Jon Stewart van 'The Daily Show' laat snedig zien waar het probleem zit met 'unbalanced media' coverage on the Gaza conflict.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRAeAiZW4Zk

Uit de Avaaz.org nieuwsbrief:

"Far from taking sides, our effort will show that a pro-peace voice is both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian, because it advocates for lasting security and justice for both peoples.

For years a balanced perspective has been largely absent from US media. Palestinian kids throwing rocks were seen as dangerous rioters, rather than token resistance to an illegal and repressive military occupation. The crushing nature of the Israeli occupation, the numbers of Palestinians beaten or killed, the way that Palestinians live in a type of giant prison with even the smallest movements or actions tightly controlled, are almost never covered by US media. The same media however often create great empathy among Americans for innocent Israeli victims of violence, telling their personal stories in depth. See links below for a number of studies that have showed the overwhelming bias of American media in this conflict. Until the American media can tell both heart-rending sides of the story, no US president will be able to broker a fair peace.

The opportunity is there. After the trauma of the Bush years there is a fresh wind blowing through American democracy and media. A new emphasis on responsible, tough journalism, and a genuine desire among media professionals to be more balanced. On the other hand, a massive PR infrastructure established by a few powerful organizations puts tens of millions of dollars a year into conveying a pro-war perspective to US media. This is tough competition, but our effort will have a much easier job – we'll be pushing balance, not bias, helping journalists to do their job, not shirk it. Obama has promised "fairness" in his approach to this region, let's help make it politically possible for him to deliver. Click below:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/gaza_media_balance

With hope,

Ricken, Graziela, Alice, Luis, Paul, Brett, Milena, Paula, Pascal, Iain and the whole Avaaz team."

PS: For more information about bias in the US media and on coverage of the recent war in Gaza:

The Blame Game in Gaza - Erasing Israeli actions to fault only Hamas:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3667

Video - Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land:
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=eCL6WdnuNp4

Jon Stewart's critique of media bias on Gaza conflict:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=213380&title=Strip...

International Law Seldom Newsworthy in Gaza War - Israeli justifications often cited uncritically:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3672

For a recent US poll which shows the impact of the media bias:
http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/client/act_dsp_pdf.cfm?name=mr090114-2a.pdf...

Palestine Media Watch report on op-eds:
http://www.pmwatch.org/pmw/mediocrity/displayCall.asp?essayID=336

Newsworthy and unnewsworthy deaths:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3057

Video - Media bias about the Israeli - Palestine conflict exposed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiyyp9cZdY0&NR=1

Video - Biased media reports on the Israeli-Palestinian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOC1RReb6gc

If Americans Knew - A US project helping to convey alternative perspectives to Americans:
www.ifamericansknew.org

PPS: Please click on this link for an award winning video made by Avaaz which is the kind of material that we will use to encourage more balanced understanding of the Middle East: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWyJJQbFago

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ABOUT AVAAZ

Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Buenos Aires, and Geneva. www.avaaz.org