Intercept report reveals major U.S. newspapers favor Israeli perspectives in Gaza war coverage

New York (Quds News Network) – A recent analysis conducted by the Intercept, a U.S.-based nonprofit news organization, has brought attention to a significant bias in the coverage of the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza by major newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times.
The analysis focuses on the first six weeks of the war, revealing a notable skew towards Israeli narratives.
The open-source analysis examined over 1,000 articles from these newspapers from October 7 to the beginning of a weeklong “humanitarian truce” on November 24. During this period, the Palestinian death toll exceeded 14,800, including over 6,000 children, with the current toll surpassing 22,000.
A new analysis by the Intercept reveals that the NY Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times’s coverage of Israel’s offensive on Gaza showed a consistent bias against Palestinians:
🔴 For every 2 Palestinian deaths, Palestinians are mentioned once. For every Israeli death,… pic.twitter.com/QAVey7M1y9
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 10, 2024
The analysis found a disproportionate emphasis on Israeli perspectives, using terms like “Israeli” or “Israel” more frequently than “Palestinian.” For every two Palestinian deaths, Palestinians were mentioned once, while for every Israeli death, Israelis were mentioned eight times, creating a rate 16 times higher per death than that of Palestinians.
The report highlights the emotional language used in reporting, noting that terms like “slaughter,” “massacre,” and “horrific” were predominantly applied to Israelis killed by Palestinians, creating a skewed narrative. The analysis suggests that such biased coverage complicates efforts to humanize Palestinians and garner international sympathy.
Furthermore, the analysis brought attention to the minimal coverage of the unprecedented killing of Palestinian children and journalists, despite being key groups that typically evoke sympathy in Western media.
The report notes a qualitative and quantitative asymmetry in how children are covered, with Palestinians often described as “people under 18,” while Israelis are referred to as “children.”
The study also found a disproportionate focus on antisemitic attacks compared to those against Muslims, showcasing an imbalance in the portrayal of discrimination during the Gaza conflict.
Critics argue that this biased coverage in major newspapers may influence public perceptions of the conflict, contributing to a skewed view among media consumers.
The report suggests that younger audiences, informed through social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, are more likely to form opinions that differ from those relying on traditional print media and cable news sources.