Peace, Propaganda & The Promised Land - Google Video

Two friends independently sent me the link to this video, which is about ah hour and a quarter long. A third friend said he had seen it, and that it drew attention to the failures of U.S. media to adequately inform the public about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It certainly does make that case. (It does not make the case that this failure is only one aspect of a massive failure of the media here, but I think such a case can be made.)

The video is far more on the side of the Palestinians that we are used to seeing. I don't know whether it is more or less fair that the media coverage it reproaches. But it is riviting video.

For this blog, I would underline one point that the video makes very well -- what we think we know is based on the information we receive. Part of the difference between European and U.S. public opinion on the wars in the Middle East is surely due to the very different coverage of those wars by European and U.S. media.

For U.S. chovenists, let me underline a point made in the film. Brittish journalists are far more aggressive in questioning their on-air sources than are U.S. journalists, and the difference is important. I think it clear that Brittish journalism is superior to ours in this respect.

The film makes what should be an obvious point, that various factions work hard to influence the content of the media, and that not all do so with equal success. Unfortunately, the most successful need not be those who are most accurate and balanced in their reporting.

One suggestion that I would make is that we all try to access media from different countries. I wish that more U.S. citizens could do so in languages other than English. I am pleased that more kids are studying abroad, since they will have the opportunity to use foreign media, and may learn to value the alternative viewpoint those media provide.

I suggest that the video might also help to be a little more humble in evaluating what we think we know!