By Chloe Baker, Features Editor
It’s been four months since Hamas waged war on Israel, and while Israel has advanced on many fronts, one front in the West remains a hotbed for antisemitism and ruthlessness – modern day media. It’s hard to say if Israel will ever win this war with information constantly traveling faster than the speed of light and most of the general public misplacing their moral compasses. However, we as a generation have the power to fix what is broken and pave the path to a more just future.
While it’s easy to shed light and dwell on the countless wrongdoings of major media outlets since October 7 (such as CNN referring to the infamous hospital blast as being “shrouded in uncertainty,” when a USA Today Op-Ed called the murdering of babies “an old fake news trope,” NPR drawing a parallel between Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and The Guardian referring to Hamas’s heinous acts as “resistance”… just to name a few) these acts are in the past. If anything, they just further emphasize what it takes and means to be a proper journalist. With the pen in your hand, and the words sounding perfectly on paper, you have the power to tell a story; but where your intentions lie is what can make or break a great story.
Despite the fact that many believe journalism is a dying profession, journalists still carry a heavy load. They bear the responsibility of telling a story in an unbiased and ethical fashion. They really are the hand that rocks the cradle of the world. This is especially true in times like today when journalism is more widespread and accessible than ever before. It’s no longer just newspapers, radio, or television. It’s Tiktok, Instagram, X, Facebook, and much more. Anyone can tell a story on any subject. It’s not despite, but rather because of this reality that an emphasis on informed, unbiased, and ethical storytelling should be made.
A few months ago, it was exposed by Honest Reporting that local Gazan journalists–some employed by companies such as CNN, The New York Times, and Reuters–were involved in the October 7 massacre. The border was breached “not only physically, but also journalistically.” While Israelis were being kidnapped from their homes on golf carts and motorcycles, these “journalists” remained still, documenting these war crimes as if what they were doing was business as usual. Before being a journalist, you are first and foremost a human being. Your presence matters, and who you are should always come before what you do. These “journalists” were not taking photos and telling a story to the public; they were proudly documenting war crimes and relishing in the success of “Palestinian resistance” along with their terrorist peers.
The meat of what makes a good journalist is the ability to differentiate between telling a good story and causing more damage to a situation. Rabbi David Fohrman puts it perfectly: “When you are witnessing great suffering, history may laud you for reporting the suffering – but as a human being, what integrity do you really have left if you choose to stand apart from it?”
While the term “journalist” may mean nothing to you or seem far away – as if in another world, the truth is, we are all journalists whether we want to embrace it or not. We all have the power to tell stories and do what’s right. We have the power to inform the world of injustice when we see it. We have the ability to share our interests and opinions with each other, and we have the privilege to be able to do it all freely. As the ever-so-talented journalist, Lucy Aharish, said, “as a journalist this [my microphone] is my only weapon.” Sometimes, in situations as dire as this one, our only ability is to speak, write, inform, and make sure the truth gets out to the best of our ability. We can’t control the misconduct taking place on these major news networks, but we can control how we react to it. We can call it out, condemn it, expose it and do the best we can to stay informed.
We are all journalists. This title comes with privilege and a duty to continue using our voices in the most honest and influential ways we can.