At its heart, journalism is a noble trade. The media serve a vital role in the functioning of any healthy democracy by exposing abuses of power, subjecting questionable policies and decisions to close inspection, and providing a platform for dissenting points of view, thereby ensuring a vibrant public conversation. Put simply, it’s the media’s task to keep politicians and public officials honest.
That’s the theory, at least.
In reality, journalists are just as liable to underlying biases as any of us are. In practice, journalists working together in the same environment often unwittingly create an atmosphere in which ‘groupthink’ prevails, and so certain angles and certain stories are given prominence whereas others are downplayed.
The ramifications of these failings are far-reaching. In an age of rampant fake news, citizens desperately need a media that they can fully trust. But polls show that Americans consistently regard the broadcast and print media industries with decreasing trust as the years go by. And Americans are not alone: citizens of many democracies around the world share the exact same sentiments.
The media and Israel
On such a backdrop, it’s tempting for some to imagine that “the media” has it in for Israel. The reality is far more complicated. While there are indeed numerous journalists and news agencies whose reporting on the Jewish state is imbalanced or even downright hostile, the vast majority of journalists do not have deep-seated anti-Israel biases. The bulk of reporters and editors are professionals who take pride in their work, and are open to being persuaded of other points of view.
It’s important to note that while it’s convenient to speak of “the media,” and while trends can be observed across the industry, ultimately it is comprised of individuals and organisations; each with their own guiding beliefs and principles. They must each be held responsible for their words and actions. In other words, in order for democracy to function properly, it’s important to keep the journalists themselves honest, too.
Precisely for this reason, I personally avoid referring to the “mainstream media” and instead opt to name specific bodies, pinpoint the exact journalists, and make clear that they must take responsibility for their words.
That is what HonestReporting strives to do.
Each day, HonestReporting seeks to show what’s missing from news coverage, to challenge journalists to address their own human errors and underlying biases, and to expose those instances when news agencies propagate antisemitic content.
So what exactly is HonestReporting?
As a media watchdog, HonestReporting observes and analyses media coverage of Israel, the wider Middle East and the Jewish people, documents when coverage is clearly skewed, and helps followers to make their grievances heard effectively. We are not a news outlet, but do provide considerable information in order to balance out and fill in the gaps in the incomplete picture that so often emerges from media reports.
For too long, media coverage of Israel has been slanted, devoid of context, and with an undue focus on this conflict while many others around the world go under-reported. People around the world have strong opinions on Israel, yet many are simply unaware of the facts, with media reports all-too-often omitting key details.
It’s time for the media as a whole to do better. It’s time for individual reporters and editors to source better, analyse better, and report better.
It’s time for the public to demand more honest reporting.
