Thursday, November 19, 2009

The "other" news

As the world's largest international multimedia news agency (according to its website), Reuters employs or contracts with well over 100 correspondents, photographers, writers, and editors reporting on the Middle East conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs.  Day after day, we read stories on the Reuters website reporting on stalled peace talks due to Jewish settlements, humiliated Palestinians forced to build Jewish settlements to make a living, Jews who incite Arab violence by having the impudence to visit the Temple Mount (in the Jewish settlement of Jerusalem), and Jewish settlements expanded in violation of the Road Map.  Incidentally, did we mention Jewish settlements?

We sometimes wonder if the army of Reuters Middle East correspondents, photographers, writers, and editors have anything else on their minds besides Jewish settlements and how these purportedly prevent that long sought-after peace Palestinians are always pursuing.

Far be it for us as lowly academics to dictate the news agenda of the-world's-largest-international-multimedia-news-agency; however, we wonder if Reuters' readers might be interested in how the Palestinian leadership in Gaza is treating human rights groups, aid foundations, the media, and local businesses.  Since Reuters doesn't see fit to report on any of these incidents (nor any others which might reflect badly on the Palestinians generally) we thought we would begin a series of weekly reports on the other news, i.e., that which Reuters blacks out.

Thanks to the Elder of Ziyon website for links to the above stories which can be difficult to locate due to self-censorship by the major news wire services.

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