Right-wing news channels and right-wing British publications were at the forefront of misrepresenting pro-Palestinian protesters as anti-Semitic.
LONDON: A new report has revealed that the UK's mainstream media was heavily biased towards Israel and against the Palestinians by attacking Muslims and non-Muslims who supported Palestinian freedom, following the brutal 7 October attacks and the Israel's subsequent attacks on Gaza.
Right-wing news channels and right-wing British publications were at the forefront of misrepresenting pro-Palestinian protesters as anti-Semitic, violent or pro-Hamas, according to a report published by the Muslim Council-affiliated Center for Media Monitoring (CfMM). of Great Britain (MCB).
In 150 pages, the report explains that emotive language in UK print and electronic media describes Israelis as victims of attacks 11 times more often than Palestinians; most television channels overwhelmingly promote “Israel's right” to defend itself, eclipsing Palestinian rights by a ratio of 5 to 1; on broadcast television, Israeli perspectives were referenced almost three times more than Palestinian ones; in online news, it was almost double; 76% of online articles frame the conflict as a “war between Israel and Hamas,” while only 24% mention “Palestine/Palestine,” indicating a lack of context; Pro-Palestinian voices face misrepresentation and vilification by the media, perpetuating harmful stereotypes; and right-wing news channels and right-wing British publications were at the forefront of misrepresenting pro-Palestinian protesters as anti-Semitic, violent or pro-Hamas.
The report, 'Media Bias Gaza 2023-24', critically examines media coverage surrounding Israel's war on Gaza in the first month after October 7 (October 7-November 7, 2023), highlighting significant biases and distortions in the mainstream media, including the degree to which central facts were presented.
The CfMM said the report examined a wide range of data analyzing 176,627 television clips from more than 13 broadcasters and 25,515 news articles from more than 28 UK online media websites.
He said the data was analyzed to determine the framing of events, the use of language and the representation of Palestinian voices in mainstream media. The report aimed to assess the extent of bias and distortion in the portrayal of the conflict by various media outlets.
The report said there were 361 television news clips where the terms “decapitated” and “babies” were found; almost 50% of them were on the two right-wing British channels Talk TV (27%) and GB News (20%), with Sky News (14%) and of the 361 mentions there were only 52 that showed sufficient defiance. , refutation or questioning of statements. The report said these were all unverified claims.
The report revealed that a significant majority of online articles framed the conflict as a “war between Israel and Hamas,” while only a small percentage mentioned “Palestine/Palestine.” This biased framing perpetuated a narrative that lacked crucial context and failed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the conflict, according to the report.
He said television broadcasts overwhelmingly favored “Israel's right” to defend itself, effectively overshadowing Palestinian rights by a ratio of 5 to 1. This biased framing contributed to a distorted representation of the conflict, reinforcing narratives that prioritized Israeli perspectives. about Palestinian voices.
CfMM also found that television reports on Israeli perspectives were referenced almost three times as often (4,311) as Palestinian ones (1,598). In online news it was almost double (2,983 compared to 1,737).
Analysis of language use in media coverage highlighted a worrying trend in which emotive language disproportionately highlighted Israeli suffering, while downplaying Palestinian victims.
According to the report, this disparity in language use further perpetuated a narrative that undermined the plight of Palestinians and reinforced biased perspectives.
The report said pro-Palestinian voices faced misrepresentations and defamation by the media, with accusations of anti-Semitism and terrorism used as a weapon to discredit legitimate advocacy efforts. This systematic misrepresentation perpetuated harmful stereotypes and undermined the credibility of pro-Palestinian activists. For example, GB News and Talk TV accounted for 42% of total references to protesters as “pro-Hamas” even though the protests highlighted the plight of Palestinians and called for a ceasefire.
The report also examined the intersection between the crisis and Islamophobia, especially as Islamophobic hate crimes increased by 335% since October 7. The report found that many prominent media personalities, senior editors and journalists regurgitated Islamophobic tropes about Muslim beliefs and identities, with the aim of undermining the Palestinian cause and/or Palestinian advocates.
The report also found how some media outlets and commentators have framed the conflict as between Muslims and Jews. Some publications and commentators have called Muslim opposition to Israel anti-Semitic. While there has been a striking increase in both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic hate crimes, the report traces a hierarchy of racism when reporting on anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
In the report, lead author Faisal Hanif said: “Overall, Palestinians should be considered human beings with full inalienable rights such as those enjoyed by all peoples. This also requires how those rights have been restricted in an eternal war against them that has its origins many decades before October 7, 2023.”
Rizwana Hamid, director of the Media Monitoring Centre, said: “As media organizations navigate the complexities of the conflict, it is imperative to uphold the principles of fairness, accuracy and inclusion, ensuring that all voices are heard and all perspectives are represented. “
Veteran journalist and author Peter Oborne said: “Some of the misinformation highlighted in this report comes from ignorance rather than prejudice… It also points out the counterintuitive and highly revealing paradox that mainstream Israeli journalists have been more willing to say the truth about war. in Gaza than their British counterparts. Israeli victims of Palestinian violence are “killed” while Palestinians mysteriously “die.” Terms like “atrocities,” “massacre,” and “massacre” are overwhelmingly used in relation to attacks against Israelis rather than Palestinians.”
The report refers to a study by the University of Cambridge which claims that mainstream media reporting on Muslim communities is contributing to an atmosphere of growing hostility towards Muslims in Britain. Sir Alan Moses, former chairman of newspaper regulator IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation) said the representation of Islam and Muslims in the British press had been the “most difficult issue” the watchdog faced during its presidency and that Muslims “are written about so that [newspapers] I just wouldn’t write about Jews or Roman Catholics.”
