Bias in American News

My eyes have been bloodshot for the past 48 hours, give or take a few hours here and there for sleep and Visine. Why? Because I know I can't just flip on television news to catch what's going on in Israel-- I've got to get online if I want to hear any kind of accurate accounting of what's really going on inside the land.

American television news bias isn't as apparent as it usually is, probably because this time they can't deny that terrorists provoked an Israeli response. However, the bias remains in subtle and not so subtle ways. From watching hours of CNN and FOX News, here are a few examples of what I mean:

Israel started the war ...after Hizbollah terrorists, "cameacrosstheborderkilled8soldiersandkidnapped2onWednesday" [Fox News]

CNN has stationed what appears to be an Indian reporter on the ground in Lebanon, right near a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria as well as in Beirut, in order to get the local Lebanese opinion of the "Israeli agression."

One FOX News reporter referred to Tiberias as, "the land where Jesus performed the majority of his miracles." I'm not kidding; I'm serious. Guess who's jaw dropped before she fell on the ground laughing at the idea of what Israelis would think if they heard one of their most popular costal resort cities referred to as Jesus's miracle land? Israel, that gives you a really clear idea of FOX News's demographic, and the American knowledge of modern Israel. I can hear the producers now: Hey, how do we tell Americans where Tiberias is? Uh... yeah, a 2,000 year old Bible reference, that's it...cool. They love Jesus in Kansas.

Both CNN and FOX News felt free to point out that an IAF strike on Beirut hit a van carrying 15 children the other night, killing them all. They did not, however, feel the need to tell you in the previous report on Hizbollah rockets hitting Tiberias, that 54 Israelis were wounded in the attacks.

Neither news source feels the need to tell you that over 700 katyushas have hit into northern Israel since this war began.

Neither news source feels the need to tell you the number of Israelis who have been killed or wounded since this war began.

On FOX News, an Israeli spokeswoman was the one who had to publicize the fact that 750,000 Israelis are living in bomb shelters in the north right now.

The majority of newstime is now being focused on the 25,000 Americans getting hauled out of Lebanon. Included is editorial comment on how this is destroying the Lebanese tourist season. No comment is being made on Americans in Israel or the Israeli tourist season, not even in light of the fact that places like Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Tiberias are HUGE tourists spots this time of year.

More rockets hit into Haifa at 9 AM Sunday morning, Israeli time. It is now 5:15 pm Israeli time. I had television news on for approximately 45 minutes and wound up having to turn on the computer before I caught this story.

Neither news source, in any of their "history of the region" time-filling editorials, bothers to mention the fact that since the Eviction from Gush Katif last August, hundreds of kassams have hit into Israel.

If you were relying solely on FOX or CNN, you'd never know about the Palestinian celebrations/attacks in the West Bank in honor of Hizbollah and Hamas.

Pretty much any news item that can't be confirmed by an Arab source isn't included in the broadcast. Hence, no remarks on possible Syrian strikes in the Golan, or the possibility that Nasrallah was wounded in an IAF strike.

News Items of Exceptional Note:

Apparently, an IDF reserve infantry division has been mobilized in the north and, "Al-Arabiya television reported that the Syrian military was mobilizing its own reserve divisions." [JPost]

YNetNews reports: Rice rejects diplomatic solution for Hizbullah. This smacks of the US telling Israel, "That's right, Israel, they'll never agree to your demands, so you stick to them. That way, you can take care of Iran and Syria, you can spill your blood, and you can take the blame from the world community for it!" I don't trust Condi as far as I can throw her.

Felix Quigley reports on Israpundit Revolution in Israel is now inevitable…islamofascists watch out

But more than anybody realises, these events are going to revolutionise the thinking of Israelis. Expect a situation of dual power to develop with the IDF taking the lead more and more from bankrupt politicians such as Peretz. In turn the IDF will become more and more political and the line between politics and war is going to break down totally. War is politics, politics is war by another name. Expect also the Israeli youth to come forward. And Peretz, Peres, Bush, or whoever had better get used to the idea that a Palestine State era is over. In short Israeli politics will be revolutionised totally.

Baruch haShem, may it be so, quickly, in our day.

Blogs

Want to know what's really going on in Israel? Check out English-writing Israeli Bloggers. I've already found about six posts I want to reference, but my eyes are killing me. Suffice to say you're going to get news, views, and information on ways to help the mishpocha in the land. Read it! Bookmark it, and come back often!

One blogging note: my loyal readers will recall my feelings towards a certain "independent" journalist, Michael Totten. Apparently, more people are starting to jump the bandwagon. AllisonKS at An Unsealed Room notes:

In the meantime, I'm stewing a bit about Michael Totten, who is a really nice guy, but is throwing out some silly advice and has closed his comments because he can't deal with so many of his blog readers (many of whom gave him money in the past) disagreeing with him. He's upset we're bombing his favorite city and adopted country and Lebanese friends, I get that. I'm not happy about hurting and killing people, really I'm not.

But he doesn't have any good alternatives for defending ourselves.

Read it all-- Allison includes links to the Totmeister's group-hug philosophizing. And read the comments left at Allison's post. Great stuff.

Israel is the number one tag at Technorati this hour.

Israel Lebanon Hezbollah Iran Syria media bias