The deliberate targeting and killing of journalists in Gaza has escalated to become one of the most underreported yet most devastating aspects of the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
Since October 7th, 2023, the media landscape has split into two: mainstream and alternative. Palestinian journalists, often the primary witnesses to the atrocities, have faced severe consequences for telling the truth. This assault on journalists not only strips Palestine of its narrative but also deprives the world of understanding the full scale of violence unfolding.
The Role of Media in Shaping the Narrative
Ghadija Davids, a journalist who has covered the Palestinian issue extensively, describes how the narrative around the violence shifted dramatically in the days following the beginning of the attacks.
“We saw the split in what was mainstream media and what was alternative media,” she reflects. The difference in how these outlets covered the same events highlighted the power of Zionist influence on the media.
Ghadija observes, “You could see where the Zionist influence was in the coverage of the genocide.” It wasn’t just a matter of editorial slant but the overt control of language and framing, with mainstream outlets often downplaying the atrocities or sanitizing the truth.
This influence isn’t confined to media outlets; it extends to universities, institutions, and even corporations. Ghadija points out that “the Zionist lobby” has used financial pressure to silence institutions that stand in solidarity with Palestine.
“If you continue with your pro-Palestine stance, we’ll cut your funding,” she says. This chilling tactic extends far beyond newsrooms, showing the lengths to which the Zionist lobby will go to suppress dissent and control the global narrative. The implications are immense, as it encourages self-censorship within academic and journalistic circles, keeping the world from fully grasping the horrors in Gaza.
Journalist, Zanele Mji stands firm on drawing attention to the situation on the ground in Gaza, however, she also believes that “there is so much work to be done to be promoting accountability against private companies against governments who in other ways are supporting and enabling this.”
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The Personal and Institutional Pressures Faced by Journalists
The pressure to conform to a particular narrative is personal as well as institutional. Ghadija’s plea for people to take responsibility for their actions is clear: “How can you feel okay drinking a bottle of Coca-Cola when you know that money goes towards assisting the Israeli regime?” It’s a call to reflect on the everyday choices that contribute to the perpetuation of violence, whether it’s through consumerism, media consumption, or political complicity. It’s not just about boycotting; it’s about acknowledging one’s role in a larger system and taking steps to reverse the damage.
Journalists themselves, especially those working within Gaza, are increasingly under threat. As Ghadija notes, there’s a need for further activism: “There needs to be further activism… to properly label this genocide for what it is.” This activism isn’t just about reporting; it’s about naming the violence for what it truly is: genocide. It’s about speaking the truth, even when it costs one’s safety and livelihood. The press is meant to be the voice of the oppressed, but in Gaza, being a journalist has become a dangerous and even deadly profession. It’s not enough to simply report the news; those in the field must actively resist the forces trying to distort or suppress the truth.
The Perils of Reporting from Gaza
Dr. Myriam Francois, a British journalist, filmmaker, and writer, provides a chilling account of what it’s like to be a journalist in Gaza. She calls it “the most dangerous place in the world to be a journalist,” but it’s not just journalists who are at risk. “It is somewhere where all of the red lines that were created after World War II—protections for civilians, journalists, health workers—are being systematically infringed,” she says. Gaza has become a place where the international protections once considered inviolable have been ignored, with no repercussions for those violating them.
It’s as though the rules of engagement for warfare have been rewritten, permitting the targeting of journalists, health workers, children, and civilians with impunity.
The situation in Gaza is more than just a tragic human rights crisis; it’s an erasure of truth itself. Dr. Myriam shares her concern over the systematic targeting of journalists who try to bear witness to the violence. “We’re seeing the targeting of people who have a particular platform and a particular ability to communicate,” she explains. This has included bombings specifically targeting journalists’ homes, such as the attack on poet Rifat Alar’s building, where “the rest of the building was actually left standing and his floor was the one specifically targeted.”
This wasn’t a random bombing; it was a calculated move to silence a voice of resistance and prevent the world from hearing the truth.
The danger for those who continue to report from Gaza is palpable. Journalists have become targets not just because of their profession but because they stand as a symbol of truth in a conflict that seeks to obscure it.
“I have friends in Gaza who are journalists who say to me, ‘My family don’t want me to sleep at home. My friends ask me not to come and visit because we believe we have a target on our back,’” Dr. Myriam shares, giving us a glimpse into the fear and uncertainty that journalists live with every day in Gaza. The danger is so real that even the people closest to journalists are afraid for their lives, forcing them into hiding or into dangerous, unpredictable situations.
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Where Does This Bring Us?
The consequences of this silencing are far-reaching. Gaza’s journalists have been systematically erased from the global conversation, making it difficult for the international community to understand what is happening in real time. With every journalist lost, the truth becomes more obscured, and the world becomes less aware of the violence taking place. “Who is left to bear witness?” Dr. Myriam asks.
It’s a question that underscores the critical role journalists play in conflicts around the world. Without them, we lose the ability to bear witness to atrocities and to demand accountability.
What is happening in Gaza is not just an attack on land, people, or sovereignty. It is an all-out assault on truth. Journalists, the primary bearers of truth in such a volatile situation, are being systematically targeted to prevent the world from knowing what is happening on the ground. The silence that follows their deaths is not a coincidence but part of a broader strategy to erase the reality of genocide and occupation. Without truth, there is no way to hold perpetrators accountable, and without accountability, there can be no peace.
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Image: Ethical Journalism Network
