How to Assess If Coverage of a Terror Attack is Fair
Watch for these typical signs of unfair or slanted reporting when assessing articles about terror attacks.
Terrorism, Terrorists
and Terrorist Groups
Oprah Winfrey Shows Bias
In the forefront of defending women's rights worldwide, Oprah takes a one-sided approach on the Mideast conflict
One Day in September (1999)
Directed by Kevin Macdonald
Narrated by Michael Douglas
English, German, B&W, Color
94 min
While Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film, "Munich," blurs the line between historical fiction and real events to tell the story of an Israeli hit team’s hunt for those involved in the 1972 Olympic massacre of Israeli athletes, this Academy Award-winning film focuses on the massacre itself through live film clips, news broadcasts and interviews with police, close relatives of victims, and the sole surviving perpetrator.
While Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film, "Munich," blurs the line between historical fiction and real events to tell the story of an Israeli hit team’s hunt for those involved in the 1972 Olympic massacre of Israeli athletes, this Academy Award-winning film focuses on the massacre itself through live film clips, news broadcasts and interviews with police, close relatives of victims, and the sole surviving perpetrator.
AP: Accuracy Problems
Despite Some Improvement, AP Misreporting Persists
The influential wire service is more responsive in correcting some factual errors, but continues to downplay attacks against Israelis. The Associated Press might be the single most influential news organization
in the United States if numbers are the measure. The agency serves 1,700 newspapers and 5,000 radio and television stations nationally. Worldwide, over one billion people a day obtain news from the AP, according to the organization.
WASHINGTON POST-WATCH: From “Militant” to “Military”
In recent months the Washington Post has moved from typically
referring to Palestinian terrorist groups as "militants," Unfortunately, the Post
now typically refers to the "military leaders," "military
wings," and "military" or "offensive operations" of
these "armed groups" – Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Al-Aqsa
Martyrs Brigades of Fatah.
On BBC Website, Israeli Noise More Serious than Palestinian Terrorism
Following a long pattern of presenting stories which cast Israelis as aggressors responsible for Palestinian suffering rather than as victims of Palestinian violence, a November 3 BBC Web site article discussed the alleged threat to Palestinian women and children in Gaza by Israeli noise, never once mentioning the Israeli women and children who are daily threatened with death by Palestinian mortar and rocket attacks.
UPDATED: Washington Post: Hadera Terrorist Attack Report Accompanied by Photo of Terrorist’s Grieving Family
In an article about a terrorist bombing targeting Israeli civilians in Hadera, the Washington Post chose to illustrate the murders with a photo sympathetic to the terrorist (bomber's mother holding his photo) instead of photographs of the bomb scene and Israeli victims. Three days after CAMERA's Oct. 27 alert, the paper's ombudsman wrote a column stating that running that photo was a bad choice.
Countering Propaganda: Focus on Diana Buttu
AFP Doctors Story on U.S.-Syria Deal
In a case of apparently blatant manipulation, AFP has removed a key item in a reported list of four U.S. demands being made of Syria in the wake of the Hariri assassination. More than one AFP story omits the call to "stop support for militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad."