Friday, 6 February 2009

Just Journalism
Just Journalism Update Top
 6 February 2009
 
  RELEASED TODAY: 'Gaza Conflict, December 2008 - January 2009: A Media Analysis'   
 
Just Journalism today releases its report entitled, 'Gaza Conflict, December 2008 - January 2009: A Media Analysis'
 
The report analyses coverage from the UK broadsheets and selected BBC
output. To download the report, go to www.justjournalism.com/gazareport 
 
Key findings include:
 
· The BBC failed to make a crucial distinction between comment and fact, particularly in its website
 
· The UK media significantly under-represented the nature of Hamas and its policies towards Israel, particularly its use of violence and rejection of
Israel's right to exist. In the first week of the conflict, only 5% of
broadsheet news articles, 6% of monitored radio reports and 10% of
monitored TV reports mentioned any aspects of Hamas' stance towards
Israel
 
· 75% of the Financial Times' editorials and 71% of The Guardian's editorials
were less favourable than favourable towards Israel's operation. Neither
paper published a favourable editorial. The Times published the greatest proportion
of neutral editorials - 50% of their editorials on the conflict
 
· More generally, the broadsheets demonstrated an even balance of
perspectives in their editorials throughout the conflict. Of all editorials,
34% were classified as neutral about Israel's operation in Gaza, 32% took
a less favourable stance and 34% were more favourable
 
· Two crucial aspects of the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas were widely under-reported: that Hamas had been attacking areas of southern  
Israel since 2001 - mentioned in no monitored BBC TV reports and in only
10% of all broadsheet news articles - and that Israel unilaterally disengaged
from Gaza in 2005 - not mentioned in any BBC TV reports and just 8% of all broadsheet news articles
 
· The BBC did not sufficiently differentiate between civilian and Hamas
casualties. Only 11% of monitored radio broadcasts and 10% of monitored
TV broadcasts made this distinction. However, 40% of broadsheet press
articles made the distinction
 
 
The report addresses the following areas: editorial and opinion pieces in the press, the media's depictions of Hamas, the representation of the conflict in cartoons and the voices coming out of Gaza.
 
 
To view coverage of Just Journalism's report so far, visit the following links: 
 
Harry's Place: 'Just Journalism on the Reporting of the Gaza Conflict'
Jewish Telegraph: 'BBC blasted for Gaza bias'
 
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For more information or to contact us, please visit www.justjournalism.com

Just Journalism does not endorse the views and opinions presented in the
articles above.

    


Posted by Britannia Radio at 12:41