Opinion: ‘For the West's press, context is sacrosanct - except when it comes to Palestinians’

Mohamad Elmasry, an associate professor of media studies based in Doha, argues that media framing of the ongoing war is stereotypical and all too familiar.

In his most recent editorial, he calls out the coverage in the mainstream media, including The New York Times, CNN, The Guardian, BBC, USA Today and many others, who he says “have privileged Israeli perspectives; highlighted Israeli casualties and humanity at the expense of Palestinian casualties and humanity; disregarded Palestinian voices and grievances; and overlooked the broader context of the conflict.”

“A person who exclusively follows mainstream western news might be tempted to conclude that Palestinians are predisposed to violence, that they wake up and decide to kill,” he adds. 

According to Elmasry, mainstream western reports have made infrequent mention of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, with almost no mention of the fact that the occupation is illegal under international law. 

“Even essential context from the past few months has been largely disregarded by most western reporting about ongoing events, despite its direct link to the recent outbreak of violence,” he continues. 

You can read the full opinion article below. 

Read here: For the West's press, context is sacrosanct - except when it comes to Palestinians