Demand Balanced Media Coverage of the Crisis in Gaza

As the death toll rises in Gaza to over 650 with thousands more wounded in the 11 days since the Israeli military campaign began, mainstream U.S. media outlets are toeing the official Israeli government line, scarcely mentioning statements from the international human rights community, progressive Israelis, or Palestinians.  

Futhermore, there has been virtually no coverage of the U.S. role in the conflict.  Already the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, in 2008 U.S. military aid to Israel increased by 25% and will total $30 billion over the next 10 years.

Please take a moment to let your local media as well as national outlets know that biased coverage of the conflict in Gaza is unacceptable.  Make a phone call, send an email, or submit a letter to the editor to demand that U.S. media outlets provide more balanced coverage by including op-eds from Palestinians and the international human rights community, reports on the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s bombing and blockade of Gaza, and information about U.S. military support to Israel.

We’ve put together a list of talking points like these to help you engage with the media:

• Numerous reports, including by Amnesty International, have cited Israel’s November 4th raid into Gaza as effectively breaking the ceasefire.
• Over 80% of Gazans now live in poverty, according to the United Nations and the World Bank. The World Bank has identified Israel’s tight control of movement of people and goods into and out of, as well as within, the occupied territories as the single most important reason for the collapse of the Palestinian economy.
• A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report in 2007, “Indiscriminate Fire,” documented that from September 2005 through May 2007, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) fired 14,617 artillery shells into Gaza, compared to 2,700 fired into Israel by Palestinian armed groups.  HRW further stated, “When investigating incidents, HRW found that IDF shelling with 155mm howitzers often caused unnecessary loss of civilian life and property in violation of International Humanitarian Law.”
• Click here for more talking points.

Join the efforts to call for fair and thorough coverage of the tragedy in Gaza today.