Baker addresses Middle Eastern conflict, media
By Jordan Funderburk, contributing writer
Posted on September 25, 2006

As the first in a line of speakers for the JMU Guardian Lecture Series, Israeli senior foreign press coordinator David Baker presented a lecture centered around Israel’s constant struggle to create fair reporting in the foreign media for both sides of the Middle East conflict. 

The lecture, “The Other Middle East Conflict: Israel and the Battle for the Media and World Opinion,” was held last Wednesday.

Baker works for the Israeli prime minister and is in charge of the public announcements Israel must make on the state of affairs in the country.

The recent battles in Lebanon in August provided the perfect examples for Baker to demonstrate the biased reporting.

“Much of the reporting from the Lebanese border area, in my opinion, was faulty and distorted,” Baker said.

He added, “I do have a serious gripe about the refusal of so many in the foreign media to even remotely cover genuine Israeli suffering and pain.”

Baker’s lecture also touched upon the many obstacles the Israeli media faces when trying to combat terror.

“It is natural for the journalist to be drawn to the weak,” Baker said.

“It is hard to compete with the pictures of the Israeli tank on the move or the house of terrorists being demolished. In the highly competitive business of TV and news reporting, the better and more vivid picture always wins.”

Baker pointed out the difficulty of the fear Israelis face in everyday life through pictures. He also said that people listening to the media don’t hear what brought about the Israeli response, such as the many terrorist threats they receive.

“Since there are no pictures, then there is no story to say,” Baker said. “But meanwhile, that Israeli tank is making its third lap around the Palestinian village to try to stop another terrorist plot.”

Following the speech, the floor was opened up for an extensive question-and-answer session. Most questions regarded recent news items involving the Israelis and Baker’s reaction to those stories.

However, there were also a few questions debating Israel’s stance with Palestine and why Israel is fighting its neighbors.

“We have a problem with not letting my daughter go onto the bus, going downtown and walking through the city of her birth,” Baker said.

When asked how Baker would like the media to change, he said, “I want them to ask questions that delve into the very core of the conflict and not to suffice to a very superficial covering of the issue, and use the services that we offer.”