Global media has played quite a role in shaping and influencing public opinions, whether it be about any global conflict or social issue. The subtle media coverage of such conflicts and issues has immensely impacted the changing viewpoints of the general public. However, while doing so, the global media also fooled the public by luring them towards their own constructed reality through misrepresentation and misinterpretation of these crucial issues and conflicts.
The continuous omission of political and historical factors that contribute to the understanding of the context of the ongoing violence is an often-used tactic by the global media. Nonetheless, we are perfectly aware of the power that heavily controls the global media, which is none other than the Western powers and the pro-Israeli organizations, which wants the world to perceive the image through the Western lens, manifesting Western ideas and stories.
In this process of influencing and inspiring, Western media has left everyone far behind. The Western media has shown complete bias and inconsistency while covering numerous wars and conflicts. The same is the case with the ongoing dreadful ethnic cleansing and butchery of thousands of innocent civilians in Palestine, carried out by savage Israelis.
Despite these atrocious circumstances, Western media is demonizing and marginalizing the already oppressed Palestinians, depicting them as pure “villains”. Western media tends to portray Israelis as sinless “victims” of oppression and Palestinians as “terrorists” and “aggressors”. And we are very well familiar with the classically biassed and obstinate tactics of the West. They use deceptive language to construct a fabricated and distorted perception of reality, which baffles the general public.
Tragically, this is not it. Western powers may have been able to control and direct the global media according to their “schemes and strategies” but whoever does not follow these strategies faces a dreadful end. Palestinian Journalists, fearlessly exposing vicious acts of human violation, brutal killing, and consistent torture of Palestinians by Israeli forces, had eventually become the target of this dreadful end. More than 34 Palestinian journalists, along with their family members, have been killed since October 7, only because they dared to expose the truth of the Palestinian genocide, ruthlessly carried on by Israeli forces and occupants. This holds the idea of “freedom of speech” accountable, a Western idea that believes that it is “the power or right to express one’s opinions without censorship, restraint, or legal penalty.” But the West itself seems to refuse to believe in its own established set of ideas and systems.
The West tends to inspire and influence the world by beautifying its holy epitome of “Freedom of Speech,” a world where everyone has the ultimate right to express and voice his or her opinions. But these notions are fitting for people like Salman Rushdie, who insults and slanders religious Islamic values and notions while becoming the cause of death for people like Abu Hatab and other Palestinian Journalists who risk their lives to save the gory truth. West, who likes to sing the epic songs of “Humanity and Justice,” simply seems to ignore its very existence. Do humans living in Palestine have no value? Whereas the lives of Israelis and Zionists apparently matter more than anything in the world, even though they are ruthless barbarians who love to mock and exploit the supressed and tyrannized Palestinians who are helplessly seeing their loved ones die in front of their very eyes.
The media must not favour inhumane and gory acts of Israeli forces and occupants while marginalizing innocent Palestinians who are the victims of a brutal genocide. The media should eradicate the vicious cycle of calamity and dishonesty. Media organizations must be clearer and more honest in their coverage of this dreadful genocide, which reflects the nuanced nature of the situation.
Further, the violation of so-called “Freedom of Speech” has reached incomprehensible ends where self-censorship by social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, etc. is raising doubts and concerns. Many accounts on these social media platforms are being shadow-banned and deleted, particularly when it comes to content related to the ongoing situation in Palestine.
Many individuals and organizations have reported that their posts and accounts have been subjected to restrictions, reduced visibility, or outright removal due to the content they share regarding the Palestinian conflict and the alleged genocide. These actions further raise questions about the pivotal role of social media platforms impact and their ability to raise awareness about sensitive and contentious issues. This issue suggests that even social media, controlled by the West, wants to conceal the dark truth, which makes them stand at a critical point.
However, this Western bias doesn’t end right here, considering other wars such as the Russia-Ukraine War often reveal the same set of motifs and schemes. Russia is consistently depicted as the villain, while on the other hand, Israeli forces and occupants are represented as helpless creatures. The Western hunger to induce the idea of “the other” had always been a part of the representation of both sides of the conflict. These double standards call into question the impartiality and egalitarianism of Western media outlets in war reporting. Considering a bloodbathed genocide as a war, accusing harmless Palestinian civilians of the use of violence shows how the Western media has even crossed the boundaries of pharisaism.
This Western bias has always been there due to their cultural beliefs and thoughts. They may say that they promote diversity in language, culture and thoughts, but they seem to have the most terrible perceptions in such regard. Historically, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have been well-documented features of Western cultural thought.
While anti-Semitism has been widely denounced in Western culture as unacceptable and abhorrent, anti-Arab and Islamophobic sentiments have not faced the same level of censure. These sentiments have been further fueled by the US-led “War on Terror,” which Israel has used to frame its war with the Palestinians.
Such biased coverage of the Palestinian genocide in the media not only misrepresents reality but also perpetuates narratives that benefit Israeli occupants and forces while undermining the legitimate concerns of the innocent Palestinian people. The media contributes to the persistence of inequality and hinders the potential for amicable and sustainable peace in the region through the application of different moral and legal standards than in other conflicts.
Palestinians, who need global support and a voice of their own, are facing dire consequences because of the Western media’s biased narratives and ideas. Media organizations need to re-evaluate their ethics and professional practices. They must avoid perpetuating harmful narratives and contribute to a more accurate representation of the Palestinian genocide. Diverse perspectives and voices must be included in media coverage, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of the complexities involved.
The media must not favour inhumane and gory acts of Israeli forces and occupants while marginalizing innocent Palestinians who are the victims of a brutal genocide. The media should eradicate the vicious cycle of calamity and dishonesty. Media organizations must be clearer and more honest in their coverage of this dreadful genocide, which reflects the nuanced nature of the situation.
