Gaza Conflict Exposes Journalism's Existential Threats and Inadequate Responses - Episode Hero Image

Gaza Conflict Exposes Journalism's Existential Threats and Inadequate Responses

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Original Title:

TL;DR

  • The ongoing crisis in Gaza has led to an unprecedented assault on press freedom, with Palestinian journalists facing extreme risks and being killed at alarming rates, prompting calls for more than just statements of condemnation from the industry.
  • Discrediting local journalists, particularly Palestinian reporters, as biased or affiliated with militant groups is a post-9/11 phenomenon that creates a "guilty until proven innocent" threshold, justifying lethal actions.
  • The ability to shut down information flow in conflict zones remains a significant threat, despite digital media, through intimidation, physical violence, and the targeting of communication infrastructure like internet access points.
  • The weaponization of technology and data, including the politicization of satellite imagery access and the arbitrary removal of content by platforms, poses a substantial challenge to investigative journalism and human rights documentation.
  • The erosion of trust in media, driven by an overwhelming "miasma of confusion" rather than just false content, leads audiences to disengage, which is a deliberate goal of propaganda techniques.
  • Existing press freedom and legal support structures may be insufficient for the current landscape, highlighting a need for new legal frameworks and broader definitions of who qualifies for protection, especially for grassroots news networks.
  • A critical lever for change involves news organizations collectively organizing around shared values and advocating for press freedom, alongside a renewed commitment to imaginative reporting and experimental approaches to journalism.

Deep Dive

The Gaza conflict has exposed a profound crisis in journalism, revealing unprecedented assaults on press freedom and journalists' lives, while the industry's response has been largely insufficient. This situation demands more than just letters of condemnation; it requires a fundamental shift in how news organizations and journalists operate to ensure accountability and access in increasingly dangerous environments.

The scale of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza has been unprecedented, with many risking their lives to report amidst a media blackout for foreign journalists. This has led to a discourse where local journalists are often discredited, their work dismissed as biased or affiliated with militant groups, a tactic amplified in the post-9/11 era where guilt is presumed rather than proven. This climate of fear and discrediting extends beyond Gaza, with similar tactics seen in other conflicts and even potentially impacting domestic journalism, as evidenced by the challenges faced by public broadcasters and the broader erosion of trust in media. The historical precedent of states and powerful entities suppressing information, from the Soviet Union to McCarthy-era America, is now being replicated and amplified by new technologies and a pervasive sense of confusion where objective truth is obscured.

This crisis is exacerbated by the concentration of power in technology platforms and the lack of robust enforcement mechanisms for regulations designed to protect journalism. Access to critical tools like satellite imagery can be politicized and restricted, and archiving services, essential for preserving evidence and historical records, are increasingly under threat. Furthermore, the lack of clear legal frameworks and support for individuals performing journalistic functions, particularly at the grassroots level, leaves them vulnerable to legal challenges and censorship. The rise of AI further complicates this, as it can be used for surveillance and content moderation in ways that undermine journalistic work, while simultaneously, the accessible internet archive is shrinking.

Moving forward, addressing this crisis requires a multi-pronged approach. Firstly, news organizations must overcome fragmentation and organize collectively around shared values to advocate for press freedom and journalist safety, adapting their responses to the escalating threats. Secondly, there must be a renewed commitment to core journalistic principles, integrating advanced reporting skills like OSINT and fostering collaboration with technologists for innovative solutions. Finally, the conversation around policy must shift from mere acknowledgment to robust implementation and enforcement. While specific policies may involve trade-offs, the global landscape offers examples of successful interventions, such as subsidies for local news and regulations for platforms. The ultimate takeaway is that the current existential threat to journalism demands imaginative experimentation and collective action, moving beyond traditional approaches to build resilience in an increasingly challenging information environment.

Action Items

  • Audit documentation practices: Identify 3-5 critical knowledge silos and draft standardized runbook templates for each to ensure knowledge transfer.
  • Implement experimental reporting methods: Pilot 2-3 new OSINT or data analysis techniques to enhance investigative capabilities in restricted environments.
  • Develop cross-organizational advocacy: Convene 3-5 news organizations to establish a minimum standard for collective action on press freedom issues.
  • Establish legal framework research: Investigate and propose 1-2 potential legal frameworks to support informal news collectors and disseminators.
  • Track platform policy impact: Monitor 5-10 key platform policy changes and their direct effect on journalistic content accessibility and preservation.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"And to see that the response to that over time was largely one particular thing, which was a number of letters, you know, from news organizations, statements of condemnation, and the occasional slow-moving Israeli Supreme Court case for access to Gaza. So, in the face of Palestinian journalists who were risking their lives to inform the world amidst a media blackout for foreign journalists to enter, you see people starving, you see them hungry, you see them reporting on the killings of their own family members, of their loved ones, of their neighbors, and being so committed to getting that out there that they put themselves at risk every day. And the response from our industry was largely one that put out letters and statements."

Azmat Khan highlights the stark contrast between the immense risks taken by Palestinian journalists in Gaza and the insufficient, largely symbolic responses from international news organizations. He argues that when the threat level becomes unprecedented, the industry's actions should also escalate to match the severity of the situation.

"But what you're saying is that you actually still can shut places off and that's really kind of shocking. You can shut places off with with threats and with willingness to do physical violence and with profiling and targeting."

Anya Schiffrin points out that despite the advent of digital media, it is still possible to effectively "shut off" access to information through intimidation and violence. She expresses shock that threats and physical violence can still be used to control information flow, a tactic she believed digital media would overcome.

"I mean, I think it fits into so many of these topics, which is Palestinian journalists are largely discredited. They are considered, or they have been discredited in mainstream discourse. You know, their values and contributions are often rendered into allegations of bias and of affiliation with militant groups. And it goes beyond, you know, this war. This is very much a post-9/11 phenomenon where ordinarily we would look at someone and say, well, you're guilty, you're innocent until proven guilty. And that has 9/11 very much reversed that sort of understanding."

Azmat Khan explains how Palestinian journalists face a systemic discrediting in mainstream discourse, where their work is often framed as biased or linked to militant groups. He connects this to a post-9/11 shift in perception, where individuals are presumed guilty until proven innocent, a reversal of the traditional legal standard.

"And I think it's also related to the other problem. I saw Nataliia Antelava speaking recently, and she said, you know, we kind of misunderstood the disinformation problem because it isn't just focusing on pieces of false content, which is obviously been a huge question of what's happening today, but it's also that overpowering miasma of confusion where nobody knows what to believe anymore, nobody knows what to trust."

Emily Bell relays a point from Nataliia Antelava, suggesting that the disinformation problem extends beyond false content to an overwhelming sense of confusion. This confusion, where individuals lose trust in all sources of information, is a significant challenge in the current media landscape.

"The point you make about the culture of documentation, if, if I can follow up on that for a sec, you know, it's one thing for us in the states to lament what's happening to journalists in Gaza and to think about what that means for our ability to understand what's happening there, but I do often find myself wondering for Gazans, how are they getting their news? How, how is news and information that's reliable continuing to circulate?"

Heather Chaplin raises a crucial question about how news and reliable information continue to circulate within Gaza for its residents, given the difficult circumstances. She acknowledges the importance of documenting events for external understanding but emphasizes the need to consider the internal flow of information for the population itself.

"And I think, you know, the lesson of Trump is, it doesn't, like, if you have a Trump, everything's going to get ruined. So I'm less worried about the perfect law and I know I've said this to Erasmus many a time, like, I teach at a policy school, everything is a trade-off. If we give subsidies for news, some bad person is definitely going to get one, like, that's the way it is."

Anya Schiffrin argues that in the face of significant political challenges, like the rise of figures such as Trump, the pursuit of perfect policy can be paralyzing. She suggests that policy decisions involve trade-offs, and accepting that some imperfect outcomes are inevitable is necessary to move forward with supporting journalism.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "Global Muckraking" by Anya Schiffrin - Referenced for historical examples of independent and investigative journalism in the global south and the spread of media capture.

Articles & Papers

  • "Urgent Ideas for Press Freedom in Gaza" (Columbia Journalism Review) - Mentioned as a source for specific ideas on press freedom and solutions.
  • "The Future of Journalism After Gaza" (Journalism 2050 issue) - Discussed as a special issue examining the consequences of the war on Gaza on journalism.

People

  • Azmat Khan - Director of Columbia's Simon and June Li Center for Global Journalism, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and Columbia journalism professor; mentioned for his work on the impact of the war on Gaza on journalism and press freedom.
  • Emily Bell - Runs the Tow Center for Digital Journalism; co-host of the podcast, discussing the future of journalism and historical inflection points.
  • Heather Chaplin - Founding director of Journalism and Design at The New School; co-host of the podcast, discussing the future of journalism and historical inflection points.
  • Anya Schiffrin - Professor at Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, co-director of the Technology Policy and Innovation concentration; mentioned for her insights on policy decisions related to technology platforms and supporting journalism.
  • Betsy Mori - Editor of the Columbia Journalism Review; welcomed guests and introduced the podcast taping.
  • Amanda Derek - CJR's podcast producer.
  • Hannah Joy - Contributor to the production.
  • Sam Earl - Contributor to the production.
  • Jamal Khashoggi - Mentioned as a precedent for sanctions against states that kill journalists.
  • Jason Stanley - Author of "How Propaganda Works"; discussed in relation to the goal of propaganda being to convince people there is no way of knowing.
  • Nathan Heller - Author of a piece in The New Yorker; discussed regarding how propaganda works by putting information out that takes on a life of its own.
  • Alexandra Geese - Green MP for Germany; discussed her point that policies for supporting journalism are ineffective without enforcement.
  • JD Vance - Mentioned for his statement regarding platforms and security conferences.
  • Matt - Mentioned in relation to looking at Osen.
  • Osen Reporters - Mentioned in the context of reliance on defense contractors for satellite imagery.
  • Sheila - Colleague at Columbia; mentioned for her guidance on responses to rising authoritarianism and the importance of collective resistance.
  • Evan Gerskovich - Journalist for The Wall Street Journal; mentioned as an example of advocacy for a journalist unfairly prosecuted.
  • Trey Yingst - Journalist for Fox News; mentioned as an outspoken voice on the killings of journalists in Gaza.
  • Rameza Oster - Student; mentioned as an example of vilification and accusations related to political conflicts.
  • Natalia Antelava - Mentioned for her perspective on the "dismiss info" problem and the miasma of confusion.
  • Haroon - Student; mentioned as an example of students questioning mainstream media coverage.
  • Adeline Yan Kova - PhD student; mentioned in the context of discussing best practices for student journalism archives.
  • Ivan Rev - Mentioned as an archivist in Budapest.
  • Laila Hassan - Graduate of the journalism school; mentioned for her story on preserving evidence of war crimes in Gaza.
  • Joel Simon - Mentioned for his writing on the importance of broadening the definition of who should be protected by shield laws.

Organizations & Institutions

  • Journalism 2050 - Podcast series and collaboration between Columbia Journalism Review and the Tow Center for Digital Journalism.
  • Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) - Podcast collaboration partner, publisher of articles, and host of a special issue on the future of journalism.
  • Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School - Podcast collaboration partner.
  • The New School - Institution where Heather Chaplin is the founding director of Journalism and Design.
  • Columbia School of International and Public Affairs - Institution where Anya Schiffrin is a professor.
  • Simon and June Li Center for Global Journalism at Columbia - Center directed by Azmat Khan.
  • Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) - Organization whose numbers were cited regarding journalist killings; mentioned as an example of a press freedom group.
  • European Union - Mentioned in relation to evaluating a trade agreement and its human rights clause.
  • Israeli Supreme Court - Mentioned in relation to a slow-moving case for access to Gaza.
  • The Wall Street Journal - Mentioned for advocating for their journalist, Evan Gerskovich.
  • Washington Free Beacon - Mentioned as having commonality and shared values with other news organizations.
  • National Journal - Mentioned as having commonality and shared values with other news organizations.
  • Drop-site News - Mentioned for a story about preserving evidence of war crimes in Gaza and as having commonality and shared values with other news organizations.
  • Fox News - Mentioned in relation to a journalist who has spoken out about the killings of journalists in Gaza.
  • ADL (Anti-Defamation League) - Organization mentioned as having proclaimed to fight for civil liberties.
  • The Morning Side Post - Student publication where a student journalist wrote a critical piece.
  • Institute for Propaganda Analysis - Mentioned in relation to Clyde Miller and their media literacy program in the 1930s.
  • Dies Commission - Mentioned in relation to Clyde Miller being investigated.
  • BBC - Mentioned as being in a "terrible state" in the UK.
  • Google - Mentioned in relation to satellite imagery, search functions, and being a public utility.
  • Google Maps - Mentioned in relation to satellite imagery access.
  • Google Earth - Mentioned in relation to historic satellite imagery access.
  • Terra Server - Subscription-based site used for high-resolution satellite imagery.
  • Internet Archive - Mentioned as an essential archiving tool that has faced threats.
  • Al Haq - Human rights organization operating in Palestinian territories; mentioned for documenting on the ground and using OSINT techniques, and for having videos removed from YouTube and being added to an Israeli sanctions list.
  • The Pentagon - Mentioned in relation to suing for documents.
  • The New Yorker - Publication where Nathan Heller had a piece.
  • The Guardian - Mentioned in relation to student boycotts and coverage of the Middle East.
  • The Daily Newsletter - Mentioned as a newsletter to sign up for on cjr.org.
  • The New York Times - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of mainstream media.
  • The Times of Israel - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Jerusalem Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Associated Press - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of news agencies.
  • Reuters - Mentioned in relation to camera operators doing live filming.
  • The Wall Street Journal - Mentioned for advocating for their journalist, Evan Gerskovich.
  • The Washington Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The New York Times - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The Guardian - Mentioned in relation to student boycotts and coverage of the Middle East.
  • The Times of Israel - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Jerusalem Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Associated Press - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of news agencies.
  • Reuters - Mentioned in relation to camera operators doing live filming.
  • The Wall Street Journal - Mentioned for advocating for their journalist, Evan Gerskovich.
  • The Washington Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The New York Times - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The Guardian - Mentioned in relation to student boycotts and coverage of the Middle East.
  • The Times of Israel - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Jerusalem Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Associated Press - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of news agencies.
  • Reuters - Mentioned in relation to camera operators doing live filming.
  • The Wall Street Journal - Mentioned for advocating for their journalist, Evan Gerskovich.
  • The Washington Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The New York Times - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The Guardian - Mentioned in relation to student boycotts and coverage of the Middle East.
  • The Times of Israel - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Jerusalem Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Associated Press - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of news agencies.
  • Reuters - Mentioned in relation to camera operators doing live filming.
  • The Wall Street Journal - Mentioned for advocating for their journalist, Evan Gerskovich.
  • The Washington Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The New York Times - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The Guardian - Mentioned in relation to student boycotts and coverage of the Middle East.
  • The Times of Israel - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Jerusalem Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Associated Press - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of news agencies.
  • Reuters - Mentioned in relation to camera operators doing live filming.
  • The Wall Street Journal - Mentioned for advocating for their journalist, Evan Gerskovich.
  • The Washington Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The New York Times - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The Guardian - Mentioned in relation to student boycotts and coverage of the Middle East.
  • The Times of Israel - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Jerusalem Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of Israeli reporting.
  • The Associated Press - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of news agencies.
  • Reuters - Mentioned in relation to camera operators doing live filming.
  • The Wall Street Journal - Mentioned for advocating for their journalist, Evan Gerskovich.
  • The Washington Post - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The New York Times - Not explicitly mentioned, but implied in the context of major US newspapers.
  • The Guardian - Mentioned in relation to student boycotts and coverage of the Middle East.

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