hanging around the Hilton in Tel Aviv and the American Colony in Jerusalem sipping on Martinis and exchanging laughs with their Israeli fixers. They then pile up in a bus in front of the Israel Government Press Office, 37 Hillel St. Jerusalem and off they go on an organized tour of Ashkelon and Sderot. Details of this tour are in a copy of an e mail sent to foreign correspondents working in Israel: (I purposely omitted names and phone numbers)
From: XXXX
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 9:02 AM
Cc: XXXX
Subject: GPO-TRIP Gaza Border Field Tour - interviews with residents and officials
Importance: High
The Israel Government Press Office in conjunction with The Israel Project invites visiting and Israel-based foreign journalists to a Gaza border region tour.
Details: Tuesday January 6 - leaving from the GPO offices, 37 Hillel St. Jerusalem, at 09:00 sharp. Pick up at 10:30 at the Holiday Inn Ashkelon.
Highlights*:
â–« Interview residents and officials in Ashkelon and Sderot (different languages)
â–« Sderot police Kassam rocket exhibit
â–« Meet with police bomb disposal experts
â–« Briefing by IDF Spokesperson
â–« Barzilai medical center - meet the injured and Gazans treated in hospital
Register today (!) with the GPO's XXXX at tel. 050-XXXX (only!)
Please note if you wish to be picked up in Ashkelon or Jerusalem.
Incidentally, your colleague Anderson Cooper parachuted into Tel Aviv and went to Ashkelon and Sderot...what a coincidence! He stood in front of the pile of exploded Qassam and Grad rockets and explained to us the difference between the two. I've never seen him explaining American-made Israeli hardware, such as F-16, Apaches, phosphorous bombs...maybe he ran out of time since he had spent a whole total of 24 hours in Israel before returning to the States.
Jamal Dajani produces the Mosaic Intelligence Report on Link TV
Even during the apparent time frames designated for humanitarian aid.
I draw my own conclusions, I am not spoon fed.
http://linktv.org/mosaic
Think of it, a group of people, radicalized by systematic oppression, cooped up in a small space with nothing to eat or drink, and faced with attack by the world's most awesome military machine.
Somehow, the decision of the Jews of Masada to fight to the death is seen differently than that of the Palestinians of Gaza. Why are the Israeli's so surprised at the stubbornness of the Gazans?
They would be well-served to reexamine their own history.
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/newswar/war_arabmedia.html
If we are going to be intelectually honest, it can be concluded none of these news networks are fair and balanced. The viewer can immediately see which side of the conflict sympathy is shown. Can you really claim Al Jazeera, Press TV, Dubai Tv, etc. are more honorable than CNN? Where is your blog complaining about the slant of these networks? I will bet you will not write on such a subject because it is not in your interests to do so.
Even when they translate videos from Al Qaeda and such - I wonder how accurate the translations are.
Cable Nothing Network.
CNN did do a bit exposing Israel's lie about who broke the ceace fire, it is on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KntmpoRXFX4
take care and stay safe
She went on to say, "Much of the information coming out of Gaza is impossible to verify and many of the images you see on television are provided by Hamas."
Dear Campbell, there are UN workers in Gaza, there are people for Oxfam as well and other humanitarian organizations ... you can ask them for information. You can also read some of the Bristish newspapers, The Guardian and The Independent, and what about Haaretz, the Israeli newspaper ... Vanity Fair has an interesting article as well ... if you do not want to believe anything that comes out of Hamas side. FYI, Israel wants to control the PR from this massacre, so they are not going to let anyone in until they can clean up the mess...
Campbell if you want to be critical, be critical but just do not sit there in the middle whining "they are not letting us in", at some point you are going to get wet.
http://confederateyankee.mu.nu/archives/280821.php
It astounds me that an Israeli newspaper has the guts to report the truth, while US nedia outlets cower away from the truth!
Unfortunately, CNN International is only available through cable upgrade and therefore may not be accessible to everyone.
"She went on to say, "Much of the information coming out of Gaza is impossible to verify and many of the images you see on television are provided by Hamas."
"is total nonsense!"
Agreed. I wouldn't hold my breath while waiting for substantive reporting from CB.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRz5WnHemkw
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32393_A_Staged_Scene_in_a_Gaza_Hospital