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bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful === News Update === How The US Mainstream Media Propaganda Fabricated News : Zionist vs Palestine Off the Charts : Accuracy in Reporting of Israel/Palestine - ABC World News Tonight - CBS Evening News - NBC Nightly News Study Periods: September 29, 2000 - September 28, 2001 January 1, 2004 - December 31, 2004 <http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/net-report.html#rt> Figure 16 In 2004, ABC, CBS, and NBC news reporting on Palestinian childrens deaths followed virtually the same line as Israeli childrens deaths, in stark contradiction to the reality, in which Palestinian children were being killed at a rate 22 times greater than Israeli children. <http://www.ifamericansknew.org/download/networks.pdf>Download Report <http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/net-pr.html>Press Release Abstract This study consists of a statistical examination of ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News coverage of the first year of the current Palestinian uprising, and of their coverage of that uprising in 2004. The categories examined are coverage of conflict deaths and, as a subcategory, childrens deaths. Our findings indicate significantly distorted coverage by all of these network news shows. In the first study period ABC, CBS, and NBC reported Israeli deaths at rates 3.1, 3.8, and 4.0 times higher than Palestinian deaths, respectively. In 2004 these rates increased or stayed constant, to 4.0, 3.8, and 4.4, widening still further, in the case of ABC and NBC, the disparity in coverage. An additional sub-study of deaths reported in introductions revealed a similar but even larger disparity. The networks coverage of childrens deaths was even more skewed. In the first year of the current uprising, ABC, CBS, and NBC reported Israeli childrens deaths at 13.8, 6.4, and 12.4 times the rate of Palestinian childrens deaths. In 2004 these large differentials were also present, although they decreased in two cases, with deaths of Israeli children covered at rates 9.0, 12.8, and 9.9 times greater than the deaths of Palestinian children by ABC, CBS, and NBC, respectively. Given that in 2004 22 times more Palestinian children were killed than Israeli children, this category holds particular importance. We could find no basis on which to justify this inequality in coverage. Introduction Beginning in 2003, If Americans Knew<http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/net-report.html#end>1 began issuing report cards to media across the country on their coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This study of ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News (we will call them, collectively, the networks) covers the first year of the current uprising (September 29, 2000 through September 28, 2001). This period was selected for study because it set the context within which all subsequent reporting on the conflict is viewed. We also studied these networks coverage for 2004 to discover whether the patterns we found for the first year had continued, diminished, or increased. Given that the media have a desire and a responsibility to cover this topic accurately, we provide these reports in the hope that our analyses can assist them in achieving this goal. In addition, we are making these reports public, as a way to help viewers evaluate for themselves the reliability of their sources of information on this issue. The goal of this report is to * Establish clear standards for assessing accuracy in reporting. * Provide, in a consistent format, an assessment of the medias accuracy in reporting on the Israel/Palestine conflict. Findings:I. Coverage of All Deaths: First Year of the Uprising During the first year of the current uprising, 165 Israelis were killed by Palestinians and at least 549 Palestinians were killed by Israelis.<http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/net-report.html#end>3 The majority of those killed among both populations were civilians. 165 Israelis and 549 Palestinians were killed during the first Examining this first year of news coverage, we found a significant disparity in the likelihood of a death being reported based on the ethnicity of the person killed. This disparity was compounded by the fact that while the networks periodically reported on deaths more than once, through follow-up stories and mentions in later news reports, such repetitions were found to be more frequent in reporting on Israeli deaths than in reporting on Palestinian deaths. In fact, such repetitions caused the networks in some cases to report on Israeli deaths in greater rates than they had actually occurred. Palestinian deaths, on the other hand, were significantly under-reported by all three networks. In its first year of coverage, we found that ABC reported on 305 Israeli deaths and 327 Palestinian deaths 185% of Israeli deaths and 60% of Palestinian deaths. CBS reported on 334 Israeli deaths and 296 Palestinian deaths 202% of Israeli deaths and 54% of Palestinian deaths. NBC reported on 227 Israeli deaths and 190 Palestinian deaths 138% of Israeli deaths and 35% of Palestinian deaths. Figure 2 In other words, ABC reported Israeli deaths at a rate 3.1 times greater than Palestinian deaths, CBS reported Israeli deaths at a rate 3.8 times greater than Palestinian deaths, and NBC reported Israeli deaths at a rate 4.0 times greater than Palestinian deaths. On average, the networks reported Israeli deaths at a rate 3.5 times greater than Palestinian deaths (175% of Israeli deaths and 49% of Palestinian deaths). II. Coverage of Childrens Deaths: First Year of the Uprising In the first year of the current uprising, 28 Israeli children and at least 131 Palestinian children were killed.<http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/net-report.html#end>4 (Children are defined by international law as those who are 17 and younger.) Thus, Palestinian children were killed at a rate 4.7 times greater than Israeli children. 82<http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/net-report.html#end>5 of these Palestinian children were killed in the first three-and-a-half months of the conflict, before any Israeli children had been killed. Figure 3 During the conflict Palestinian children have consistently made up a disproportionately large number of Palestinian deaths. In this first year childrens deaths accounted for 24% of the Palestinians killed, while childrens deaths accounted for 17% of Israelis killed. During this time, ABC reported on 56 Israeli childrens deaths (including repetitions in later newscasts) and 19 Palestinian childrens deaths 200% of Israeli children and 15% of Palestinian children, a ratio of 13.8 to 1. CBS reported on 37 Israeli childrens deaths (including repetitions) and 27 Palestinian childrens deaths 132% of Israeli childrens deaths and 21% of Palestinian childrens deaths, a ratio of 6.4 to 1. NBC reported on 45 Israeli childrens deaths (including repetitions) and 17 Palestinian childrens deaths 161% of Israeli children and 13% of Palestinian childrens deaths, a ratio of 12.4 to 1. Figure 4 Collectively, the networks reported on an average of 46 Israeli childrens deaths 164% of the Israeli children killed and 21 Palestinian childrens deaths 16% of the Palestinian children killed. In other words, the networks reported on Israeli childrens deaths at a rate 10.2 times greater than Palestinian childrens deaths. To understand the pattern of network news coverage of childrens deaths, it is useful to compare the number of deaths reported to the actual number that took place. While repeated coverage of Israeli childrens deaths creates an impression of a higher number of Israeli victims than there actually were, omissions of the majority of Palestinian childrens deaths considerably under-represents the number of Palestinian child victims. Figure 5 Comparing the day-by-day reporting of childrens deaths to the actual daily death toll reveals an additional dimension of the distortion. In this comparison, we discover that the reports on Palestinian childrens deaths followed the curve for Israeli childrens deaths, rather than the much steeper curve of their actual death count. This finding underscores the tendency by all three networks to report a fictional situation in which Israeli and Palestinian deaths occur at more or less the same rate, and illustrates the substantial gap between the reality of Palestinian fatalities and the coverage of them. It suggests that the desire to appear balanced is too often prioritized above the need for accuracy. Conclusions It is sometimes said that the only uncontroversial aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that it is controversial. Indeed, many news sources are simultaneously accused of displaying diametrically opposed biases. If Americans Knew has undertaken this study with the aim of providing objective, verifiable analysis of coverage. The Middle East is currently among the most volatile regions in the world. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the central issues of this region, and intimately related to the escalating regional violence we see today. American forces are presently deployed in one country in the region, and it is uncertain when they will be withdrawn. More US tax money goes to Israel than to any other nation; and more American money is sent to the Middle East than to the rest of the world combined. For all these reasons and more, it is essential that Americans receive full and accurate news coverage on Israel/Palestine. Unfortunately, our findings indicate that this is not occurring. Our analysis reveals troubling patterns of omission and disparities in emphasis that, we feel, profoundly hamper the ability of viewers to understand this conflict. In the first year of the current uprising, when there were four times more Palestinians being killed than Israelis, two out of three networks reported on more Israeli deaths than Palestinian deaths. This gives the viewer an essentially inverted view of the violence, which persists in following years. Such distortion also creates a chronological reversal, in which Israeli forces are seen as retaliating, when in reality many Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and Gaza before any Jewish Israelis were killed inside Israel. Reporting on childrens deaths was even more flawed. In 2004, when 22 times more Palestinian children were being killed than Israeli children, we found that ABC, CBS, and NBC were reporting Israeli childrens deaths at rates 9 to 12.8 times higher than Palestinian childrens deaths. By omitting the killings of a great number of Palestinian children, ABC, CBS, and NBC were failing to perform their function as new agencies the reporting of the news. In the course of completing this study we found that there was no lack of newscasts on the subject during many periods there were daily reports from the area there was simply a pattern of omitting violence against Palestinians while emphasizing violence against Israelis. Finally, we found that the networks virtually never reported the total number of deaths among both populations in this conflict. This is a bizarre and highly perplexing omission. Such numbers are easily available and immensely significant. At the same time, we found the networks tendency in 2004 to report on the fact that hundreds of Israelis have been killed without at the same time mentioning the number of Palestinians killed (several times greater) inexplicable. Such reporting can only mislead. We hope that by alerting the networks to this lapse, they will correct it. We are deeply disturbed at the findings contained in this report. We hope that ABC, CBS, and NBC will be as concerned about these patterns as we are, and will undertake whatever actions are necessary to rectify the flaws in their coverage. End Notes * If Americans Knew is dedicated to providing full and accurate information to the American public on topics of importance that are underreported or misreported in the American media. Our primary area of focus at this time is Israel/Palestine. For more information contact 202-543-2044, [EMAIL PROTECTED], PO Box 75845, Washington, DC 20013-5845. * For more information about this organization, visit their website at <http://www.btselem.org/>www.btselem.org. Because of conditions in the Palestinian Territories, confirmation of deaths often lags behind their occurrence. Thus, BTselems statistics for Palestinian deaths tend to increase over time. For this reason the numbers on Palestinian deaths in this study slightly exceed the numbers noted in our previous studies. * These numbers do not include Palestinians civilians who died as a result of inability to reach medical care due to Israeli road closures, curfews, etc. The figure for Palestinian deaths is extremely conservative, since it is difficult for BTselem to report on deaths in the Palestinian territories. Palestinian medical organizations report a higher number for this period. For example, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (<http://www.palestinercs.org/>www.palestinercs.org), internationally respected for its statistical rigor, reports that 693 Palestinians were killed during this time. * For a number of reasons explained above, the Palestinian figure is extremely conservative. * In addition, two others died when Israeli forces blocked access to medical care. * For a number of reasons explained above, the Palestinian figure is extremely conservative. Palestinian medical organizations report a higher number for this period. For example, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (<http://www.palestinercs.org/>www.palestinercs.org) reports that 881 Palestinians were killed during this time. * Percentages are only listed to the closest whole number; ratios are calculated to one decimal place. In this case, the percentage of Palestinian childrens deaths covered is actually closer to 10.23%. Percentages are listed to one decimal place in the summary at the end of this report. * Again, percentages are only listed to the closest whole number; ratios are calculated to one decimal place. In this case, the percentage of Palestinian childrens deaths covered is actually closer to 10.23%. Percentages are listed to one decimal place in the summary at the end of this report. * Remember These Children (<http://www.rememberthesechildren.org/>www.rememberthesechildren.org) * BTselem, Palestine Monitor source: <http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/net-report.html>http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/net-report.html === -muslim voice- ______________________________________ BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
