Letter by media & communications scholars on British news media coverage of the war in Gaza

18/10/2023

As scholars of journalism, media and communications, we write to express our shock and dismay at what we can only describe as a dangerous suspension of journalistic values, standards, and norms in much of the British news media coverage of the war in Gaza.  

Israeli government and army officials are using genocidal language in reference to Palestinians, including terms such as "human animals", "barbarians", and "savages". Several British news media outlets not only fail to report this and warn against it but at times seem to be inciting violence against Palestinians through insinuations that hospitals are legitimate military targets. This implicates media institutions and personnel in accusations of war crimes and violations of international law.

We note that much of the coverage omits key facts and context necessary for understanding this war including that Gaza is an occupied territory under international law that has been under 16 years of illegal siege.

We observe widespread selective use of evidence in reporting. While unsubstantiated Israeli claims are reported in full and treated as trustworthy, Palestinian claims are shrouded in doubt and suspicion.

We note double standards in the coverage of the tragic suffering of civilians in Gaza and in Israel and a biased deployment of emotion in the news. While Israeli civilian victims are rightly mourned, Palestinian victims are reported as nameless numbers.

Furthermore, discrimination seeps into the use of language. We observe the widespread deployment of the passive voice when it comes to the killing of Palestinians, so as not to implicate Israel.

As media scholars, we have studied the dangers of hate and disinformation on social media. We are disturbed to see established news organisations that pride themselves on their impartiality become sources of dangerous misinformation.

We remember the coverage of the ongoing Ukraine war and how British media rose to the task of condemning occupation and voicing support for the victims of military aggression.

Palestinians are no less human than Israelis or Ukrainians and should not be treated as such by British media. The British public deserves balanced and truthful information on this escalating war.

Considering the above, we believe it is vital that news organisations take the following steps:

1.    Critically question and provide evidence on Israeli claims in the name of accuracy, fairness and truth.

2.    Challenge Israeli officials with difficult questions and not just simply give them uninterrupted airtime.

3.    Include the colonial context of Israel’s more than 50 years long military occupation of Palestinian territories and 16 years of siege on Gaza – repeatedly condemned by the UN and human rights organizations.

4.    Include Palestinian voices in your coverage, not to trap them into denouncing the acts of Hamas as a precondition of any discussion, as if they are guilty by virtue of their identity, but to offer a human perspective and context.

5.    Demand that journalists gain access to Gaza and condemn the killing and targeting of journalists doing their jobs in the region.

6.    Immediately rescind actions against Palestinian and Arab journalists reporting on the conflict.

Signed

1. Dina Matar, Professor, SOAS University of London
2. Omar Al-Ghazzi, Associate Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science
3. Zahera Harb, Reader, City University London
4. Tarik Sabry, Professor, University of Westminster
5. Simidele Dosekun, Assistant Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science
6. Wendy Willems, Associate Professor, London School of Economics and Political Sciences
7. Rachel O’Neill, Assistant Professor, LSE
8. Polly Withers, Leverhulme ECF, LSE
9. Sebastián Lehuedé, University of Cambridge
10. Jared Ahmad, Lecturer, University of Sheffield
11. Ken Fero, Assistant Professor, Coventry University
12. Jara Fernandez-Meneses, Lecturer in Film, University of Southampton
13. Dr Melissa Beattie, Asst Prof of English/Humanities, American University of Phnom Penh
14. Prof Des Freedman, Goldsmiths, University of London
15. Shakuntala Banaji, Professor, LSE
16. Ricardo Domizio Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, London South Bank University
17. Michael Pickering, Professor Emeritus, Loughborough University
18. Julian Petley, Honorary and Emeritus Professor of Journalism, Brunel University London
19. Jennifer O'Meara, Associate Professor, Trinity College Dublin
20. Myria Georgiou, Professor, LSE
21. Francesco Sticchi, Lecturer in Film Studies, Oxford Brookes University
22. Gholam Khiabany, Reader,  Goldsmiths, University of London
23. Lina Dencik, Professor, Cardiff University
24. Dr Munira Cheema, Lecturer, King's College London
25. Meg Peterson, Lecturer, King's College London
26. Viviane Saglier, Lecturer, University of St Andrews
27. Tom Sayers, New York University
28. Dani Madrid-Morales, University of Sheffield
29. Farzeen Heesambee, Ms and University of Derby
30. Rubia Dar, Senior Film Lecturer, University of Portsmouth
31. Rana Arafat, Lecturer, City University of London
32. Mica Nava, Emeritus Professor, University of East London
33. Chris Paterson, Professor, University of Leeds
34. Tony Dowmunt, Emeritus Professor, Goldmsiths - University of London
35. Łukasz Szulc, Senior Lecturer, University of Manchester
36. Sara García Santamaría, University of Bristol
37. Nina Robinson Lecturer ECR PhD Media Diversity Journalism BCU & University of Derby
38. Dr Amira Abdelhamid, Lecturer in International Relations, University of Portsmouth
39. Nancy Thumim, Associate Professor, University of Leeds
40. Ki Wight, Lecturer, Capilano University
41. Nathaniel Weiner, Senior Lecturer, University of the Arts London
42. Aasiya Lodhi, Senior Lecturer, University of Westminster
43. Cristina Moreno Almeida, Lecturer, Queen Mary University of London
44. Sara Tafakori, Lecturer, University of Leeds  
45. Zhongwei Mabu Li, PDRF, University of Leeds
46. Suzanne Temwa Gondwe Harris, Fellow, LSE
47. Weidi Zheng, Research Associate, KCL
48. Dr. Dror Dayan, Liverpool Film School, Liverpool John Moores University
49. Silvia Angeli, Lecturer, University of Manchester
50. Lee Edwards, Professor, LSE
51. Dr Barbara Henderson, lecturer, MA Media and Journalism, Newcastle University
52. Lucy Woods, PhD candidate
53. Akanksha Mehta, Senior Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London
54. Holly Steel, Lecturer, University of Leeds
55. Fatima el Issawi , Professor, University of Essex
56. Anthony Killick, Lecturer in Film and Media, The British University in Egypt
57. Eve Bennett, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
58. Dr. Julia Peck, Senior Lecturer, University of Gloucestershire
59. Kate McNicholas Smith, Lecturer, University of Westminster
60. Dr James Morrison, Associate Professor in Journalism, University of Stirling
61. Peter Goodwin, Principal Research Fellow, University of Westminster
62. Cáit Murphy, Researcher, Trinity College Dublin
63. Ceiren Bell, lecturer, Goldsmiths University of London
64. Dr Sarah Gibson Yates, Course Leader BA Media and Communications, Anglia Ruskin University
65. Alida Payson, Lecturer, Cardiff University
66. Mona Baker, University of Oslo
67. Sarah Lahm, PGR at University of Leeds
68. Nicky Falkof, Professor of Media Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
69. Charlotte Curle, PhD researcher, Lancaster University
70. Dr Victoria Cann, University of East Anglia
71. Paul Reilly, University of Glasgow
72. César Jiménez-Martínez, Assistant Professor, London School of Economics
73. Samira Nadkarni, Independent Academic
74. Dr Deirdre O'Neill University of Hertfordshire
75. Martha Shearer, Assistant Professor, University College Dublin
76. Jean-Christophe Plantin, associate professor, media & communications at LSE
77. Dimitris Boucas, Lecturer, University of Westminster
78. Afroditi Koulaxi, Fellow, LSE
79. Federica Frabetti, Associate Professor, University of Roehampton
80. Sarah Cefai, Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London
81. Dr Jonathan Wroot, University of Greenwich
82. Nadine El Sayed, Associate Professor and Associate Chair, The American University in Cairo
83. Mina Tever, PhD researcher, City University of London
84. Miriam Kent, Lecturer, University of Leeds
85. Tom Greenwood, Associate Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London
86. Marcus Free, Assistant Professor, Media Studies, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick
87. Allen Feldman, Professor, Media, Culture and Communication, New York University
88. Sophia Kanaouti, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
89. Nathasha Edirippulige Fernando, Lecturer, University of Westminster
90. Abeer AlNajjar, professor of journalism abd media studies, the American university of Sharjah
91. John Ogunrinde, Ph.D. Researcher, London Metropolitan University
92. Daniela Treveri Gennari, Oxford Brookes University
93. Robin Mansell, Prof Emerita, LSE
94. Nader Salha, Prof in Digital Media - AlQuds University
95. Jessica Saxby, PhD candidate, Goldsmiths, University of London
96. Dr Jenn Durrett, Senior Lecturer, Bournemouth University
97. Angela Towers, Ph.D researcher, Lancaster University
98. Marc Owen Jones, Associate Professor of Middle East Studies, Hamad bin Khalifa University
99. Sophie Knowles, Associate Professor, Middlesex University
100. Wallis Motta, Lecturer in Strategic Communication, University of Liverpool
101. Dr Janna Graham, Senior Lecturer Goldsmiths 'University of London
102. Andrea Medrado, senior Lecturer, University of Westminster
103. Odin O'Sullivan, PhD Candidate, University College Dublin
104. Cíara Dempsey, Tutor, University College Dublin
105. Emma Heywood, SL, University of Sheffield
106. Daniel Rourke, Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London
107. Yasmin Ibrahim, Professor, QMUL
108. Paolo Ruffino, Senior Lecturer at University of Liverpool
109. Kirsten Adkins, Lecturer, University of Glasgow
110. Mark Hobart, Emeritus Professor of Critical Media and Cultural Studies, SOAS
111. Pieter Verdegem, Reader, University of Westminster
112. Dr Jacob Mukherjee, Convener MA Political Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London
113. Dr. Loreley Hahn-Herrera SOAS, University of London
114. Leonie Gschwendtberger, PhD Researcher, University of Bristol
115. Bart Cammaerts, Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science
116. Yasir Suleiman, Emeritus Professor, University of Cambridge
117. Patricia Prieto-Blanco, Lecturer, Lancaster University
118. Philipp Seuferling, Fellow, LSE
119. Tanya Serisier, Reader in Feminist Theory, Birkbeck, University of London
120. Pablo Alvarez Murillo, independent researcher
121. Professor Lynne Segal Psychosocial Motion Birkbeck
122. Nabeel Khalid, Open Source Investigator, Digital Verification Corps Amnesty, University of Essex
123. Catherine Rottenberg, Professor, Goldsmiths, University of London
124. Zadoc Nava, Lecturer, University of Arts London
125. William Brown, University of British Columbia
126. Tassia Kobylinska Lecturer, Goldsmiths, UoL
127. Dr Richard Stupart, University of Liverpool
128. Tim Lawrence, Professor of Cultural Studies, University of East London
129. Soumia Medjahed, PhD candidate, Cardiff University
130. Les Roberts, Reader, University of Liverpool
131. Ozlem Sensoy, Professor, Simon Fraser University
132. Siao Yuong Fong, Lecturer in Global Media and Inequality, Lancaster University
133. Dr Cat Mahoney University of Liverpool
134. Natalie Fenton, Professor, Goldsmiths University of London
135. Dr Dean Lockwood, Senior Lecturer, University of Lincoln
136. Roza Tsagarousianou, Professor of Media and Migration, University of Westminster
137. Hannah Spaulding, Lecturer, University of Liverpool
138. Hannah Little, Lecturer in Communication and Media, University of Liverpool
139. Daniela Agostinho,  Assistant professor, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University
140. John Brissenden, Senior Lecturer, University of Westminster
141. Shakthi Nataraj, Lecturer of Sociology, Lancaster University
142. Dr. Dounia Mahlouly, SOAS University of London
143. Marcia Allison, University of Leeds
144. Eleftheria Lekakis, University of Sussex
145. Sana Bilgrami, Lecturer, Edinburgh Napier University
146. Dr Ana Tominc, Reader in Media and Communications, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
147. Dr Kerry Traynor, Senior Lecturer, Communication and Media, University of Liverpool
148. Meghanne Barker, Lecturer in Education, Practice and Society, UCL
149. Adel Iskandar, Director, Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies, Simon Fraser University
150. Noureddine Miladi, Professor of Media and Communication, Qatar University
151. Hung Nguyen, Lecturer in Digital Journalism, Goldsmiths, University of London
152. Dr Vincent M. Gaine, Lancaster University
153. Dr Rosalynd Southern. Senior Lecturer in Political Communication University of Liverpool
154. Michelle Henning, Professor, University of Liverpool
155. Ilaria Lombardo, PhD Candidate, Goldsmiths University of London
156. Chloe Turner, PhD Researcher in Media, Communications and Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths University of London
157. David Morley Professor Emeritus,Goldsmiths, University of London
158. Dr Allen Munoriyarwa Senior Lecturer, University of Botswana Department of Media Studies
159. Ashwani Sharma, Senior Lecturer in Film and Screen Studies, LCC, UAL
160. Natalie Wreyford, Lecturer, King's College London
161. Dr Allen Munoriyarwa Department of Media Studies University of Botswana
162. Dr Andy Williams, Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture
163. Mohammad Ayish Ayish, Professor Media and Communication, American University of Sharjah
164. Professor Winston Mano, University of Westminster
165. Charles Lawrie, PhD Student, University of Sussex
166. Giulia Champion, Research Fellow, University of Southampton
167. Nick Couldry, Professor, London School of Economics
168. Dr Aida Al Kaisy, SOAS University of London
169. Dr Graham Harwood goldsmith's, university of london
170. Milly Williamson, Senior Lecturer, Goldsmiths UoL
171. Richard Wallis, Principal Academic, Bournemouth University
172. Katy Parry, Professor, University of Leeds
173. Ergin Bulut, Senior Lecturer, Goldsmiths
174. Catherine Walsh, Lecturer, Cardiff University
175. Camilla Affleck, Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University
176. Dr Tom Sykes, Associate Professor of Creative Writing and Global Journalism, University of Portsmouth
177.  Lilie Chouliaraki, Professor, LSE
178. Yasmin Fedda, Lecturer in Film Practice, Queen Mary University of London
179. Taner Doğan, Lecturer, Queen Margaret University