Explosive New Study on TV News Coverage of Israel-Palestine to be Released on Capitol Hill Monday
5/6/2005 12:58:00 PM
To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor, Media Reporter
Contact: Terry Walz, 202 863-2951 or Peter Thomas, 510-847-4780, both for If Americans Knew
News Advisory:
WHAT: Explosive New Study on TV News Coverage of Israel- Palestine to be Released on Capitol Hill Monday
WHEN: Monday, May 9, 10 a.m.m-12 noon
WHERE: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2226, Washington, DC
An explosive new study of American television coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be released at a Capitol Hill briefing on Monday, May 9. The study is a follow-up to a similar report released two weeks ago on The New York Times, which found the Times reported Israeli deaths at rates up to seven to ten times greater than Palestinian fatalities.
The studies are produced by If Americans Knew, a California nonprofit media watchdog organization. Its study of the Times has generated considerable controversy, with New York Times Public Editor Dan Okrent's column in the paper last Sunday referring readers to the organization's website -- http://www.ifamericansknew.org -- to look into the matter for themselves.
The new study to be released on Monday analyzes two-years of coverage on ABC, CBS, and NBC evening news programs. In addition, the report will contain previously unreleased information regarding Associated Press coverage of this conflict.
If Americans Knew Executive Director Alison Weir, who will be presenting the findings, says that these reports should serve as a wake-up call to the American public. "By looking at this coverage statistically, choosing clear, objective categories, we have found an extremely useful, non-subjective tool for measuring the accuracy of media coverage on this extremely important issue. Our findings are highly disturbing. Full and fair reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the ongoing peace process is absolutely necessary if the United States is to act as an honest broker."
Ambassador Edward Peck, former chief of mission to Iraq, will introduce the briefing, the 11th in the series of public hearings on the Middle East sponsored by the Council for the National Interest in the last year.
To reserve a seat, send an e-mail to inform@cnionline.org or call 202-863-2951.
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