How are citizen journalists bringing the Palestinian perspective to the digital space?

TRT World

2 Nov 202204:44

Summary

TLDRMeta's report acknowledges bias against Palestinians on Facebook and Instagram during Israel's 2021 Gaza assault, validating Palestinian citizen journalists' experiences of censorship. These journalists, ordinary people sharing ground realities, have become vital news sources, especially where traditional media is obstructed. Their work has influenced global perspectives on the Israel-Palestine conflict, despite facing safety threats and platform censorship, highlighting the struggle for digital space in the narrative war.

Takeaways

📜 Meta admitted that Facebook and Instagram were biased against Palestinians during the 2021 Israel-Gaza conflict.
🗣️ Palestinian citizen journalists have been highlighting the unjustified censorship, content removal, and account suspensions on social media platforms.
🌏 Citizen journalism provides an alternative narrative to the traditional media, offering untold stories and on-the-ground documentation.
📹 Live streams and content shared by citizen journalists have attracted millions, becoming a news source for a global audience.
🏠 The 2021 conflict saw 28 Palestinian families facing forceful expulsion, with citizen journalists providing a nuanced understanding of the situation.
🤝 International support for Palestinians increased, with activists and celebrities standing in solidarity, some even addressing the UN.
📰 Traditional media has been criticized for bias and false equivalencies in their coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
📹 Citizen journalism has become a critical resource for news, especially where traditional media access is blocked.
🔒 The safety of journalists in Palestine is often at risk, with at least 30 killed by Israeli forces since 2000.
🛑 Palestinian news organizations have faced closures or destruction, and digital rights activists have raised concerns over freedom of expression on social media.
🚫 Social media platforms have been accused of censoring Palestinian voices, with Facebook reportedly complying with Israeli government requests to remove content.

Q & A

What did Meta's report admit regarding Facebook and Instagram's treatment of Palestinians?
-Meta's report admitted that Facebook and Instagram were biased against Palestinians during Israel's assault on Gaza in May 2021, confirming concerns raised by Palestinian citizen journalists about unjustified censorship, content removal, and account suspensions.
Who are the Palestinian citizen journalists and what role do they play?
-Palestinian citizen journalists are ordinary people who document events on the ground and share untold stories with the world. They provide an alternative narrative and have become a news source for a larger audience, especially during times of conflict.
How did citizen journalists' content become attractive to a larger audience?
-Citizen journalists' content became attractive due to its immediacy, authenticity, and the alternative perspective it offers, especially in regions where traditional media access is often blocked or obstructed.
What was the significance of the 11-day bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces in the context of citizen journalism?
-During the 11-day bombardment, citizen journalists played a critical role in disseminating information and sharing stories that traditional media might not have covered, thus providing a more nuanced understanding of the events.
How did the rise of social media impact the role of citizen journalism in the Israel-Palestine conflict?
-The advent of social media allowed citizen journalists to bypass traditional media gatekeepers, reaching a global audience directly and influencing the global perspective on the conflict.
What was the impact of citizen journalism on international awareness and solidarity for Palestinians?
-Citizen journalism helped international organizations, activists, and celebrities to stand in solidarity with Palestinians, as seen when Mohammed al-Qad addressed the United Nations and made Time magazine's top 100 influential people list.
How did traditional media's coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict reveal bias?
-An MIT study analyzed New York Times articles and found orientalist bias against Palestinians in U.S. news coverage, showing how traditional media often framed the conflict with false equivalencies.
What was the initiative by B'Tselem and Israeli human rights organization in 2007 to empower citizen journalism?
-In 2007, B'Tselem and an Israeli human rights organization distributed 150 camcorders to citizen journalists in the occupied West Bank to bring alleged violations by settlers and the Israeli military into public view.
How has the safety of journalists been compromised in Palestine?
-According to Reporters Without Borders, at least 30 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since 2000, highlighting the risks faced by journalists in conflict zones.
What challenges do Palestinian news organizations face in terms of physical and digital security?
-Palestinian news organizations face closures or complete destruction by Israel, with 31 organizations affected in 2021. In the digital sphere, there is also the issue of censorship and muzzling of freedom of expression on social media platforms.
How does the censorship of Palestinian voices on social media platforms affect the struggle for equal representation?
-The censorship of Palestinian voices on social media platforms, often justified by platform policies, leads to a loss of trust and hinders the ability of Palestinians to have an equal voice in the digital space, exacerbating existing disparities.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Meta's Report on Social Media Bias

Meta has acknowledged that its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, exhibited bias against Palestinians during Israel's military operations in Gaza in May 2021. This revelation corroborates the grievances of Palestinian citizen journalists who have consistently faced issues like content removal and account suspensions. These journalists play a crucial role in documenting events on the ground and sharing untold narratives with a global audience. During the 11-day bombardment, their live videos and photos offered an alternative perspective, attracting millions of viewers and serving as a primary news source. The content's appeal lies in its ability to bypass traditional media barriers and provide a more nuanced understanding of the conflict, especially in regions where access to traditional news is limited.

🌐 The Rise of Citizen Journalism in Conflict Zones

Citizen journalism has emerged as a vital resource for news in conflict zones, particularly where traditional media coverage is obstructed. Activists like Muna alcat, Mohamed elkad, Abdul afo, Bassam Omar, and others have used social media to shed light on the power disparities and rights violations in Palestine. Their efforts have garnered international attention, with some even addressing the United Nations and making it to Time magazine's influential people list. The advent of social media has disrupted the dominance of traditional media, which has been criticized for biased or false equivalencies in its coverage. Citizen journalists have filled the gap, providing real-time, low-cost responses to events, especially in situations where the safety of professional journalists is at risk.

🚨 Challenges and Censorship of Palestinian Voices

Despite the rise of citizen journalism, Palestinian voices continue to face censorship and challenges on social media platforms. Israel has been accused of suppressing freedom of expression and censoring Palestinian content, with reports indicating that platforms like Facebook have complied with Israeli government requests to remove 'inciting' content. This has led to a loss of trust among Palestinians in these platforms. Moreover, Palestinian news organizations have suffered physical destruction and digital attacks, further limiting their ability to disseminate information. The struggle for Palestinians in the digital space reflects the broader conflict, with social media platforms often failing to equalize disparities and provide an equal voice to those with less power.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Citizen Journalists

Citizen journalists are individuals who, often without professional journalism training, engage in the collection and dissemination of news in a particular community or on issues of importance. In the context of the video, they play a crucial role in documenting events on the ground in Palestine, providing an alternative narrative to traditional media. They share live videos and photos, which expose the realities of the conflict and become a news source for a larger audience, as seen during Israel's assault on Gaza.

💡Bias

Bias refers to a predisposition or inclination towards one side or another, often resulting in unfair or unbalanced representation. The video script discusses how Facebook and Instagram were found to be biased against Palestinians, confirming the concerns raised by citizen journalists who experienced censorship, content removal, and account suspensions. This bias is a central issue in the narrative of how the conflict is portrayed and perceived globally.

💡Censorship

Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security. In the script, it is mentioned that Palestinian citizen journalists have faced unjustified censorship, which includes content removal and account suspensions on social media platforms, highlighting the challenges they face in sharing their stories.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video emphasizes the importance of social media as a platform where citizen journalists can share their perspectives on the Israel-Palestine conflict, reaching millions of people and providing an alternative to traditional media coverage.

💡Alternative Narrative

An alternative narrative refers to a different or opposing point of view that challenges the mainstream or dominant story. The script mentions that the content shared by citizen journalists exposes an alternative narrative of the conflict, offering a different perspective that may not be covered by traditional media.

💡International Solidarity

International solidarity denotes support from people or organizations worldwide for a common cause or struggle. The video discusses how international organizations, activists, and celebrities have shown solidarity with the Palestinian cause, highlighting the global impact and significance of the conflict.

💡Forceful Expulsion

Forceful expulsion refers to the act of forcibly removing people from their homes or land. The script specifically mentions the case of 28 Palestinian families facing forceful expulsion in Sheikh Dura, illustrating the human rights issues at the core of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

💡Violation of Palestinian Rights

Violation of Palestinian rights implies actions that contravene the rights of Palestinians, such as freedom of expression, safety, and property rights. The video script discusses how citizen journalists and international organizations have highlighted these violations, particularly in the context of Israel's actions in Palestine.

💡Traditional Media

Traditional media refers to older forms of mass communication, such as print, television, and radio. The script contrasts traditional media with citizen journalism, noting that the former may have biases or limitations in covering the conflict, while the latter offers a more immediate and unfiltered perspective.

💡Safety of Journalists

The safety of journalists is a critical issue, especially in conflict zones. The video script cites Reporters Without Borders, indicating that at least 30 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since 2000, underscoring the dangers faced by those reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

💡Freedom of Expression

Freedom of expression is the fundamental right to express one's thoughts, ideas, and opinions without fear of censorship or punishment. The script discusses how Palestinian voices have been suppressed on social media platforms, which is a form of violation of this freedom, and how this censorship has affected the narrative of the conflict.

Highlights

Meta admits Facebook and Instagram were biased against Palestinians during Israel's assault on Gaza in May 2021.

Palestinian citizen journalists have faced unjustified censorship, content removal, and account suspensions on social media platforms.

Citizen journalists document on-the-ground events and share untold stories with the world during conflicts.

During Israel's 11-day bombardment of Gaza, citizen journalists exposed an alternative narrative through live videos and photos.

Millions of people turned to social media live streams and engaged with content shared by citizen journalists.

Citizen journalism has become a critical news resource in regions where traditional media access is blocked or obstructed.

28 Palestinian families facing forceful expulsion in Sheikh Dura received international attention and support through citizen journalism.

Mohammed al-Qad addressed the United Nations and made Time magazine's top 100 influential people list, highlighting the impact of citizen journalism.

An MIT study found orientalist bias against Palestinians in U.S. news coverage, as analyzed in 33,000 New York Times articles.

In 2007, a human rights organization distributed camcorders to citizen journalists in the occupied West Bank to document alleged violations by settlers and the Israeli military.

Citizen journalists became more prominent during Israel's 2008 attack on Gaza, quickly sharing stories and expressing their lived realities.

Traditional media outlets have adopted social networking platforms for news gathering and distribution, influenced by citizen journalism.

Citizen journalism addresses the needs of professional journalists in conflict zones, providing low-cost and instant response mechanisms.

In Palestine, the safety of journalists is often jeopardized, with at least 30 killed by Israeli forces since 2000.

Palestinian news organizations have been subjected to closures or destruction by Israel, with 31 organizations affected in 2021.

Israel's actions in the digital sphere, including censorship of Palestinian voices on social media, have been criticized as a form of massacre.

Palestinians have lost trust in platforms like Facebook, which reportedly complied with the Israeli government on content removal requests.

Social media is supposed to equalize disparities and give people with less power an equal voice, but this does not seem to be the case for the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The struggle for Palestinians in the digital space raises questions about the effectiveness of citizen journalism and social media in addressing bias and censorship.