Albawaba.com – Amman
A monthly publication in Jordan has started, in cooperation with a media institute, working on a report aimed at detecting cases of what they called Palestinophobia in Western media. Complaints of such cases will be forwarded to human rights organizations.
“Palestinophopia” (especially in the Western influenced media) may be defined as the deliberate or unconscious prejudicing of news reports against the Palestinians. The fear of journalists, TV reporters and newspaper editors of being associated with the Palestinians – and thus indirectly slanting them, playing down their problems, using vague terms and references that may lead to the opposite meaning are seen as forms of Palestinophobia,” said Al-Mashreq Al-I’lami, an independent monthly specialized in media studies, in a statement faxed Sunday to Albawaba.com.
“Arabophobia” and “Islamophobia” in the media are similar concepts, it added.
The organizers of the crusade called on all people who “believe in fairness, honest news reporting, responsible freedom of expression and good media ethics,” to watch out for signs of Palestinophobia, Arabophobia and Islamophobia in the media and e-mail all the examples to the Amman-based Arab Media Institute (AMI) at ami@nets.com.jo to be included in the “Media Watch Report”.
Complaints will be forwarded to the sources of such practices and against such sources in formal letters, through available media channels, and in every possible civilized manner, said Al-Mashreq Al-I’lami.
It added that the report will include alert flashes about malpractice against media ethics and / or against journalists in Jordan, the Middle East and the Arab countries.
“Entries will be collated in periodical reports and alert flashes will be forwarded to human rights organizations.”
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