War On Gaza: The Politics Of Language In Media Coverage

Mainstream media uses different sets of words for the two sides when reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict

- Snigdhendu Bhattacharya

On October 12, at the India Today news channel’s primetime show, ‘News Today’, anchored by well-known journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, UK-based Palestinian academician Makram Khoury-Machool described Hamas’ operational methods as a “military struggle” that was resorted to after “the world failed Palestinians” in the face of years of “Israeli atrocities”. Sardesai protested instantly. “Let us not justify terrorism. This is terrorism, sir!” he said, regarding Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. He then asked the question that has been thrown at every Palestinian representative appearing on mainstream TV news channels, especially those headquartered in the US and Europe. “Will you and others condemn the Hamas terror attack on Israel? Innocent civilians were killed in a barbaric fashion. Do you agree that the first step towards any kind of reconciliation is clear and outright condemnation of what is seen as terrorism of the worst kind?”

Sardesai has never used words like ‘‘terror’’, ‘‘crime’’, or ‘‘barbaric’’ about Israel’s role in Palestine in his shows. Even though he did mention “a lot of concerns about the nature of the Israeli offensive and what it means for civilians caught in the crossfire,” he never asked Israeli authorities to “condemn” Israel’s indiscriminate and relentless bombardment.

Sardesai is no exception. He represents the broad trends displayed by the mainstream media, especially those media houses located outside the Arab world. According to an editorial in