Media Enablers Complicit in Mideast Civilian Deaths

August 2nd, 2006 12:30 PM

Rachel Neuwirth writes in The American Thinker that the media have made the job of the terrorists much easier as the media provide the version of reality the terrorists hope to convey. The media never blame the terrorists who hide behind civilians who get killed, and Neuwirth writes that therefore the media are "directly complicit in enabling this tactic to continue and for more Lebanese civilians to be killed."

A major segment of the global media is behaving in a manner that makes terrorism and mass killings more likely rather than less likely. They enable and encourage terrorist slaughter of innocents by supplying providing a propaganda bonanza for the terrorist cause. Without the gain, there would be less incentive for the horrific behavior.

This is true now with Israeli defense measures against Hezbolla terrorism, and has been true for many years, especially during the long Arab-Israeli conflict. Not enough attention has been paid to media manipulation. It is long overdue that this be exposed and the media be confronted and held accountable.

The general public derives its perception of the wider reality beyond direct personal experience via the media. When the major media all sing a similar tune the public generally assumes it is being honestly informed.

The rocket attacks in Lebanon are a perfect example of the human shield technique that goes undenounced by the media.

Their rocket attacks often originate from within civilian areas which will assure civilian casualties. They, and their supporters, accuse Israel of deliberately targeting civilians. If Israel really wanted to target civilians it would not take a full week of intensive bombing to kill 250 people.Many in the media have now joined the chorus of “disproportionate response” and ‘targeting of civilians’. They call, in effect, for a one-sided cease fire where Israel ‘ceases’ and Hezbolla remains free to ‘fire’.

It would help if Israel and her friends would make it clear to all that Israel only targets sources of aggression. But the media, by their skewed reporting, is making it politically profitable for Hezbolla to locate rocket launchers in the midst of civilian areas. This reinforces the Hezbolla tactics and increases the civilian death toll.

The major media are thus directly complicit in enabling this tactic to continue and for more Lebanese civilians to be killed. If the major media would tell the whole truth and place the blame entirely on the Hezbolla terrorists it would no longer be politically profitable to continue this tactic. People who care might communicate to the media on this and even send them a copy of this article as back-up.