Just Journalism's recent report, 'Preoccupation with Israel in the British media: Reporting of Israel, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia prior to the Arab Spring', quantified the disproportionate coverage of Israel in relation to the rest of the Middle East in 2010. It identified the lack of permanent correspondents outside of Israel as one the main causes of this issue, and recommended that media outlets reassess the allocation of human resources throughout the region. However, the minimal coverage of Friday's rally in Tahrir Square suggests that there is still an underlying inability to adequately report on Middle East developments that do not directly pertain to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The massive show of support for Islamism at the location that symbolises the Arab Spring, and the accusations of betrayal by liberals and secularists, has significant implications not only for the immediate future of Egypt, but for the region as a whole. Despite the size and potential ramifications of the event, it was by and large ignored by the British media. While both wire services and Al Jazeera provided extensive coverage of the rally, only the Financial Times and the BBC News website reported it - with the latter failing to address how Islamists had been accused of 'hijacking' the event. Tues. 2 Aug. 2011 @ 13.54 - Reuters highlights continued attempts by Hamas to impose Islamist culture in Gaza Strip, including via media censorship. The Reuters wire service has highlighted the culture of censorship in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. 'Gaza film-makers decry Hamas censorship', by Nidal al-Mughrabi, opens by noting that the Islamist group have no problem with using modern media themselves, especially in terms of political propaganda: 'Locked in conflict with Israel and vying against secular Palestinian rivals in the occupied West Bank, Hamas has long invested in television- and Internet-based news, educational shows and even animated clips that advance its political views.' However, the article immediately contrasts this with its heavy-handed censorship of independent films: 'But independent artists say Gaza's Culture Ministry, where projects must be approved before public screening, is quick to crack down on content that does not conform to Hamas edicts.' US announces creation of special envoy for Middle East religious minorities, highlighting continued persecution of Christians and other minority groups, as Iraqi church is targeted by car bomb. The Egyptian daily Al Masry Al Youm reported on Monday that the US Congress had passed a bill assigning a special envoy for minority affairs in the Middle East and Asia, allocating an annual budget of one million US dollars to support the rights of religious minorities in the region. The position, aimed at 'promoting and protecting religious freedoms' in the Middle East, is set out in a bill introduced on 22 June by Democratic Senator Carl Levin and Republican Roy Blunt. In a statement published on Senator Levin's official Senate website, the US politician remarks: 'It is profoundly in the interests of the United States to promote freedom of worship and the rights of religious minorities around the world, and especially in nations where those freedoms are under threat... [S]uch violence is a threat to regional stability in a part of the world where U.S. interests are great. Moreover, our support for these universal human values affirms the principles upon which our own nation was founded.' Mon. 1 Aug. 2011 @ 17.22 - Following explosion in Hezbollah controlled suburb of Beirut, Islamist operatives fire in air to disperse crowd and prevent Lebanese security forces from investigating. According to the NOW Lebanon website, the Lebanese An-Nahar newspaper has reported that there was an explosion in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut on Friday. According to the newspaper, the explosion was caused by 'a bomb or grenade.' One person was allegedly killed. Significantly, reports from the immediate aftermath of the explosion suggest that Hezbollah militants - not the Lebanese police - were in charge: 'Hezbollah's security is cordoning off the scene where a blast took place on Friday night in the southern suburb of Beirut's Dahiyeh, the Shia group's stronghold, LBC television reported. '"Hezbollah is still locking down the blast area in Dahiyeh's Rouweis and is not allowing the Lebanese security forces to enter the apartment in which the explosion took place," the report said on Saturday.'
August 03, 2011 Media Analysis Coverage of Islamist rally in Egypt highlights inadequate Middle East reporting
The Wire Hamas in Gaza: Reuters covers censorship of film-makers
The Wire Christians in the ME: US announces special envoy for religious minorities in Middle East
Wed. 3 Aug. 2011 @ 10.51 -The Wire Explosion in Hezbollah controlled suburb goes unreported
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
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