Newsroom Action During the Lebanon War: A Look at American and Israeli Media Coverage
Since 1948, the birth of the Jewish state has been broadcasted by news media outlets all over the globe. Most audiences and viewers are driven by an ideological bias, one that influences the daily consumption of media, impeccably catered to the viewer and their political, social, and moral understandings. This paper explores biases embedded within Israeli and Western news industries through literature, news stations, and language. I will unpack these biases in media representation with concern to the hierarchical structures that exist behind the unquestioned voices or "factual" sources. Israel has been viewed and criticized as a modern Nation-State by American news industry since its origins. Questions defined by leading academics include: How does American news continue to shape Israeli politics today? What methods have been consistent over time? What methods (language, rhetoric, and medium) changed over time? Is public response embedded in the medium? Is the American media biased in favor of Israel? The goal of this paper is to analyze, examine, and evaluate the role that Israeli and the Western news media played during the Lebanon War, as both media outlets generated a strong emotional reaction to this event.
