Reuters Editors
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from For the Record:
Reporting in Gaza: Striving for fairness
Dean Wright is Global Editor, Ethics, Innovation and News Standards. Any opinions are his own.
Let’s say it up front: Almost all of you will find something in this column to take issue with.
That’s because the subject is the conflict in Gaza and perceptions of bias in reporting on it. News consumers detect media bias on any number of subjects, but there is nothing like the continuing Mideast conflict to bring out the passions of partisans on all sides.
Here’s a small sample of some of the more restrained comments that have come in to the Reuters reader feedback line:
--“It seems like the whole world wants to condemn Israel for the war/actions it's taking. Sorry Reuters but for me, I can see right through your pro Palestinian slant. Why don't you investigate how a U.N. Camp was used as a staging area for Hamas rockets? …”
--“Your pro Israel reporting from Gaza makes one thing perfectly clear. Israel has some control over Reuters. You are in their pocket. Why else would you choose to slant information?”
--“Why does Reuters insist on letting someone such as Nidal al-Mughrabi cover the war on Gaza? His reporting is completely biased and filled with inflammatory rhetoric. Doesn't Reuters have a reporter that understands both sides of the issue and that can JUST REPORT THE NEWS!! I consider such reporting on your part as an insult to my intelligence. Why must you participate in antisemitic propaganda?”
A camera is not a weapon
The Biblical image of alchemy is powerful:They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Yet, once again, the alchemy went the wrong way: a soldier mistook a camera for a weapon, fired his real weapon, and a journalist was killed.
Fadel Shana, 24, filming an Israeli tank in the Gaza Strip was killed by that very tank on April 16.
Two months later, there are still no satisfactory answers.
What about his camera could have been confused for a weapon?
What about his “Press”-emblazoned car or flak jacket was ambiguous?
What about his peaceful actions filming a news story could possibly have seemed aggressive?
Like stated above, he was in a war zone. Every time a Palestinian dies in the conflict, it must have been on purpose, is that what you are saying, Nu’man? Reuters has tried to villify Israel since this happend. Conflicting interests prevent them from being very fair in this issue, or in fact covering properly the recently revealed cruelty Palestinians show towards each other. Quit firing rockets wantonly at civilian areas. Olmert is out, and Netanyahou will be back in power. He is not someone that I would provoke. If so, the Palestinians may never see an independent state.
But from the reports coming from Human Rights Watch, it doesn’t sound like they could humanely govern themselves anyway, no matter which political party (Fatah or Hamas) has the power.
A very well-reasoned summary of your challenges and successes in covering a devastating event under such debilitating conditions. Kudos to you for the astounding effort. I believe Reuters in the pre-eminent source for news on the conflict given your boots-on-the-ground and the US mainstream media’s refusal to provide accurate information from Gaza.