The Media’s Intellectual Dishonesty Must Stop

As a passionate supporter of Israel’s and someone who is constantly keeping our brothers and sisters on the ground in this conflict in my thoughts and prayers, the media’s coverage of this latest saga that’s been brewing has been infuriating to watch. Why doesn’t Israel do more in an effort to combat the misperceptions that certain members of the media are perpetuating? Public relations professionals understand that there needs to be a counter-effort to expose the deceit in its coverage.

Why aren’t there retractions when there are CONSTANT falsehoods being promoted about the conflict on the ground? Why isn’t there an effective offensive effort on the part of those in the pro-Israel community to combat those falsehoods? PR professionals need to be employed during times like these for strategic counsel and to ensure that the truth is actually being told.

The level of intellectual dishonesty has seeped beyond just the NYTimes and the other “well-regarded” papers by the mainstream. You see it on the social media feeds of supposed “reporters.” Israel should be seeking the counsel of those in the PR community with a comprehensive understanding of which reporters are inclined to write from a hostile perspective about Israel, and which are inclined to instead write more favorably about our homeland.

There needs to be a collective effort on the part of those in the pro-Israel community to call out the media when it’s wrong; and to expose their inaccuracies and falsehoods. We as a community cannot continue to persist taking this lying down. It is an absolute and utter embarrassment that we as a nation continue being pelted with deceitful stories riddled with lies about the situation on the ground. Media professionals should be turned to in an effort to expose this rank deceit.  We all know what the truth is. We all know that the Israeli government goes out of its way to spare any casualties or loss of human life and is only defending itself against the terror brought before her by Islamic Jihad and other manifestations of Islamic terror working against Israel and the Jewish people.

The lack of appreciation that certain elements of the pro-Israel community have for the value of public relations is mind boggling. This needs to change – and this change will undoubtedly have constructive effects on not only the media’s coverage of current events related to Israel, but also (and perhaps most importantly) on the misperception that so many have about Israel, after being fed so much dishonest “reporting” about America’s closest friend and ally in the Middle East.

Our college students on campuses must be armed with the information and intellectual ammunition that they need in order to counter the falsehoods that they hear in the classroom and elsewhere. This is precisely right and a model that should be implemented by leaders of pro-Israel campus organizations nationwide. Undoubtedly, this effort will require ample financial resources and the investment of the time and energy of a substantial staff in order to effectively counsel students about the most effective ways to counter the anti-Israel narratives that are consistently spread by Israel haters on campus and beyond.

We don’t have the media on our side. There’s no doubt about that. And wrestling with that reality is certainly not pleasant. Media professionals that’s experience in pointing out the media’s intellectual dishonesty in its coverage and treatment of Israel ought to be turned to as a case-study of how the Israeli government and Hasbara can do so more effectively.

The world deserves to hear the truth about Israel and to stop continuing being fed lie after lie after lie. The time is now. Israel has proven itself on the battlefield time and time again. Now it’s time for Israel to prove herself in the media war. It’s ours to win.