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Did You Hear That Two Palestinians Were Captured the Day Before That Israeli Soldier Was? Rena Bivens

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Did You Hear That Two Palestinians Were Captured the Day Before That Israeli Soldier Was? Rena Bivens VARIANT 27 | WINTER 2006 | 15 COMPETING NARRATIVES EXPOSED: Did you hear that two Palestinians were captured the day before that Israeli soldier was? Rena Bivens As it turns out, journalists do not climb to the top capabilities. With respect to the Israeli-Palestinian (Fox News, 13th July 2006) of their respective headquarters each day and conflict, most journalists will acknowledge Presenter A appears extremely confused and direct large, all-seeing mirrors towards each region that Israel has a more efficient public relations cannot comprehend the events he witnessed. of the globe before effortlessly broadcasting the machine.3 Therefore Israel’s ability to supply Helpful Presenter B tries to ease his confusion most compelling images onto your television journalists with information that supports their by putting the situation into a dialectic that screen later that evening, complete with favoured narrative is significantly increased. Also, resembles President Bush’s rhetoric of good vs. straightforward, de-politicized descriptions of their most correspondents live in Israel when covering evil – hence “Bad guys shoot at anything.” But this content. the conflict and the BBC is the only Western just baffles him even further since “it’s Israel” As soon as the newsroom directs its focus broadcaster that retains a permanent presence and therefore, it follows, Israel can not possibly be towards news items that involve war or conflict, within Gaza.4 This fact alone disrupts the flow of shooting since they are not the “bad guys”. particularly one that is as hotly disputed as the information. Greg Philo and Mike Berry published Granted this example is not the result of an Israeli-Palestinian conflict, many more decisions a study in 2004 of content, audience reception, in-depth analysis of Fox News’ coverage of the are involved. As it turns out, the news that streams and production factors involved in the coverage most recent incursions into Gaza by the Israelis, onto your television screens each night is no of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following the nor is it meant to paint a definitive picture of mirror of the world – it is the result of an actively oubreak of the Palestinian Intifada or uprising in their reporting. Still, it provides a demonstration manufactured version of reality. September 2000. The following quotes are from of the construction of reality that takes place Many issues problematize the mainstream journalists who have experienced the different by presenters on behalf of the audience and the media’s coverage of conflict. Time constraints nature of each side’s public relations management: danger of neglecting contextualization in favour of in television, word limits in newspapers, what appears to be a preconceived narrative. Palestinian spokesmen are their own worst enemy. ideologically-laden yet politically-endorsed and They often come across as boorish, the message is relatively unquestioned terminology, a seemingly often incoherent. (Interview, June 2002) never-ending range of differing historical UK coverage of the 2006 Israeli-Gaza accounts that no two groups are likely to ever Palestinians don’t have a clear public relations crisis agree upon, and the influence of public relations approach. They [Palestinians] start from a reactive While not as explicit as the seemingly impulsive and intense pressure by well-organised lobby approach. I get 75-100 emails a day from official Israeli and simplified dialectic applied to coverage of groups are just a few. Still, reporting conflicts is sources and organisations which support [Israel] Israel’s actions by Fox News, as presented above, one of the most important tasks of mainstream (about 15 per cent from government, the rest lobbyists coverage within the UK is fraught with a common and supporters). I get perhaps five a week from media, since the majority of the public will only 5 narrative that is left almost entirely unquestioned. receive information about foreign crises from Palestinian sources. (Interview, June 2002) In every headline, in every teaser, in every These production factors influence the way this coverage. Television remains the main source opening remark, the 2006 Israeli attack on Gaza in which events in the ongoing conflict will be of world news for the large majority of the UK was narrated as a response to the captured Israeli covered – particularly how they will fit into a population.1 Therefore it is absolutely vital that solider, Cpl Gilad Shalit. It is certainly the case favourable narrative for one group or the other. television reporting of conflicts is analysed and that hours after the capture of Cpl Shalit by the The task of mainstream media organisations is broadcasters are pressured to maintain balance military wing of the ruling Palestinian Hamas to ensure that balance is maintained – that the and a high standard of impartiality. party, Izzedine al-Qassam, the Popular Resistance full range of differing perspectives of events and If the news was just a reflection of images Committees (PRC) and the previously unknown overall narratives are featured in their reports caught in a mirror, news agencies like Reuters Army of Islam, “dozens of Israeli tanks, backed regardless of any potential inequality on the and Associated Press would cease to exist. These by helicopter gunships, pushed into the Gaza public relations front. organisations fuel the news that we receive and strip” (BBC News online, World Edition, 25th June the consequence of this dependency is a lack of 2006).7 From that point forward the narrative was diversity between news outlets and, more crucially, A brief illustration of US coverage of set: the ensuing conflict between Israel and Gaza a restricted and politicized information flow. the 2006 Israeli-Gaza crisis began with the June 25th capture of Cpl Shalit by While the domination by only a handful of news Palestinian militants. The famed slogan of the United States’ leading agencies can result in a selective representation This narrative fits the common stereotypical news program, Fox News, reminds its audiences: of the globe and has the potential to advance only scenario of action followed by response and “We Report. You Decide.”6 Below is one example certain political and economic interests, news retaliation. This scenario is inherently simplistic of their coverage that occurred during the first few is still largely the result of public relations. It and lacks context, but more importantly it mimics weeks of the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip that may appear as though news is spontaneous and the narrative pattern that has been consistently began at the end of June 2006: investigative, but in fact the majority of content found in previous analyses of UK coverage of this on mainstream television broadcasts is planned.2 A Fox correspondent stands in Gaza, describing the conflict: precisely that the Palestinians perform Certain events, like the World Cup and the Queen’s empty scene in which Israel has reportedly ‘cut Gaza in an ‘act’ of aggression to which the Israeli’s must birthday are clearly known in advance, but much half,’ when shots appear to be flying towards him and ‘respond.’8 By selectively concentrating on of the rest of news is a direct result of public he is forced to end the report. Palestinian action (here: the capture of Cpl Shalit), relations management. Groups make statements Presenter A: Scary. even though in this case it directly proceeds Israeli to the media – from governments to corporations action, a cycle of violence is again solidified in the Presenter B: But I just don’t understand. They have...it to scientists – and each maintain a vital interest in minds of the audience and blame inevitably falls says ‘press’...that’s the colour, that’s international... promoting a particular perspective of an event. on the Palestinians without consideration of the Particularly when military conflict is involved, Presenter A: Bad guys shoot at anything. context nor any historical conditions. Greg Philo these groups share a fundamental concern that Presenter B: Right...but it’s Israel. and Mike Berry’s audience research demonstrates 9 the resulting news coverage will be structured Presenter C: Uh…but it’s also...if, if he’s correct and how this narrative pattern is transferred to the around a narrative that shows their exclusive again, we don’t know who exactly was shooting at audience and revealed in focus group discussions group in a favourable light – often to the detriment him...but the other guys there are trying to protect such as this conversation with a student group in of others. It is also often the case that one group themselves- Glasgow: involved in a conflict will be better resourced Presenter A: Completely shifting gears, are you a rotten Female Speaker: You always think of the Palestinians as and therefore have superior public relations speller? being really aggressive because of the stories you hear 16 | VARIANT 27 | WINTER 2006 on the news. I always put the blame on them in my own Huda Ghalia head. cries beside the body of her Moderator: Is it presented as if the Palestinians father, who was somehow start it and then the Israelis follow on? killed in an explosion on a Female Speaker: Exactly, I always think the Israelis are Gaza beach on fighting back against the bombings that have been June 9. done to them. (Philo and Berry 2004:222) The same narrative is also exposed within a news writing exercise where focus group members were given photographs from TV news coverage and asked to write a news item. Narrative-consistent phrases that continually arose within content analysis of TV coverage (following September 2000) appeared in the output: “Israeli army retaliates”, “[Israeli] government reaction”, “Israeli army retaliated”, “Israelis responded”, “In response to Palestinian attacks” (2004: 228-229, original italics).
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