Hoax, Scholarly Research, or Personal Opinion

Hoax, Scholarly Research, or Personal Opinion

Introduction

Media outlets have often been accused of having a bias on certain issues. Although this may be for various reasons, the most plausible explanation for the exhibition of such behavior by media is its submission to the state. In this regard, Noam Chomsky, inarguably the world's most popular linguist, has explained how media outlets are used by the state as tools to further their own agenda by manufacturing consent among the general population. Hence, the theory of media bias in its coverage of certain key issues is certainly explainable. This paper analyses two articles that have strong and distinguishably biased views on different aspects of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The first article has a pro-Palestinian tone to it while the second one is unmistakably in favor of Israel.

Discussion

Article 1

In order to determine the level of bias in the media, two articles will be thoroughly analyzed in this paper. The first article reviewed is “UK Ready to Take On Israel Over Fate Of Children Clapped In Irons” which was published in The Independent on Wednesday, the 27th of June, 2012. In this article, author Terri Judd claims that the foreign office would challenge the decision of the Israeli government to lock up countless innocent Palestine children behind bars without giving them the fundamental right of legal protection. Judd claims that the practices carried out by Israeli military are 'unconscionable', explaining how the use of hooding, blindfolds, and leg irons is common.

The article certainly merits attention, particularly because the Israel-Palestine issue has been a subject of much debate around the world. However, the manner in which the writer approaches the topic reeks of bias and this affects the credibility of the content making it highly subjective. One feature of the article that especially draws attention of the reader is the image attached with it (see illustration 1).

Illustration 1: Palestinian children shown as if they are locked behind bars.

This image shows the faces and hands of Palestinian children protruding from between what can be mistaken as thick metal bars. At first glance, it is natural for the reader to infer that the children have been kept by a cold and heartless Israeli military as prisoners behind bars. However, upon closer inspection of the image, it becomes clear that the children are not actually prisoners. In fact, they are not even behind bars but, rather, in an open area where they are protesting against the Israeli occupation.

So how does the image manage to evoke such strong feelings of pity and sympathy for these children who are not even prisoners? The trick is in the photo, captions, and camera angle. The cameraman who has taken this particular photo has shot it from a wide angle. This allows him a certain amount of leverage in manipulating the elements of the picture. For example, by shooting the picture from a wide angle that photographer makes it appear as if the bars are very close to each other just as ...