Revolution All Around: Documenting Israeli Identity in 2011

My editorial, because I can't wait for publication to have people read it

julie_bien — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 05:11:00 GMT

My angry editorial:

This is one that my editor loved, but the publisher has yet to comment on. I don't know if he'll choose to publish it or not. However, it still needs to be read. So I've posted it here:

The anti-Israel media bias: a sick parody of journalism

By Julie Bien

Israel is no stranger to damaging media bias.

One decade ago, the IDF was accused of a massacre in the West Bank town of Jenin. Although that fiction was eventually debunked by a fact-finding mission, the media had already created a firestorm of hate against Israel that was inextinguishable.

In the past ten years, not much has changed.

On November 19th, the sixth day of the most recent Israeli-Gaza conflict, I took a random sample of online articles published by five mainstream Los Angeles news outlets and one national outlet, and analyzed them for the glaring bias with which they have continued to present the conflict.

Four of the six outlets were reporting from Gaza City, Gaza. Only one was reporting from Sderot, Israel (which has historically taken the brunt of rocket attacks from Gaza.) From personal experience on the ground, it would not be particularly difficult to have reporters contributing from both Gaza and Israel.

To add media-bias insult to injury, these four articles were nearly identical copies of the same Associated Press article, although they conveniently all had different headlines—a publishing tactic meant to mislead the casual reader.

The take away message? Just because you faithfully go to the CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox news websites for variety, does not mean you are actually reading a wide variety of articles about the same topic. You are, in fact, reading the same article with the same bias, except it’s masqueraded as journalistic consensus rather than journalistic laziness.

Let’s return to the content, shall we? While each side of this conflict has a valid narrative (and I use the term ‘valid’ loosely when discussing Hamas), the Gaza side is only one part of a much larger picture. By framing this conflict as an “invasion of Gaza,” which almost every article I’ve read over the course of the conflict has thus far, Israel is automatically framed as an aggressor.

This is just wrong. While the complexities of the situation are too nuanced to truly delve into here, it should go without saying that in any conflict there are at least two sides. This holds especially true when one side is guilty of regularly firing thousands of rockets at civilians.

By omitting the human aspect of one side of a violent conflict while intentionally playing up the other side, the media is performing a sick parody of journalism.

I am a self-proclaimed liberal, identifying most closely with the Doves of Israel. I believe in the humanization of victims of violence. I believe that children should never die as a result of their parents’ wars. I also believe that an Israeli life is equal to a Palestinian life and should be reported as such.

However, as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu eloquently stated earlier this week, “There is no moral symmetry; there is no moral equivalence between Israel and the terrorist organizations in Gaza. Hamas deliberately targets our children, and they deliberately place their rockets next to their children."

This particular tactic is rarely mentioned in the coverage of this conflict and wasn’t mentioned at all in any of the articles I analyzed.

Thus bringing us to the grand topic of omission, which, besides being an example of lazy journalism, is actually a way of lying to the reader by choosing not to publish salient information.

Not a single article of the six that I looked at on the 19th gave the exact number of Israelis wounded by rockets (which, as of the 18th, was over 50, if you were wondering.)

Those same outlets all too eagerly gave the exact numbers of Palestinians wounded in the conflict while intentionally burying the number of militants versus civilians harmed deep in the article.

As a brief side note, the rocket attacks carried out against Israel were described in the Yahoo article (pulled from Reuters) as, “feeble shockwaves of a flurry of detonations.” I’ve been to Sderot. I’ve heard the tseva adom and the rockets. Believe me, by no stretch of the imagination do they send out “feeble shockwaves.”

None of the articles showed injured Israelis or Israeli funerals, but felt no qualms about showing death and destruction in Gaza. This is not to say that it shouldn’t be shown, but certainly not to the exclusion of Israeli suffering.

Besides the omissions and bias of the mainstream media, there are straight-up lies floating around the internet, being perpetuated by such trustworthy sources as BBC reporters and, my favorite bias-machine, AP.

Although he later apologized for the mistake, BBC reporter, Jon Donnison, tweeted a photo of an injured child from Syria, but labeled it as a photo from Gaza.

As Mark Twain wisely said, “A lie cantravel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes,” something that is doubly true in the age of internet virality.

AP managed to one-up this mistake by posting a photo and article about a four-year-old Palestinian, Mohammad Sadallah, who was tragically killed by an explosion. What they failed to mention was that the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (definitely not a group that would be biased in favor of Israel) believed that the death of the child was actually caused by the misfiring of a homemade Hamas rocket.

This fact-gaffe was made all the more apparent when the Israeli Air Force, which almost always confirms its strike locations, “vociferously denied carrying out any form of attack in that area the previous night,” according to the photo caption AP placed under the picture of Sadallah.

So AP not only published misinformation, but actively chose to lie using a quote that later confirmed that they were lying. Doesn’t this seem like a lot of work to go to make sure the story is going a particular direction?

As a journalist, I understand the pressure that these writers and editors are under to get a compelling story published. The 24 hour news cycle is probably the worst thing to happen to journalism. Ever. That being said, sloppy research about an area of the world which is constantly in turmoil is inexcusable. Actively trying to pass off bias as true-blue journalism is exponentially worse.

There is a place in the world of writing for opinions and fiction. They are respectively called Op/Eds and blogs.

Anything that’s labeled as news should definitively fall outside of the “let’s editorialize!” camp.

Julie Bien is a regular contributor to TRIBE Magazine as well as The Jewish Journal. She has a Master’s degree in Mass Communication and has done extensive research and documentary work on the political atmosphere of Sderot and southern Israel.

Angry, scared, and sad

julie_bien — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:59:00 GMT

My friend David said it better than I could:

"Seven years ago Israel withdrew from every square inch of Gaza. Hamas took over the areas vacated and rather then build a better future for the residents of Gaza, Hamas - backed by Iran - turned Gaza into a terrorist stronghold. They fired thousands of rockets at Israeli cities, towns, and citizens. They've smuggled thousands of rockets and missiles into Gaza and deliberately placed these rockets and missiles in civilian areas (in homes, schools, and near hospitals). This year alone they fired over 1000 rockets and missile into Israel, including over 200 in the last 24 hours. I'm stressing this because its important to understand one simple point. There is no moral symmetry and equivalence between Israel and the terrorist organizations in Gaza. The terrorists are committing a double war crime. They fire at Israeli civilians and hide behind palestinian civilians. And by contrast, Israel takes every measure to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas deliberately target Israeli children and they deliberately place their rockets next to their children. Despite this reality, Israel will continue to do everything in their power to avoid civilian casualties."

I just hope my Israeli friends are okay. No one should have to live in a constant state of battle. People need to stop dehumanizing my friends. It's not okay.

Update re: Ron Sade (from my Documentary)

julie_bien — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 09:37:00 GMT

I promised I'd update this blog if anything regarding my documentary changed. Well, it has.

If you've seen my documentary (or read this blog religiously, as you ought to do) you know that my dear friend, Ron Sade, had been unable to get the Israeli gov't to grant him a Visa to the US. It had been pretty hard on him, especially since his girlfriend lives here.

Well, the day has finally come! Ron landed a job at a NY summer camp, and subsequently landed in NY yesterday.

I'm not sure if he'll be able to make it all the way out to CA, but he will get as far as New Orleans by the end of August.

I'll keep you posted on his American adventures.

Now back to packing (because I'm moving. Again. Oy.)

My final documentary/I passed my thesis defense!

julie_bien — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:32:00 GMT

Here is my final documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dOv-3HbAw4

For now, this is the end of this blog. However, I promise one day I'll be back with future adventures as well as updates on life.

Love you all for actually taking time to read my ramblings!

Always,

Julie

On the Border

julie_bien — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Somehow, through the haze of my thesis and focus on southern Israel, I completely had forgotten that I went to the Syrian border in 2010. This seems like a rather large thing to have forgotten considering how much Syria is in the news, but I somehow managed. Heck, I even have photographic evidence of me standing there (although, I look like hell from hiking, so I'd rather not post that).

It was actually quite a memorable experience--partly because it was about 20 degrees cooler there than where we'd been earlier in the day, but also because, as we looked down across the border, a jeep was making it's way along one of the dirt roads (on the Syrian side) and two of the soldiers I was with seemed to be talking with some level of concern about it. I'll never know exactly what they said, but I got the gist of it, and it wasn't rainbows and butterflies.

I remember the border seemed rather unremarkable besides that little conversation. There were farms, lots of arid areas, and a few roads that we could see. I remember thinking how arbitrary national borders are: "You see this here dirt? Well it's my dirt. That dirt o'er yonder? That's your dirt."

Anyway, random rambling of the day.

A pleasure doing business with you

julie_bien — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 17:22:00 GMT

I never thought I'd have a job where my various correspondences with PR people would be written partially in transliterated Hebrew.

To be fair, there are lots of things about my life these days I never would have expected.

Planning one's life is rather overrated.

Lyla tov!

I'm back! I'm alive! I'm busy!

julie_bien — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:57:00 GMT

Hi everyone!

First, let me apologize for my three week long disappearance. Things have been pretty crazy here recently. In fact, I'm in the middle of trying to move, sell my car, work on my thesis, and continue bringing home the *kosher* bacon with my various jobs.

I'm actually very excited about my next feature article. I'm covering adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Jewish community in LA. I've met some amazing people while researching this topic: incredible individuals who have ASDs as well as the incredible individuals who devote their lives to helping others. I truly hope this article will help those in need of services find what they're looking for as well as convince people to help out at these centers (either by volunteering their time or aiding the services financially).

I'll be sure to post a link when it comes out (it will be in the March edition of TRIBE Magazine).

Other than that, I'm continuing to work on shopping editorials for TRIBE as well as my bi-monthly column for Patch. I'll be back at work in my tutoring position next week at CSUN and starting my final semester of grad school.

Say whaaa??? Yes folks, my final semester of grad school (and possibly my final degree). I don't know how much I really want to pursue a PhD. As of now, I'm sick of academia and itching to spend more time working in the real nitty-gritty world of journalism, where I'm sure to continue earning poverty-level wages.

And seeing as I don't plan on marrying any doctors or lawyers soon, I'll just have to make due.

I think that's it as far as general updates go! Oh yes, and on this coming Saturday, I will receive my Radio Television News Association award/scholarship at the Universal Hilton. Snazzy. My parents are my dates (because they both have been working in LA news for decades and are sure to know everyone there...just like I'll know no one). And hey, it's not like I have anyone else to bring!

Until we meet again, dear readers!

So drink your gin and tonicah, and smoke your marijaunacah!

julie_bien — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 07:47:00 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd1Pyu9_rxo&feature=related

Have a Happy Chanukah!

RTNA Award/procrastination post

julie_bien — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:11:00 GMT

Hello all,

I hope everyone is surviving the holiday season!

I currently don't have a documentary update because I am in the midst of finals. FINALS! However, as of Thursday, I will have my life back.

In fact, I really only have one tidbit I'd like to share. *drum roll please*

Last week I was awarded a Radio Television News Association scholarship for both my current grad work on Israeli politics and on my journalistic accomplishments thus far (which include being published and underpaid...woo!) Apparently, my journalistic ethics essay wasn't too terrible either.

The financial part of this award will actually go towards paying off my student loans. I am seriously grateful for that. Hopefully, the award itself will help bolster my resume enough to give me half a chance at either receiving a post-grad fellowship or getting a staff job somewhere...perhaps I'll even have dental insurance! (The song "Small Pleasures" from Oliver just popped into my head.)

And because my brain works in odd ways, the thought occurred to me today that with this lovely award, presented at the Golden Mike Awards, I will have to find (and pay for) a dress to wear to said awards show. For those of you that know me, this is one of those "oh man...really?" moments. I don't love shopping. I certainly don't love shopping for formal things that require hardcore binding undergarments.

Not a big deal on the spectrum of "things that are a big deal," but enough of a nuisance to complain. I mean really, journalists are not the kinds of people that like getting dressed up. Jeans and New Balance shoes (or leggings and moccasins in my case) are the uniform of the freelancer.

I guess I could show up like that....but somehow I feel like my family would be embarrassed (which could be entertaining on some sick level.)

Anyway, back to work...I'll hopefully have another documentary update (rather than a rambling post about dresses) in a couple weeks.

Merry Chrismahannukwanzakah!

Israeli Spring Introduction Full Rough Cut

julie_bien — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:55:00 GMT

Yep, here's the full 4:30min rough cut you've all been waiting for. Because I know you all do nothing but anxiously wait until my next post. Right? Hmmmm....

There probably won't be any new rough cuts for awhile because I need to go back to focusing on the Literature Review aspect of my thesis (aka, those 100 or so pages that will need to be written along with this documentary...heh.)

As you can probably tell by my lackluster writing and odd grammatical issues, I'm tired. So I won't keep writing.

Enjoy!

Another Day, Another Rough Cut

julie_bien — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:37:00 GMT

I will never get Hatikvah out of my head. Quick, someone sing a catchy song!

Here's the rough cut of the main title intro sequence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofoOZqIuA3M

RANDOM ADVICE OF THE DAY: Sony Vegas Pro 11 editing software can't handle HD in the playback screen. And that pretty much makes it impossible to use. Glad I'm only using the trial version!

Lyla tov.

The next edited sequence of my documentary

julie_bien — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:44:00 GMT

Hi everyone,

I know it's been a particularly long time since I've posted anything, but I hadn't made leaps of progress on my project. Here's a link to the rough cut of one of three opening sequences. I'm doing my documentary in "chapters" so this opens one of them. On another note, as soon as I'm in the mood to brace the rain, I'm going to pick up some issues of TRIBE Magazine--my work is actually in this issue twice, plus I'm a featured contributing editor. Woo! First glossy magazine!

Anyway, without further adieu, here is my newest 90 second clip of my documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwK7ztiOe0M

You've been put on hold by a Tseva Adom

julie_bien — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 08:55:00 GMT

For F*ck's sake. I can't even have a conversation with my good friend in Sderot without having it interrupted by a rocket coming from Gaza. Really? This is the first time we've been able to talk at length in months and now there are rockets. The first ones since I left the country in August.

This. Is. Insane. And it angers me to no end.

And yes. This is an incredibly biased post. But it's reality. This is the truth of having friends in the south. This is the reality of living in the south. Life is punctuated by grads, mortars, and qassams. You send out queries to your friends and family if you know their city has been hit, you wait for an answer, and then generally, everything is okay and you go on until the next rocket.

This area is under-reported, under-protected, and the people are by and large ignored except for acts of violence. If I do nothing else in my life, I'd like to see better coverage of this area: so many people without a voice and at the center of a conflict. Those in the center and north need to remember their brethren in the south--and not just after they've been attacked.

*string of frustrated expletives*

I apologize if this post was a little, errrr, intense.

Finally getting part of the thesis published!

julie_bien — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:56:00 GMT

http://www.jewishjournal.com/tribe/article/israeli_summer_hoping_for_change_calling_for_violence_20111025/

Phew!

And I just received a second scholarship today that should help pay for a lot of the remaining costs...it's coming together!

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

julie_bien — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:35:18 GMT

Last summer, I financed my own trip to Israel to cover the economic and social protests for my graduate thesis in mass communications. I am a professional amateur photographer who has never had a formal lesson in my life; I accidentally fell into doing a little freelance work last year. These photos are of the August 13th rally in Be'er Sheva, a southern town in Israel that is often the target of Grad Missiles shot from the Gaza strip. In fact, one week after I took these photos, local residents were hit with missiles not far from where the rally took place. Approximately 25,000 people attended this particular rally. Standing there had both its horrifying moments (we were located next to a gas station--which in Israel, can send chills down the spine of the most hardened IDF member) and its awe-inspiring moments (when the entire crowd sang Hatikvah, the national anthem, at midnight). Many famous musicians and actors spoke and performed alongside local representatives of various tent cities that had sprouted up all over the country. The crowd was filled with people of all ages and all nationalities-- although those who were young adults were in greatest attendance. What struck me most about the rally (and the people I photographed and interviewed) was that despite the outward appearance of hope, everything was tinged with a sadness--I kept hearing over and over again that as wonderful as these peaceful protests were, nothing would really change until there was violence. I found it amazing, that even in the face of such sentiments, people still came out, put themselves at risk (because anywhere where there are thousands of Israelis packed together in one space is risky), and stood up for what they wanted--the future they put their faith in.

Tribe, Shalit, and Hamas vs Fatah

julie_bien — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Hi everyone. Sorry this blog has been quiet since Yom Kippur.

I recently got a new job working as a regular freelancer for TRIBE Magazine (owned by The Jewish Journal...the LA Jewish paper)and I've been drowning in work. I've actually just finished a large multimedia package for them about the protests in Israel (including an article, podcast, and slideshow) that's due to go online next week. I'll post the link as soon as it's up.

To catch you up on what's been going on (if you haven't been compulsively scanning google news), last week, the Israeli government made a deal with Hamas, the government in Gaza, to free over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners (including a number of people directly responsible for the deaths of 599 Israelis in terrorist attacks) in exchange for one kidnapped IDF solider, Gilad Shalit. It's incredibly controversial for fairly obvious reasons.

It also might have undermined the Fatah government in charge of the West Bank. It pretty much illustrated the fact that the West Bank and Gaza are NOT united...otherwise, Israel would not have been able to do a prisoner swap with one without the other agreeing. They are effectually two different governments with a similar national heritage (the WB and Gaza). It's such a convoluted mess.

I just hope things stay relatively peaceful...

On a brighter note, it's been really wonderful getting to become friends with a young woman from Syria who's in my Muslims and the Media class. Today, she even gave me a HUGE bag of zataar (Syrian style! So delicious.) Zataar is a spice mixture that's common in the Middle East. The Israeli version is thyme, sesame seeds, and sometimes garlic, while the Arab zataar has sumac, coriander, cumin, and sesame seeds. BOTH are awesome.

Besides the shared culinary enthusiasm, we've also been able to have some really interesting discussions about the Middle East, Jewish/Muslim relations, and government-created hate. It's hard for us to really come to terms with the fact that the only place we could both safely meet in the Middle East would be Jordan...touristy enough and on good enough terms with Syria,Israel and America for no one to question our motives (which would be to see Petra probably...)

I'd love to be able to go back to Israel and cover the Jewish/Arab school in the Negev that's one of the few that is really working towards a common understanding between the two communities--and it would be especially great to be able to go with my friend who speaks Arabic (and honestly, a lot more Hebrew than I speak). We'd both be able to talk to the people involved with a level of trust we might not get cross-culturally, and we'd be able to show the world that the insanity can be stopped...maybe it would convince others to follow suit. I don't know. Pipe dreams for now I guess...

Anyway, that's a fairly scattered blog about what I've been up to and what's going on. My next posts will hopefully be somewhat more comprehensible.

Tzom Kal!

julie_bien — Sat, 8 Oct 2011 04:57:00 GMT

Have an easy fast dear friends, and may you be inscribed in the book of life for the coming year.

Also, eat a ton of delicious food tonight :)

"I know you are my enemy"

julie_bien — Fri, 7 Oct 2011 09:55:00 GMT

Despite the fact that this blog is focused on my coverage of the protests in Israel, it goes without saying that what happens in Israel is inextricably tied with what happens in the surrounding nations.

That being said, I would like to tell you about an op/ed piece I'm co-authoring with a fellow student.

I am Jewish. She is Muslim. I am American with strong ties to Israel. She is Syrian and living in America.

We are friends. We can laugh our asses off together. We respect each other. A lot.

To some intellectuals out there, this isn't a shocking statement on any level. But there is a very large community out there (or number of communities) that find a friendship such as this one treasonous. Even worse, the fact that we dare criticize our respective religious communities for what we view as indoctrination to hate...well, that should get us a first class ticket to hell--or something like that.

We plan to write the article in such a way that no one can tell whose words are whose. In our mind, we are one force coming together to bring attention to a problem that affects us, equally--even if the actual ways in which we are affected differ.

When my friend asked me to co-author this with her, it never once crossed my mind not to. To me, we were stating the obvious: The Jewish and Arab communities (especially in the Middle East) are often told from a very young age that 'the other side' is their sworn enemy and wants them dead. Sure, there actually are people who want me dead for being Jewish and want her dead for being Syrian and Muslim. But it's not the entire demographic on either side. That's absurd.

We realize that the governments of all respective nations under critique play a large role in keeping all sides from talking. She can't go to Israel and be allowed back to her family's home in Syria. I can't go to Syria and be allowed into Israel again. We would be considered traitors. Creating a dialogue makes you a traitor. Funny how that works.

So, back to southern California. Here we are, about to write this article which will be published in our university newspaper, and all we can think about (and nervously laugh about) is all the hate mail we are sure to receive--and we know that a lot of it will come from our own communities. How dare we bed with the enemy? Don't you know that's your enemy and nothing will ever change?

At best we'll be deemed "silly, emotional, idealistic, girls."

We know that we'll touch on a nerve much deeper than that, though. We know that there are certain people who may read this and truly want us dead. My friend's family is already on her case about being friends with an Israeli (another girl she knows)...they joke that she must be a spy, how else can she stand to talk to such a person?

The worst thing I face is some disapproving wing-nuts from the most conservative parts of my community and concern from my family for my well-being. My friend faces a lot more.

She said something today that really stuck with me. She said, "People will want to kill me for this and other things I write. I don't care. These things need to be said and I will be the one to say them publicly."

She is what journalism should be about. She is brave. She is not my enemy.

Shana Tova!

julie_bien — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:53:00 GMT

Happy New Year! And for those who were wondering, it's the year 5772.

Chag Sameach! (Have a joyous festival)

Now go eat some apples and honey to celebrate the sweet new year :)

Down to the Wire

julie_bien — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:29:00 GMT

I don't normally link to another article, but it seems like I can't summarize this any better than the article does:

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/abbas-to-seek-full-un-recognition-despite-western-pressure-1.386142

I'm hoping there isn't a third intifada--they don't end well for anyone.