Immediately following yesterday’s horrific accident that caused an explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza. Media outlets everywhere reported that the blast occurred because of an Israeli strike. Due in large part because Hamas released a statement shortly after the blast condemning Israel for the strike. Israel’s response was to say that they were investigating whether the attack could have been carried out by their forces.
Instead of waiting for the initial investigation to play out Media outlets around the globe insinuated that Israel was the cause behind the hospital’s explosion. This knee-jerk reaction sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East creating anti-Israeli protests in all the major cities in the region. Within a short period, the Israeli government produced evidence that the Hospital bombing was actually a rocket misfire that was intended for Israel by the Islamic Jihad. A terror group inside Gaza separate from Hamas but with a similar ideology regarding Israel.
Even with Israel’s proof that they had nothing to do with the horrific incident that occurred the media continued to report Hamas’ version of the events. While stating Israel denies any wrongdoing. This stance fueled tensions throughout the world against Israel because Arab populations have deep-rooted mistrust of the Israeli government.
Giving a terrorist organization that just committed a barbaric attack on a civilian population equal coverage when the only evidence backs up the Israeli version of events is journalistically flawed. Imagine if after 9/11 CNN quoted Al Qaeda’s response? That would’ve been condemned by journalists around the world. The media treating Hamas as a source of information is similar to the way the media has portrayed American politics in the last few years.
Even when media outlets knew that Republicans were lying to their base they still presented their lies as their point of view. It was rampant around the 2020 Presidential Election with the coverage of Republican election fraud claims. It was also a major reason that so much misinformation was spread about Covid and the vaccine.
It’s one thing to present both sides of an argument but if one side is trafficking in lies it should not be reported as an opinion. It not only gives credibility to false narratives it further empowers those who lie to continue to produce misinformation because they know that the mainstream press will give them a platform. With so much division in the U.S. and around the globe the act of presenting facts and lies as differing opinions adds unnecessary friction to volatile debates.
Social Media may be built on that model where depending on your history they can force-feed information that strengthens your beliefs. Creating a deepening divide between those with differing views. However, major mainstream news organizations have seemingly taken the same approach to reporting.
Facts are facts and lies are lies and until that becomes the foundation of today’s media journalistic integrity. We will continue to see these news organizations bending the truth to stroke the egos of viewers on both sides of the argument. Because clicks and views count equally no matter what you believe. They take a “why let the truth get in the way of a good story” approach if half of their audience is opposed to what the truth is. Treating lies with kid gloves may do wonders for their ratings but it may come at the expense of our democracy. Providing a platform for those who peddle false narratives is a dangerous precedent that needs to end immediately before a 3rd World War is the ultimate outcome. Sadly that too would be a great ratings boost that today’s news organizations could easily feed to their money-hungry shareholders.
The-Anti-Social-Media Pro-DEMOCRACY WING 